Posts by Brian Iler

Angie Joyce retires after 40 years at Iler Campbell. Wishing her all the best

October 25th, 2016 by Brian Iler
Angie, right, signs up her last client, Janis Daly, centre with Lauren Blumas.

Angie, right, signs up her last client, Janis, centre, with Lauren Blumas.

For forty years, there’s been one constant in my life as a lawyer – Angie Joyce has been by my side. That’s now changed ‑ she has retired, after all those years. 

She was in her early twenties when she started working with me, and, when the firm I was in dissolved, she stayed with me through some very lean years – sometimes offering to put off payment of her wages because there was no money to be had – she knew because she did the books.

Her keen attention to detail and her ability to work a file – and with the opposite side on a deal ‑ coupled with her ability to read my mind and my handwriting all contributed immensely to building Iler Campbell into what it is today.

She loved working with our clients, and worked directly with them, most recently on numerous real estate deals as our senior real estate clerk.

She’s been my mentor, cheerleader, and my friend. I will miss her deeply.

I wish her well.    

-Brian

Non-profits await change from Liberal government. Here’s what needs to happen

April 5th, 2016 by Brian Iler

This article was first published on rabble.ca

In mandate letters to his newly appointed ministers, Justin Trudeau told Finance Minister Bill Morneau, and his minister responsible for Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), Diane Lebouthillier, to:

“modernize the rules governing the charitable and not-for-profit sectors. … A new legislative framework to strengthen the sector will emerge from this process.”

Wonderful news, for both charities and non-profits (sometimes referred to as “not-for-profits”). For non-charitable non-profits, this was especially exciting, as their voice in political circles is regularly eclipsed by far-better organized charities.

Continue reading “Non-profits await change from Liberal government. Here’s what needs to happen”

Mike Labbé Named Social Entrepreneur of the Year

November 9th, 2015 by Brian Iler

We were thrilled that Options for Homes’ founder, Mike Labbe was awarded a special citation as Ontario’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Options is a long-time client of ours. Continue reading “Mike Labbé Named Social Entrepreneur of the Year”

ONCA Delayed Indefinitely

September 18th, 2015 by Brian Iler

The Ontario Government’s non-profit corporate law reform has been delayed once again, this time, indefinitely.

In an announcement yesterday, the Government’s commitment to bringing the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act into effect by 2016 was pushed off into an indefinite future.

The Act was passed by the Legislature in 2010, and was expected to come into force shortly thereafter.

But, led by Ontario Non-Profit Network ‑ which was formed to voice the non-profit sector’s objections to many of the provisions in the Act ‑ a vigorous sector-wide campaign led to the Ontario Government agreeing, belatedly, to fix some key problems the Act contained.

Those fixes have yet to be implemented, and appear not to be much of a priority with the current Government.

Now, it appears that the Government intends to replace existing technology for managing its corporate database, and that implementing that new technology has become another roadblock.

For non-profits incorporated under the Ontario Corporations Act, which has been essentially unchanged since 1953, it’s business as usual for a few more years, as the Government promises at least 24 months’ notice of the new Act coming into force, and another three-year transition thereafter.

Climate in election 2015: The time for action is now

August 27th, 2015 by Brian Iler

In 1990, Greenpeace published Global Warming: The Greenpeace Report. It’s a serious work, some 480 pages written by a host of highly qualified scientists and policy analysts.

Perusing the book now is a chilling experience: even then, the scientific evidence it sets out in detail was more than clear, and the book’s call for urgent and drastic cuts to our greenhouse gas emissions has essentially been ignored for the past 25 years.

Continue reading “Climate in election 2015: The time for action is now”

Why carding is back: Toronto Police lack effective civilian oversight

April 30th, 2015 by Brian Iler

This post was first published on rabble.ca

Carding, the infamous police practice of stopping individuals for questioning, is back with a vengeance in Toronto.

Its devastating impact on the lives of thousands of Torontonians is vividly and brilliantly illustrated by Desmond Cole’s piece in this month’s Toronto Life: “The Skin I’m In: I’ve been interrogated by police more than 50 times — all because I’m black.”

A 2010 exposé by the Toronto Star showed that carding was in widespread use, and inflicted on Black people at disproportionately high rates.
Continue reading “Why carding is back: Toronto Police lack effective civilian oversight”