GDPR Impact
EU’s privacy rules have broad reach, even for Canadian companies with no European business Aug 8, 2018 The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which creates a comprehensive regulatory regime for handling the personal information of EU citizens, came into force on May 25, 2018. It has extensive extraterritorial reach. “Any company, wherever it is in the […]
Into the Breach
‘Awareness is up but preparedness is flat’ as companies try to keep up with data privacy concerns Nov 13, 2018 If Alberta’s experience is any indication, it’s unlikely that Canada’s new data breach notification regulations, which affect the federal private sector and came into force on November 1, will languish in obscurity. In 2010, Alberta […]
Canadian firms at risk for US taxes
Until thresholds are clarified, Canadian companies shipping to US may be subject to local regimes Oct 2, 2018 CANADIAN COMPANIES selling into the United States — even those with no physical presence in a particular state — may now be required to collect and remit local sales taxes. “There are some 10,000 different state and local sales tax regimes in […]
The Evolution of P3s
Sep 28, 2018 If there’s any doubt that public-private partnerships (P3s) are beacons of innovation, the emergence of Montréal’s $6.3-billion Réseau express métropolitain (REM) should silence the skeptics. The REM is a new, integrated, fully automated transportation network linking Montréal, the South Shore, the West Island, the North Shore and the airport. When completed, the […]
Legal cases highlight issues around LTD coverage
October 12, 2018 Whether considering age eligibility or policy wording, recent rulings for employees in a pair of Ontario cases are reminders to employers to review their long-term disability offerings. When I’m 65 Ontario employers may no longer have the option to reduce or eliminate health and life insurance benefits for employees aged 65 or […]
FP Dealmakers: The year central banks fuelled the debt binge
Companies refinanced debt maturing over the next two years to take advantage of a benign interest-rate environment January 31, 2020 Canadian issuer activity in corporate debt capital markets last year featured a subdued first half followed by a second-half recovery that culminated in the second most active year on record. Statistics compiled by Financial Post […]
How a prominent B.C. family business created the biggest e-sports gaming network in North America
What the Aquilinis discovered was that e-sports had evolved from a niche hobby to a significant industry February 3, 2020 Electronic sports, a competitive event involving video games that is often considered the province of millennials, has caught the attention of the Aquilinis, one of British Columbia’s most prominent business families. In e-sports, competitors from […]
Top 10 business decisions of 2019: From bankruptcy to beer
Wednesday, February 05, 2020 To kick off the new year right, here is a listing of the Top 10 business decisions in Canada for 2019. The listing will be in the form of a two-part series, which begins below with numbers 6-10, in ascending order. 10. Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. v. Association québécoise de lutte contre […]
A look at Alberta’s incoming joint pension governance structure
December 3, 2018 Although it’s somewhat late in the making, Alberta’s new pension legislation proposing a joint governance structure for three of the province’s largest pension plans appears to have kept up with the times. “The legislation is a made-in-Alberta plan that takes into account that almost 25 years have passed since we first saw […]
In Uber era, valuing of intangible assets urgently needs consistent standards
Add in irregular accounting practices, and financial treatment of IA becomes bewildering December 5, 2018 Corporate boards lack the tools to assess the value and risks associated with intangible assets (IA), according to the Licensing Executives Society (LES), which has proposed an IA standard that focuses on board oversight. LES is a 50-year-old leading association […]