Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’

Defining ‘urgent’ in the global pandemic

May 1st, 2020 by Karly Wilson

This article was first published on rabble.ca

Seven weeks ago, we rolled our eyes when an email was labelled “Urgent.” It felt like a term thrown around too often, and with little meaning or weight. Like new alerts popping up on cell phones, there didn’t seem to be enough discernment about what was and was not worthy of panic and alarm.

Now, everything is urgent. There is an urgent need for medical supplies, for funding, for mental health support, for employment insurance reform, for a vaccine, for a cure. This has created an awkward and noticeable push to fill needs that social justice advocates have always considered urgent, but are suddenly (urgently!) gaining widespread support.

Individuals with disabilities, long having been told that their needs are too big to accommodate, are watching mass support roll out to assist the workforce. Advocates for a universal basic income are watching as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is instituted in a matter of weeks. At our firm, a large part of our practice focuses on supporting affordable housing initiatives, and we too have watched as our city (Toronto) has suddenly been at the forefront of creating new housing solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness.

In short, we are seeing concerns long considered urgent to finally be met with a sense of … well … urgency. Continue reading “Defining ‘urgent’ in the global pandemic”

Provincial Emergency Order extended to co‑operatives and condo corporations

April 27th, 2020 by Karly Wilson

On April 9, we posted about the provincial government’s Emergency Order giving non‑profits flexibility in meeting their governance obligations. As we noted at the time, the order did not extend to organizations governed by the Co‑operative Corporations Act, leaving many of our clients in a difficult position as they tried to balance governing and social‑distancing.

Thankfully, the provincial government has amended this oversight, extending flexible options to co‑operatives and condo corporations by issuing an amendment to the emergency order. The order is retroactive to March 17, 2020, validating any meeting postponements or virtual meetings that occurred in the interim. Continue reading “Provincial Emergency Order extended to co‑operatives and condo corporations”

Free legal webinar series – every Wednesday in May

April 24th, 2020 by Iler Campbell

Every Wednesday in May: Free legal webinars for co-op & non-profit housing, employers and small business.

We know that COVID-19 has brought new challenges, including many legal ones.  We know too that the old legal challenges are all still there. Finally, we know that organizers of all in-person conferences and workshops have cancelled them for the foreseeable future.  The need to learn, however, has not stopped.

We’re here to help.

Join us in May every Wednesday at noon for a free legal webinar series. Continue reading “Free legal webinar series – every Wednesday in May”

New normal – same commitments

April 9th, 2020 by Iler Campbell

Most of us at Iler Campbell LLP are completing our fourth week of working from home.  We are pleased and proud to have found new ways to support our clients’ legal needs and to communicate among ourselves.  We are grateful for the patience you have shown us as we become familiar with new technologies, work in spaces that were designed for other purposes, and for some, grapple with the now increased demands of our home lives.

We know that you are all doing the same.   We’re all saying it – this is a marathon, not a sprint.  Continue reading “New normal – same commitments”

Ontario government passes emergency order allowing virtual meetings and AGM extensions for non profits (but not for co-ops)

April 9th, 2020 by Claudia Pedrero

UPDATE: this order has been extended to co-ops and condo corporations. See our update here.

Last week the provincial government passed an emergency order giving Ontario non‑profits some much‑needed flexibility during this challenging time.

Unfortunately, this order does not extend to Ontario co‑operative corporations, so organizations governed by the Co‑operative Corporations Act need to adhere to the rules in that legislation and their by‑laws on when and how to hold meetings. The housing co-op world is still recommending as they did in the March 24 communique from CHFT.

The government passed an emergency order under section 7.1(2) of the Corporations Act that temporarily suspends various sections of that legislation and substitutes the following new rules that affect non‑profits: Continue reading “Ontario government passes emergency order allowing virtual meetings and AGM extensions for non profits (but not for co-ops)”

Human rights in the time of COVID‑19

April 9th, 2020 by Karly Wilson

On April 2, 2020, the Ontario Human Rights Commission issued a policy directive for government bodies to enact a “human‑rights based approach” to managing the COVID‑19 pandemic.

What is the Ontario Human Rights Commission?

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (the OHRC) is a government agency that was created by the Human Rights Code to promote and advance human rights in Ontario. They provide information and direction for service providers, government agencies, lawyers, and the like. At Iler Campbell, we frequently refer our clients to their public education materials and often use their website as a starting point when researching issues for our clients.

Part of OHRC’s role is to make recommendations during situations of tension or conflict, an apt description for daily life since the start of the global COVID‑19 pandemic. All levels of government have been scrambling to make the necessary policy shifts to keep residents as safe as possible. The provincial government has enacted a series of urgent emergency measures, many of which we have discussed previously on this blog. As decisions are being made at a break‑neck pace, the OHRC has issued its policy directive to ensure that already vulnerable groups are not forgotten, further marginalized, or exploited by government decisions. Continue reading “Human rights in the time of COVID‑19”