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Brendan J. Weiler

Employment Services Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

Talia K. Bregman

Management-side Employment Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner

On October 28, 2024, Ontario's Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 (Bill 190) received Royal Assent. As Ontario’s fifth and most recent legislative initiative introduced under the “Working for Workers” headline, Bill 190 makes further changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

More Legislative Changes for Ontario Employers

More Legislative Changes for Ontario Employers as Ontario's Working for Workers Five Act, 2024 Receives Royal Assent

Carl Cunningham

As you may have heard or read in our earlier blog, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bennettjones.com/Blogs-Section/More-Changes-to-Ontarios-Employment-Related-Legislation-Are-on-the-Horizon" target="_blank">More Changes to Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Are on the Horizon</a>, the Ontario government introduced <a rel="noopener noreferrer" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-43/session-1/bill-79" target="_blank">Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023</a> in late March 2023. On October 26, 2023, Bill 79 received Royal Assent, introducing changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) and other employment-related legislation in Ontario. Below is an overview of certain of the more material changes that came into force under Bill 79 on October 26, 2023 and which provincially-regulated employers in Ontario will need to be mindful of moving forward.

Changes to Ontarios Employment Related Legislation Have Arrived

Changes to Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Have Arrived

On October 1, 2023, the general minimum wage rate that applies to most provincially-regulated employees in Ontario will increase from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour.
The minimum wage rates for students, liquor servers, hunting and fishing guides, wilderness guides and homeworkers in Ontario will also increase on October 1, 2023. The Ontario Ministry of Labour has posted a list of these increased rates on its <a rel="noopener noreferrer" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/minimum-wage" target="_blank">website</a>.

General Minimum Wage in Ontario will rise to 16 55 per Hour on October 1 2023

General Minimum Wage in Ontario will Rise to $16.55 per Hour on October 1, 2023

On March 20, 2023, the Ontario government introduced <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-43/session-1/bill-79" target="_blank">Bill 79, Working for Workers Act, 2023</a>, which, if passed, will introduce changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000 and other employment-related legislation in Ontario.

More Changes to Ontarios Employment Related Legislation Are on the Horizon

More Changes to Ontario's Employment-Related Legislation Are on the Horizon

Stephen D. Burns

Technology Lawyer, Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner, Trademark Agent

Benjamin K. Reingold

Intellectual Property Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

David Wainer

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

This end-of-year overview examines the Federal Government&rsquo;s rapid expansion of AI-related funding in 2025, from large-scale investments in data centres and public compute infrastructure to programs supporting AI access, adoption and domestic research. It also explores the new commitments announced in Budget 2025 and signals key trends to watch in 2026 as Canada strengthens its AI ecosystem.

Canadas AI Efforts in 2025 A Year in Review

Canada's AI Efforts in 2025: A Year in Review

Ashley L. Paterson

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Morgan Sutherland

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate 

Health Canada has proposed amendments to the Medical Devices Regulations focused on modernizing the MDEL framework. The changes would affect importer&ndash;distributor relationships, mandatory supplier disclosures, and safety documentation requirements. This update summarizes the key proposals and their potential impacts on MDEL holders and applicants.

Health Canada Proposes Amendments to MDEL Holders and Applicants

David M. Price

Employment Services Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Cameron Penn

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Tami Oguntona

Articling Student at Bennett Jones in Calgary 

Articling Student 

British Columbia has introduced new limits on when employers may request sick notes and created a 27-week unpaid leave for serious personal illness or injury. This update outlines the key legislative changes and their practical impact on employer policies.

What the Doctor Ordered British Columbia

What the Doctor Ordered: British Columbia Updates Rules on Employee Sick Notes and Introduces Serious Personal Illness and Injury Leave

This article explores how Ad Standards Canada&rsquo;s Code applies to influencer marketing and AI-generated content, focusing on accuracy, disclosure and testimonial rules, along with best practices for compliance.

Canadian Code of Advertising Standards for Influencer Marketing

Canadian Code of Advertising Standards for Influencer Marketing: Key Clauses and Application to AI-Generated Content and Influencers 

Katherine Booth

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Jackson Spencer

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

The BC Court of Appeal&rsquo;s decision in Syngenta AG v. Van Wijngaarden reaffirms that the rules of evidence are not relaxed at certification. The Court held that plaintiffs must rely on properly admissible, authenticated evidence and cannot use broad hearsay or unsourced documents to meet the &ldquo;some basis in fact&rdquo; standard.

8th HR Legal Risks(1)

From the Same Authors