In 2007 the Cultus Lake Waterpark commenced a $6 million dollar expansion with the approval of the Cultus Lake Park Board. Some local members of the Cultus Lake community challenged the actions of the Park Board and brought a court action to stop the construction of the expansion, which was already well underway. We successfully…
The Homeowner Protection Office is a provincial Crown Corporation that is entrusted with the responsibility of providing consumer protection in the residential construction industry. They are responsible for administering the Homeowner Protection Act, which includes the licensing of residential builders and monitoring of third-party home warranties. In 2001 two developers applied to the court for…
Eighteenth century jurist William Blackstone said “the law is the embodiment of the moral sentiment of the people”. The result in the “three parents” case from the Ontario Court of Appeal tells us much about modern Canadian morality. On January 2, 2007, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in A.A. v. B.B. and…
Religious freedom without freedom of expression is not freedom at all. Many Christians are members of a professional association, such as teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects and others, where codes of conduct govern their behaviour. But are these individuals free to express their religious views without being subject to disciplinary action by their association?…
Two recent decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada, related to the Criminal Code offence of “keeping a common bawdy house”, are important markers along the road to moral and legal relativism. The use of the archaic term “bawdy house” should be an early indication as to how an “enlightened” court might view this criminal…
In April of this year the Canadian Medical Association Journal published an editorial article entitled “Ending life with grace and agreement”. Sadly, the article seemed to demonstrate neither. The article concerns the case of Samual Golubchuk, an 84-year-old Winnipeg man who found himself at the centre of a dispute when his doctors wanted to remove…
Remarkably, the answer is “No”! At least not always, according to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal that recently held that a large Christian ministry in Ontario could not require their employees to sign a Lifestyle and Morality Statement that reflects orthodox teachings of evangelical Christianity. The primary reason: because they do not primarily serve other…
Remarkably, the answer is “No”! At least not always, according to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal that recently held that a large Christian ministry in Ontario could not require their employees to sign a Lifestyle and Morality Statement that reflects orthodox teachings of evangelical Christianity. The primary reason: because they do not primarily serve other…
Churches, along with many other organizations, often fail to recognize the need for great care when entering into contracts. A recent British Columbia Supreme Court decision shows the types of problems that can result from poorly drafted agreements. In 1989 the St. Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church of British Columbia entered into a contract with the…
With the Canadian dollar increasing in value in comparison to the American dollar, many British Columbian construction companies are looking to purchase equipment in the United States. A recent case illustrates the need to specify in the contract what country’s law will apply to the contract and in which country any dispute will be heard.…