Publications
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Breaking China’s Grip: U.S. and Canada’s Next Steps in Mining
In a strategic move to bolster domestic production of critical minerals, President Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA). He signed an executive order aiming to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources, particularly China, which dominates the global rare earth minerals market. (…)
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Important changes in trademark law in Canada
Amendments to the Trademarks Act (“Act”) and the Trademarks Regulations (“Regulations”) will come into force on April 1, 2025. These amendments are aimed at preventing abusive practices, improving efficiency in trademark proceedings and clarifying certain practices. The main amendments are as (…)
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Strikes and lockouts: a bill to give greater consideration to the needs of the population
On February 19, 2025, the government introduced Bill 89, a piece of legislation that is essentially designed to regulate strikes and lockouts to limit their impact on the population. The Bill proposes major changes to the QuebecLabour Code,1 including granting special powers to the Minister of (…)
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The Government of Canada extends the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit for an additional Two years
On March 3rd, 2025, the Department of Finance Canada announced a two-year extension to the 15% Mineral Exploration Tax Credit (“METC”) available to investors in flow-through shares. The extension means that the METC will be effective until March 31, 2027. This announcement came at a time when (…)
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Charting Your Course: Navigating Quebec’s Language Landscape in Business Transactions
This article is part of our two-part series on what foreign buyers of, and investors in, business ventures need to know about the Charter of the French language (the “Charter”) in the context of a cross-border transaction involving operations and employees in Quebec. This first instalment will focus (…)
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New developments in mental health diagnostics: what employers need to know
Employers are regularly faced with complex mental health situations, particularly when their employees are absent due to illness or injury, or when accommodation measures need to be considered. In such cases, they usually request supporting documentation specifying the diagnosis in question. (…)
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A judge grants application to dismiss medical resident’s recourse for a second time and, of his own motion, considers declaring her quarrelsome
On November 15, 2024,1 in Bouchelaghem v. Université Laval,2 Superior Court Mr. Robert Dufresne granted an application for dismissal on the grounds of res judicata and abuse. His judgment is a reminder of the importance of the presumption of judgments’ validity and stability, principles linked to (…)
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Canada’s New Patent Term Adjustment Regime Comes Into Force
As we reported previously, changes were introduced into Canadian patent practice in October 2022 to further streamline Canadian patent examination, to pave the way for a patent term adjustment (PTA) system in Canada as per the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The PTA system is set (…)
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2024 Review of Real Estate Law Highlights in Quebec
As we keenly usher in 2025, we thought we would have a quick recap on changes affecting real estate law in Quebec in 2024. Let’s have a look back on the past year and on news deserving some attention and follow-up in 2025. This is not a comprehensive list, but a reminder that much has happened in (…)
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Hiring Process: Can Knowledge of a Language Other Than French Be Required by an Employer?
In a decision rendered on September 16, 2024,1 the Administrative Labour Tribunal (the “ALT”) found that a company (the “employer”) had violated the Charter of the French language2 (the “CFL”) by requiring knowledge of languages other than French as part of a hiring process. This is one of the first (…)
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Announcement of U.S. Customs Tariffs: Repercussions and Trade Strategies for Canadian and Quebec Businesses
Nearly four years after the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (the “CUSMA” or the “Agreement”) came into force, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on November 25, 2024, that he would impose 25% tariffs on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico, starting on the first day (…)
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Bill C-244: unlocking the right to repair
On November 7, 2024, Bill C-244, An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair)1 received royal assent, adding a new exception to the provisions governing technological protection measures (TPM) in the Copyright Act (CA). This legislative amendment adds section 41.121 to the (…)
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Employers’ Right to Require Medical Certificates: New Restrictions as of January 1, 2025
Quebec is currently facing a major shortage of physicians. To remedy the situation, several ministers in the CAQ government announced in early 2024 that significant changes would be implemented to reduce physicians’ administrative burden. In this context, on October 9, 2024, the National Assembly (…)