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Gannon Beaulne

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner

Thomas Feore

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

This article explores how courts continue to apply and refine the &ldquo;some basis in fact&rdquo; test for certifying common issues in class actions. Recent decisions illustrate that while expert evidence is not always required, plaintiffs must provide sufficient admissible evidence to support both the existence of common issues and their class-wide resolution. The rulings reinforce certification as a meaningful screening tool and provide guidance on evidentiary expectations going forward.

Some Basis in Fact for the Common Issues

Courts Continue to Apply and Refine the Test

Maisah Syed

The Court of Appeal for Ontario has certified a class action against the manufacturer of a stolen handgun used to carry out the 2018 mass shooting on Danforth Avenue in Toronto, reversing in part the motion judge’s decision below.

Court of Appeal Certifies Negligence Claim Against Gun Manufacturer for Mass Shooting

Emrys Davis

 Partner and Class Actions National Practice Group Leader

Michael A. Eizenga L.S.M.

Leading Canadian Class Action Litigator

Partner 

In our 2025 edition of Looking Forward, we review notable class action developments from the past year and consider what recent trends in the law might tell us about what to expect in the years ahead.

Class Actions Looking Forward 2025

Class Actions: Looking Forward 2025

Edward W. Hulshof

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has endorsed the constitutionality of British Columbia (BC) legislation empowering the province to seek recovery of opioid epidemic healthcare costs in a proposed class action brought on behalf of multiple Canadian governments.
In Sanis Health Inc v British Columbia, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/2024/2024scc40/2024scc40.html" target="_blank">2024 SCC 40</a>, a majority of the SCC held that constitutional territorial limits on provincial legislative competence did not prevent BC from creating a direct statutory cause of action that it can pursue in a proposed class action on behalf of the federal and other provincial governments, subject to the right to opt out of the proceeding.

Supreme Court Approves Constitutionality of Multi Crown Class Action

Supreme Court Approves Constitutionality of Multi-Crown Class Action

Larissa D. Lees

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Jessica Kennedy

Bennett Jones attended the Data Centre West 2026 Conference in Calgary earlier this month, hosted by the Western Canada Data Centre Alliance, and engaged with representatives from industry, government and regulatory agencies on the issues facing Alberta's rapidly growing digital infrastructure sector. This year, discussions spanned the hyperscale and AI demand outlook, power procurement and grid access challenges, Alberta's regulatory framework, supply chain constraints and labour availability, and sustainability and community engagement, reflecting a sector that has moved well beyond early-stage interest and into active development and investment.

Albertas Digital Infrastructure Moment Has Arrived

Data Centre West 2026: Alberta's Digital Infrastructure Moment Has Arrived

Greg M. Johnson

Energy Tax & Corporate Lawyer | M&A, Reorganizations & PE

Jared A. Mackey

Corporate Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Brendan Sigalet

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

On September 15, 2026, the Canadian federal government announced the "Productivity Mega Deduction" at the first Canada Investment Summit, an incentive that will provide for immediate expensing for the majority of depreciable property, as well as Canadian development expenses, on a permanent basis. The Government of Canada stated that the purpose of the Productivity Mega Deduction is to boost business investment, enhance certainty and simplicity for businesses, and strengthen Canada's tax competitiveness.

Canada Proposes New Productivity Mega Deduction to Spur Investment

From Super to Mega: Canada Proposes New "Productivity Mega Deduction" to Spur Investment

J. Sébastien A. Gittens

Technology Lawyer & Trademark Agent

Tech & Data, National Practice Group Leader 

Suzie Suliman

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate, Trademark Agent

Kees de Ridder

Technology, IP & Privacy Lawyer | Patents, Licensing & Cyber

Partner, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has released draft guidance outlining best practices for organizations to assess the privacy practices of third-party service providers under PIPEDA. The guidance emphasizes that privacy due diligence is an ongoing accountability obligation, with particular attention to data flows, AI and training data, security, subcontractors, international transfers and data retention.

OPC Issues New PIPEDA Guidance on Assessing Third-Party Service Providers

Ashley M. White

Corporate & Commercial Transactions Lawyer | Power & Energy

Martin Ignasiak KC

Energy & Industrial Projects Lawyer

Head of Energy Regulatory

Nathan Murray

Energy Regulatory, Environmental & Administrative Lawyer

Canada has amended the Physical Activities Regulations to remove certain intraprovincial energy projects and Canada Energy Regulator-regulated facilities from the federal Impact Assessment Act Project List. The changes are intended to reduce regulatory duplication, timelines and costs while providing greater certainty for proponents, while other federal environmental and emissions requirements remain applicable.

Government of Canada Reduces the Scope of the Project List under the Impact Assessment

Government of Canada Reduces the Scope of the Project List under the Impact Assessment Act

Jennifer (Jenn) K. Choi

On July 15, 2026, British Columbia and Simpcw First Nation entered into a consent-based decision-making agreement under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) for the environmental assessment of the Yellowhead Copper Project. The Agreement requires Simpcw consent for the project to proceed and establishes a framework for parallel provincial and Indigenous environmental assessments. Its potential application to future mining projects in Simpcw&rsquo;s traditional territory highlights the evolving role of Indigenous consent in major resource development projects in British Columbia.

BC Signs DRIPA Consent Agreement Requiring Simpcw Consent for Yellowhead Copper Project

BC Signs DRIPA Agreement Requiring Simpcw Consent for Yellowhead Copper Project

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Gannon Beaulne in the Ottawa Citizen on Victim Surcharge

From the Same Authors