Client Profile: Regent Park Film Festival

September 9th, 2013 by Iler Campbell

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The Regent Park Film Festival is Toronto’s ONLY free, multi-cultural, film festival. The Festival is dedicated to bringing high quality independent films to people from all walks of life, with a focus on folks from low-income and public housing communities. The Regent Park Film Festival promotes arts education through film and video for all ages, but particularly for young people – bringing them stories from around the world to learn from and grow.

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Report describes unequal access to justice in Canada

August 29th, 2013 by Shelina Ali

The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) released a summary report from the Access to Justice Committee this month called Equal Justice: Balancing the Scales. It addresses the challenges to accessing the civil justice system in Canada and sets out targets that should be achieved by 2030. The targets engage many different sectors of society, including provincial and federal government, the courts system, law schools, members of the legal profession and the public, to improve the accessibility of the civil justice system.

The CBA report comes on the heels of the recent Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision York University v. Markicevic et. al, where Justice Brown quite openly addressed the burdensome costs associated with civil litigation and the right to access the civil justice system (including accessing legal representation).

Read more on rabble.ca

Client Profile: Bethune Housing Co-operative Inc.

August 26th, 2013 by Iler Campbell
Bethune Housing Co-operative in Gravenhurst

Bethune Housing Co-operative in Gravenhurst

Bethune Housing Co‑operative Inc. is the only non-profit housing co‑operative in Gravenhurst, Ontario.  Bethune’s 31 units are in a low rise building surrounded by trees on the edge of beautiful Muskoka.  Incorporated in 1991, Bethune is a modern building with many fully accessible units, helping to fill a need for affordable housing in this part of Ontario.

Working through its Co‑ordinator and now a property management company, Bethune’s board has called on Iler Campbell LLP for advice primarily on member issues since 2000.  And despite the miles between Gravenhurst and Toronto, we’ve been just a phone call or email away.

Canadian mining company may be held liable for human rights abuses committed abroad by its foreign subsidiaries

August 13th, 2013 by Priya Sarin

On July 22, 2013, Justice Brown of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released her decision on whether or not related lawsuits against three mining companies, Hudbay Minerals Inc. (“Hudbay”), HMI Nickel Inc. (“HMI”) and Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel S.A. (“CGN”), would be permitted to proceed (the “Hudbay Actions”). The defendants brought preliminary motions in March of this year to strike each of the claims on the basis that they disclosed no reasonable cause of action. As discussed below, Justice Brown quite rightly dismissed all three of the defendants’ motions. This is a groundbreaking decision because it will result in the first time that an action is litigated in Canada on the question of whether a Canadian parent company (i.e. Hudbay) can be held liable for the actions of its subsidiaries abroad (i.e. CGN and HMI) and, moreover, it recognizes that such a finding is in fact possible.

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Canada Revenue Agency’s Guidance: How to Draft Purposes for Charitable Registration (CG 019)

August 12th, 2013 by Ted Hyland

On July 25, 2013, the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) issued policy guidance on how to draft purposes clauses for charitable registration. At the same time, CRA also issued revised Model Purposes clauses.

The Guidance will apply to new applicants for charitable registration, existing registered charities that are seeking to change their charitable purposes and, undoubtedly, will be used by CRA in auditing registered charities and assessing their eligibility for ongoing registration.

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Client Profile: Mainstay Housing

July 29th, 2013 by Iler Campbell

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Mainstay Housing is a non-profit agency working with people who live with mental health and addiction issues and who are deeply affected by poverty.  Mainstay provides housing and ongoing support and opportunities to be part of a community.  Mainstay’s rents are geared-to-incomes and are subsidized by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.  Tenants live independently in a variety of housing options with flexible support from Mainstay’s supportive housing workers.  Mainstay is the single largest non-profit provider of supportive housing in Ontario with 1100 residents living in 867 households of singles, couples and families in 41 residential locations across Toronto.  In addition, Mainstay has 88 additional apartments in the private rental market.  Professional staff, from caretakers and maintenance workers, to admin and support staff, work together to ensure the properties Mainstay’s tenants call home are safe, quality places to live.

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