Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Legislative Update | April 25, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 21
Province Takes Control of School Board, Launches Probes at 3 Others: Ontario has taken control of one school board over financial mismanagement, launched financial probes of three other boards and ordered a fifth board to repay costs for a trip to Italy to buy art. New Education Minister Paul Calandra has ordered the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to repay the cost of the board trip to Italy, as well as the $100,000 spent on art. The province has appointed a supervisor to the Thames Valley District School Board, in London, after it conducted a review in the wake of a staff retreat to Toronto that cost about $40,000. It is also launching investigations at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board over ongoing financial deficits and spending concerns.
Legislative Update | April 22, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 14
New Session Begins at Queen's Park: Tuesday's throne speech, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont, kicked off the new session of Premier Doug Ford’s third majority government. It leaned heavily on the theme of Ford’s successful election campaign, which tied the tariff threat to nearly every sector.
Article | April 09, 2025
Collaboration and Civility between the Bar and the WSIAT: Highlights from the June 2024 OBA Program
A June 2024 OBA program brought together WSIAT adjudicators and worker/employer representatives to discuss how civility and collaboration can improve efficiency, fairness, and outcomes in workers’ compensation appeals. The session featured updates on Navigation Services, best practices for mediation and ADR, and practical guidance on disclosure, issue narrowing, and building a shared understanding of complex evidence in multi-party or occupational disease cases.
Article | April 09, 2025
The Importance of Evidence in Reviewing Entitlement for Harassment
In Decision No. 1543/23, the WSIAT granted initial entitlement for chronic mental stress arising from workplace harassment. The Panel gave no weight to the employer’s internal investigation and instead reassessed the underlying facts. The decision highlights the Tribunal’s role in evaluating harassment claims and the importance of clear, well-documented workplace investigations in the workers’ compensation context.
Legislative Update | April 07, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of April 7
Province Wants More Strong Mayors: Ontario is proposing to expand strong mayor powers to the heads of council in 169 additional municipalities starting in May. The province said on Wednesday that the expansion would help ensure municipalities have the tools they need to reduce obstacles to new housing and infrastructure developments. The additional municipalities would include the City of Orillia, the Township of Uxbridge, the Town of Wasaga Beach, the Township of King, and the Town of Collingwood. The government first granted the powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa in 2022, and since then has expanded them a few times. Public comments on the proposal may be submitted via email until April 16, 2025.
Legislative Update | March 31, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of March 24
OBA Seeks "Urgency, Transparency and Accountability" from LSO: In an op-ed published on Thursday, the OBA urged the Law Society of Ontario to deal quickly with the current crisis and then shift its focus from the insular considerations of how to govern itself to the vital work of governing. “These are hard times for the rule of law, access to justice and our economic stability. Lawyers have a critical role to play," OBA President Kathryn Manning wrote. “We must get past this issue and turn our efforts to these fundamental matters. The only way past this issue is to chart a straightforward course through; there is no getting around it. We look forward to working with the many benchers who recognize that.”
