February 4, 2016Legal Updates
A recent decision by the Supreme Court of British Columbia has reinforced the fact that municipalities are under no obligation to license illegal (albeit popular) businesses in their jurisdictions. In the decision Abbotsford (City) v. Weeds Glass & Gifts Ltd., 2016 BCSC 135, the Court issued an order to the City of Abbotsford granting an […]
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“New” Local Government Act – Update
January 5, 2016Announcements
Further to our post of December 7, 2015, the revision of the Local Government Act is now in force, as of January 1, 2016. The citation for the statute is R.S.B.C. 2015, c. 1.
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Season’s Greetings from Stewart McDannold Stuart
December 21, 2015Announcements
From all of the lawyers and support staff at Stewart McDannold Stuart, we wish you all the best for the holiday season, and a happy and prosperous New Year. In lieu of sending greeting cards this year, we have made a donation to Victoria’s Sandy Merriman House, which has been providing shelter and support for […]
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Exceptions to Conflict of Interest Rules – What is too ‘Remote or Insignificant’?
December 11, 2015Legal Updates
Introduction: The recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Ferri v. Ontario, 2015 ONCA 683, has expanded on one of the statutory exceptions to conflict of interest rules for local government officials. Though the Ferri case addresses an exception found in s.4(k) of the Ontario Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, a near identical […]
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“New” Proposed Local Government Act
December 7, 2015Announcements
Following a process of consolidation and revision of the Local Government Act, a new and updated version of that important statute has been prepared by the Province and is now available to be viewed on the Provincial government website: http://www.cscd.gov.bc.ca/lgd/policy_research/revised_lga.htm A Table of Concordance to find the way from the “old” statute to the “new” […]
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The Homelessness Crisis and Municipal Bylaws: Abbotsford (City) v. Shantz
October 27, 2015Legal Updates
The recent decision of the BC Supreme Court in Abbotsford (City) v. Shantz, 2015 BCSC 1909, is yet another indication of how the seemingly intractable problem of homelessness in Canadian society continues to create conflict and costs for local governments. The City of Abbotsford was seeking orders from the Court for a permanent injunction against […]
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Natura Developments v Ladysmith: Supporting the Section 219 Covenant
October 27, 2015Legal Updates
Section 219 covenants are an essential part of any local government’s land regulation arsenal, and can be especially useful in controlling the development process on properties requiring a great deal of oversight. In a recent case, Natura Developments Ltd. v. Ladysmith (Town), 2015 BCSC 1673, a case argued by Susan Beach of Stewart McDannold Stuart […]
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Labour and Employment Law Update for Vancouver Island LGMA
October 22, 2015Announcements
On November 19, 2015 Susan Beach will be providing a Labour and Employment Law Update for the Vancouver Island LGMA in Nanaimo, BC.
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Upcoming Capilano University (Parksville Campus) Presentations
October 22, 2015Announcements
On November 20, 2015 Colin Stewart and Kathryn Stuart will be in Parksville as instructors for the Capilano University diploma program in local government. Colin Stewart will be addressing conflict of interest and bias and Kathryn Stuart will be presenting a session on administrative law.
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Upcoming Capilano University Presentations
October 21, 2015Announcements
On October 23, 2015 Michael Hargraves and Susan Beach will be presenting sessions in Parksville for the Capilano University diploma program in local government administration as part of the local government law program. Michael Hargraves will be lecturing on real property law and Susan Beach will conduct a session on labour and employment law.
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