Selected Crown Forest Sustainability Act amendments now legally in force

Two specific provisions of the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025 — Schedule 2, sections 4 and 6(2) — have been proclaimed into force by Order in Council. Proclamation means these amendments to the Crown Fo…

Two grape variety updates to Ontario's VQA wine labelling rules: Albarino added, Pinot Gris gets a new synonym

Ontario's VQA wine rules have been updated to add Albarino (also accepted as Albarina, Alvarinho, or Alvarinha) as a recognized grape variety that can appear on wine labels. Separately, Pinot Beurot has been added as…

New consumer credit report rights take effect: key provisions of Ontario's 2018 access law now active

Sections of Ontario's Access to Consumer Credit Reports and Elevator Availability Act that amend the Consumer Reporting Act are now coming into force. These provisions cover consumers' rights to access their credit re…

Ontario liquor licensing rules updated: grocery/convenience store transfers, delivery licence classes, and drafting notes removed

Several previously announced changes have now been formally incorporated into the consolidated regulation text, removing the transitional "future amendment" notes that were pointing to July 1, 2026 changes. Grocery st…

Ontario wildlife possession and fur-trade rules updated: online Registry replaced, record-keeping extended, and beaver castoreum trade added

The Ministry of Natural Resources has replaced the requirement to use its online Registry when reporting possession of wildlife carcasses and pelts. People who acquire a bear, deer, elk, moose, raptor or furbearing ma…

Ontario Consumer Reporting Act updated: consumer score rules, security freezes, and Registrar powers consolidated into force

A large set of amendments to Ontario's Consumer Reporting Act that were previously listed as 'not in force' have now been consolidated into the active text of the law, taking effect together. The definition of 'consum…

Ontario photo card rules updated as part of Get It Done Act provisions taking effect

A specific section of the Get It Done Act, 2024 that amends the Photo Card Act, 2008 has been formally proclaimed into force by the Ontario government. Proclamation means these changes now have legal effect — they mov…

Ontario photo card holders will pay a $3.50 fee for each six-month period their card is valid

The Photo Card Act has been updated to introduce a mandatory fee of $3.50 per six-month period (or part thereof) that a photo card is valid. This fee is payable by the card holder and sits alongside the Minister's exi…

Grocery and convenience store liquor licences: tighter rules on private-label products and exclusive manufacturer arrangements

Grocery and convenience store licensees are now explicitly prohibited from selling any liquor that qualifies as "private label" — meaning any brand in which they or an affiliate hold a direct or indirect financial int…

Environmental tax container-tracking removed from liquor tax reporting and record-keeping rules

The amendment strips out all requirements related to tracking non-refillable containers and the environmental tax on wine, wine coolers, spirits, and spirits coolers from both monthly return filings and record-keeping…

Ontario towing and vehicle storage rules tightened: broader disqualifications, stricter truck markings, and new staffing obligations

A series of amendments (taking effect July 1, 2026) strengthen Ontario's towing and vehicle storage licensing framework in several practical ways. The list of criminal convictions that automatically disqualify a perso…

Ontario towing and storage operators now face administrative penalties up to $5,000 per violation

A new regulation under the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021 creates a formal administrative penalty system for towing and vehicle storage businesses. Ministry-appointed officers or the Director can…

Ticket reseller penalties now tiered by severity and repeat offences, with higher maximums

Ontario's administrative penalty rules for ticket businesses under the Ticket Sales Act have been significantly restructured. Violations are now classified as minor, moderate, or major, each carrying different base pe…

More ticket-resale rules now trigger administrative penalties under the Ticket Sales Act

The regulation that lists which Ticket Sales Act provisions can result in administrative penalties has been significantly expanded. Previously, only a handful of provisions — covering ticket reseller disclosures, fees…

Ticket Sales Act added to Ontario's regulatory modernization designation lists

The Ticket Sales Act, 2017 has been added in full to all three designation schedules under Ontario's regulatory modernization framework. This means the entire Ticket Sales Act is now subject to the streamlined complia…

Ontario's public enforcement registry now covers ticket sellers under the Ticket Sales Act, 2017

The Consumer Protection Act's public record requirements have been extended to cover ticket businesses regulated under the Ticket Sales Act, 2017. The Ministry must now publish details of enforcement orders, voluntary…

Maximum administrative penalty for ticket businesses doubled from $10,000 to $25,000

A previously pending amendment to the Ticket Sales Act has now come into force, raising the maximum administrative penalty that can be imposed on a ticket business from $10,000 to $25,000. This change applies to ticke…

Ticket resale rules updated as new provisions of the Ticket Sales Act take effect

A previously dormant section of Ontario's ticket-sales legislation has now been officially activated by government order, meaning its requirements are legally in force and enforceable. The specific provision amended t…

Wildlife possession and fur-trade rules updated: Registry replaced, records expanded, and beaver castoreum trade permitted

A set of staged amendments updates Ontario's rules on possessing, buying and selling wildlife carcasses, pelts, hides, and cast antlers. The online Ministry Registry system for submitting notices of possession will be…

Ontario bans cat declawing, dog devocalization, and ear cropping except for medical necessity

A new regulation under Ontario's Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act formally prohibits three surgical procedures on companion animals: declawing (onychectomy) on cats, devocalization on dogs, and ear cropping on d…

Canada enacts free trade agreement with Indonesia, reducing tariffs across hundreds of product categories

Canada has passed legislation implementing a new Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Indonesia. The Act approves the agreement, gives it legal force in Canada, and establishes the governance machinery—in…

Most of B.C.'s Firearm Violence Prevention Act takes effect, replacing older firearm authorization rules

The majority of British Columbia's Firearm Violence Prevention Act is being brought into force, establishing a new provincial framework governing firearms. A specific set of sections—including Parts 4 and 5 and severa…

B.C. creates detailed rules and exemptions under new Firearm Violence Prevention Act

British Columbia has enacted a comprehensive regulation under the new Firearm Violence Prevention Act, setting out the practical rules that govern how low-velocity firearms, imitation firearms, and related devices may…

Firearm and safety-equipment violation fines increased sharply under new ticketing schedule

B.C.'s violation ticket fine schedule has been updated to reflect a new Firearm Violence Prevention Act and to raise fines for several existing offences. Operating an armoured vehicle without a permit, possessing body…

B.C. tightens rules on owning non-native cats and adjusts raccoon trapping methods

Two sets of wildlife rules have been updated. First, the list of prohibited alien cat species has been restructured: all members of the cat family (Felidae) are now prohibited unless they are native species (cougar, C…

Cannabis retail stores can now open as early as 7 a.m. (down from 9 a.m.)

The earliest permitted opening time for cannabis retail stores has moved from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., while the closing time remains 11:00 p.m. The same 7 a.m. start now applies to curbside or adjacent-area distributi…

'Tailgate' permit class renamed 'bring-your-own' across Ontario's special occasion permits regulation

The regulation has been updated to replace all references to 'tailgate' events and permits with 'bring-your-own' terminology. The four permit classes previously called 'sale tailgate' and 'no-sale tailgate' are now ca…

Ontario eliminates volume and environmental taxes on beer, wine and spirits; raises basic beer tax rates and restructures spirits tax by alcohol content

Ontario's Liquor Tax Act has been restructured to remove the separate volume tax and environmental tax that applied to beer, wine, wine cooler, and spirits purchased from licensed retail stores — those charges no long…

Victoria Day removed from the list of statutory retail holidays under Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act

Victoria Day has been removed from the definition of "holiday" in Ontario's Retail Business Holidays Act, meaning it is no longer a designated closing day for retail businesses under that law. Retailers who previously…

Kelowna added to short-term rental principal-residence zone; annual reporting deadline and review-period rules adjusted

Two sets of changes are being made to B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Regulation on different dates. First, the City of Kelowna is moved from Schedule 2 (exempt municipalities) into Schedule 1, meaning short-t…

Ontario eases business permit-service-standard rules and cuts compliance reporting to twice a year

Two changes take effect together on a future date. First, the rule requiring separate service standards for 'normal' versus 'not normal' permit applications is replaced: ministries will now distinguish 'typical' from…

Conditions for Exempted Persons Regulations repealed in full

The Conditions for Exempted Persons Regulations, which governed export limits and exemption conditions for named softwood lumber producers under the Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006, have been repealed…

New federal regulations set out how the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants must operate, discipline members, and compensate clients

Canada has introduced comprehensive regulations governing the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (the College), which oversees licensed immigration and citizenship consultants. The rules establish a co…

Canada's controlled-substances schedules restructured and new substances added to temporary-control lists

Schedule V has been split into two parts: Part 1 now lists controlled substances subject to temporary scheduling, while Part 2 houses precursors (Class A, Class B, and preparations/mixtures). As a result, the definiti…

Cosmetics labelling now requires separate disclosure of fragrance allergens above set concentration thresholds

Cosmetic product labels must now individually name any ingredient that qualifies as a 'fragrance allergen' — defined as a fragrance or flavour capable of causing an allergic reaction that appears on the EU's Restricte…

Precursor Control Regulations expanded to cover new Schedule V substances and four new chemicals added to controlled schedule

The definitions of Class A and Class B precursors have been broadened to include substances listed in the newly created Schedule V to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, in addition to the existing Schedule VI su…

Liquor licence renewal fees raised and training program fees updated across B.C.

Licence renewal fees for most B.C. liquor licence types — including liquor primary, food primary, catering, retail stores, distilleries, breweries, wineries, and agents — have been revised upward under a new fee sched…

B.C. residential tenancy rules updated for public housing bodies, supportive housing, and standard tenancy agreements

Several changes have been made to the Residential Tenancy Regulation affecting landlords and tenants in public and non-profit housing, supportive housing, and standard residential tenancies. A new definition of 'speci…

New 'E supplier' class created for small online gaming distributors, with $5,000 application fee

The Gaming Control Regulation has been amended to insert a new class of registered gaming services provider called the 'E supplier class.' This class covers providers authorized to distribute gaming supplies to the lo…

Excise duty rate tiers for small Canadian brewers restructured: first 2,000 hL tier rises from 5% to 10%, next 10,000 hL tier rises from 20% to 40%

The reduced excise duty rates that apply to beer and malt liquor brewed in Canada by smaller producers have been restructured across the volume tiers in Schedule II.1. The first 2,000 hectolitre tier, which previously…

Federal government remits passport fee increases deemed unreasonable, capping certain fees for applicants

The federal government has issued a remission order forgiving certain passport and travel document fee adjustments that were considered unreasonable to collect. For a multi-year period ending January 2026, automatic a…

Broadcasting Act updated: individual privacy added as interpretation principle, official-language minority community wording revised

The Broadcasting Act has been amended in two ways. First, a new explicit requirement has been added that the Act must be interpreted consistently with the right to privacy of individuals — a principle not previously l…

Cooperatives can now be dissolved immediately if flagged as a terrorist-listed entity

The Canada Cooperatives Act now includes a new ground for administrative dissolution: the Director can dissolve a cooperative without notice if the Minister of Public Safety notifies them that the cooperative is a lis…

Digital Services Tax Act removed from Canada Revenue Agency's list of administered tax laws

The Digital Services Tax Act has been repealed and its entry in the Canada Revenue Agency Act's list of federal tax legislation administered by the CRA has been replaced with a note marking it as repealed. This means…

Police undercover officers can now be exempted from Criminal Code conspiracy and related offences during cannabis operations

The Cannabis Act has been amended to allow regulations to exempt designated police officers (and people acting under their direction) from Criminal Code provisions covering conspiracy, attempt, accessory after the fac…

Green-claims rule for businesses narrowed: 'internationally recognized methodology' standard removed, private complaints blocked

The amendment makes two connected changes to the Competition Act's environmental claims provisions. First, the substantiation standard for business-level environmental representations (such as net-zero or sustainabili…

Consumer-Driven Banking Act repealed in full

The Consumer-Driven Banking Act has been repealed. The entire substantive text of the Act — including its provisions on consumer data sharing, the participating entity registry, the technical standards body, prohibiti…

Canada creates a new consumer-directed financial data-sharing framework

A new federal law establishes a formal system — called consumer-driven banking — that lets consumers (including businesses) instruct their bank or other accredited financial institutions to share their financial data…

Corporations linked to terrorism can now be dissolved immediately without prior notice

The Canada Business Corporations Act now adds a fifth ground for the Director to dissolve a federal corporation: being notified by the Minister of Public Safety that the corporation is a "listed entity" under the Crim…

Canada Customs Act updated: broader border facility obligations, new officer access powers for exports, and Indonesia free-trade rules added

Several practical changes have been made to the federal Customs Act. First, owners and operators of international bridges, tunnels, railways, airports, wharves and docks must now provide adequate facilities for any pu…

Federal not-for-profit corporations can now be dissolved without notice if flagged as a listed terrorist entity

The Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act has been amended to allow the federal Director to dissolve a not-for-profit corporation immediately—without the usual advance notice to the corporation or its directors, and…

Federal Digital Services Tax Act text removed from consolidated publication — law remains in force

The full operative text of the Digital Services Tax Act has been removed from this consolidated document, leaving only the title and enacting citation. This is a publishing change to the consolidated text, not a repea…

Consumer-driven banking oversight removed from FCAC's mandate; Senior Deputy Commissioner role abolished

A set of amendments strips out all provisions in the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act that related to consumer-driven banking. The Senior Deputy Commissioner for Consumer-Driven Banking position has been repeal…

Canada's anti-money-laundering law overhauled: higher fines, tougher compliance orders and new enrolment regime

The Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act has been significantly amended in two main waves. First, criminal fines for most compliance offences have been sharply increased — for example, gene…

Retail Payment Activities Act updated: tighter anti-money-laundering grounds for refusing or revoking PSP registration

The Act has been amended to sharpen the anti-money-laundering criteria that allow the Bank of Canada to refuse or revoke a payment service provider's (PSP) registration. The language now refers to being found guilty o…

Canada's new Stablecoin Act creates a federal registration and oversight regime for stablecoin issuers

The Stablecoin Act establishes a mandatory federal framework for anyone who creates and makes a stablecoin available for purchase in Canada (with interprovincial or international reach). No one may issue a stablecoin…

Luxury tax on aircraft and vessels effectively suspended; registration and filing requirements wound down

The Select Luxury Items Tax Act has been amended to stop the luxury tax from applying to subject aircraft and subject vessels going forward. Any tax that would have become payable under Division 2 of Part 1 in respect…

Digital Services Tax Regulations have been repealed

The Digital Services Tax Regulations, which set out prescribed interest rates, revenue thresholds, the tax rate, and the deduction amount under the Digital Services Tax Act, have been repealed in their entirety. All s…

New regulations set out exclusions, export rules, and transition relief for the federal luxury tax on aircraft, vessels, and vehicles

Canada has enacted formal regulations under the Select Luxury Items Tax Act covering four main areas. First, aircraft and vessels sold under written purchase agreements signed before 2022—or with qualifying pre-2022 d…

Canada adds four Iranian entities and five individuals to its Iran sanctions list

Canada has expanded its Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations by adding four Iranian companies and five individuals to the sanctions schedules. The four newly listed entities are Chekad Sanat Faraz Asia (also k…

BC Civil Resolution Tribunal can now award up to $75,000 for intimate image complaints

A new regulation sets $75,000 as the maximum amount the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) can award when deciding intimate image claims. This brings sections of the Intimate Images Protection Statutes Amendment Act, 202…

Designated accommodation tax rate rises to 3% and both expiry dates extended to 2031

Two changes have been made to the Designated Accommodation Area Tax Regulation. First, the accommodation tax rate for the area covered by Schedule 2.1 item 1 is increasing from 2% to 3%. Second, two expiry dates that…

BC sets out the Minister of State for AI and New Technologies' performance targets for 2026/27

A new regulation establishes the specific results the BC Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies must achieve during the 2026/2027 fiscal year under the provincial ministerial accountability…

BC Parks adds non-resident surcharge and raises camping fee ceilings

BC Parks has updated its recreation user fee rules in two key ways. First, people who are not British Columbia residents must now pay an additional fee — ranging from $5 to $30 — on top of standard rates when using fr…

BC brings major consumer contract and direct sales protections into force, with new rules on subscriptions, fitness contracts, and door-to-door sales

A package of amendments to BC's consumer protection framework takes effect, updating rules across several areas that touch businesses selling directly to consumers. The threshold for a 'future performance contract' is…

BC Business Corporations Regulation updated to exempt Indigenous nation-owned companies and professional LLPs from certain corporate requirements

The Business Corporations Regulation has been amended to introduce two new categories of entity — corporations wholly owned by one or more Indigenous nations, and corporations wholly owned by a professional limited li…

Two new synthetic opioid-like compounds added to temporary controlled-substance schedule, effective October 2026

A pending amendment (not yet in force) will add two substances — spirobrorphine and spirochlorphine — to Part 3 of Schedule 4 of the Controlled Substances Regulations for a defined temporary period. During that window…

Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations updated with new consolidated version date

The consolidated version of the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 has been updated to reflect a new consolidation date. This is an administrative update to the regulation's metadata rather than a change to any subst…

PIPEDA gains a data-portability framework — but amendments are not yet in force

Parliament has enacted a new Division 1.2 ("Mobility of Personal Information") that, once brought into force, will require organizations subject to a data mobility framework to transfer an individual's personal inform…

Canada adds preferential tariff rates for UK and Indonesia goods, and allows seized goods to be donated to charities

Three sets of changes have been added to the pending (not yet in force) provisions of the Customs Tariff. First, a new Comprehensive and Progressive United Kingdom Tariff (CPUKT) is established, giving goods originati…

New grounds added to Export and Import Permits Act for restricting trade on economic security grounds

Pending amendments (not yet in force) will add new reasons for which the federal government can place goods on export and import control lists. Specifically, authorities will be able to restrict exports or imports to…

CITT gets new inquiry and complaint powers covering goods imported under the proposed Indonesia Tariff

Amendments not yet in force add a new layer of trade-remedy procedures to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act specifically for goods that would benefit from an Indonesia Tariff under the Customs Tariff. Once…

Commercial Arbitration Act updated to cover CPTPP accessions and the Canada–Indonesia trade deal

Two additions have been made to Schedule 2 of the Commercial Arbitration Act, which lists the international trade agreements whose investor-state dispute provisions can be arbitrated under the Act. First, the referenc…

Canada Post gains new statutory authority to set postage rates, with fairness rules and public-disclosure requirements

Pending amendments (not yet in force) will give Canada Post Corporation explicit statutory power to establish its own postage rates and related terms and conditions. When setting rates, the Corporation must consider w…

Canada's CPTPP Act updated to accommodate UK accession and future treaty expansions

Amendments not yet in force have been appended to the consolidated text of the CPTPP Implementation Act. These pending changes redefine "Agreement" to include any future accession protocols listed in a new schedule, e…