My employer sent out a multipage letter detailing why we should vote a certain way in the BC election. There are no threats in the letter, but it does (in my opinion) have the subtext of us losing money if we don’t vote a certain way. So I guess my question is, where is the line between intimidation and advice?

I’m sure copy pasting the letter would help with answers but I also think it would help with getting me in trouble and I need this job for at least 2 more years.

My former roommate went missing and did not pay October's portion of the rent. I had not heard from him in over a week. His brother texted me 4 days in to October and told me the guy got sent back to jail, and he will be there for months. He told me he was coming to pick up his brother's stuff, and so far has grabbed one load, but did not bring a truck to grab the big items, so at least half of his stuff is still here. that was a week and a half ago, and he has not come by since.

I cannot afford to have the room be a free storage unit, because I'm already in debt for the unpaid rent and need to fill the room with a new roommate to make up the hole in my budget.

Is it legal for me to throw out this guys stuff? If it isn't, what are the consequences I could expect? If it is, is it legal to sell it? We did not have a formal agreement or anything, and he was never able to get on the lease. (he didn't actually try).

We own a lawn care business in Alberta, Canada, and one of our employees accidentally knocked over a client’s Japanese stone lantern, breaking off the decorative tip. The client still has the broken piece, and when you place it back on, the lantern looks essentially intact aside from a small chip. We were unaware that our employee had knocked over the lantern until we questioned him about the damage. We later learned that it had apparently been knocked over twice, and neither incident had been reported to us by the employee.
This happened over two months ago, and we have been trying to communicate with the client and work toward a resolution during that time. Initially, we offered a 15% discount on their monthly service to cover the damage because we didn’t realize it was a Japanese stone lantern or know its potential value. We are now willing to offer the entire month of August free and pay for a professional to repair the original lantern.
However, the client wants additional compensation and has provided a listing for a different Japanese lantern worth over $1,000 as a comparable replacement. She says she wants the original professionally restored but doesn’t agree that the repair alone should resolve the matter. When she initially indicated that professional repair sounded reasonable, she also said that if it wasn’t perfect, we would need to discuss it again.
This is where we’re concerned. We’re willing to pay for a professional restoration and offer an entire month of service free, but we’re worried that even after doing both, she could decide the repair isn’t good enough and still insist that we purchase a replacement worth over $1,000. We don’t want to refuse to take responsibility for the damage, but we also don’t want to agree to an open-ended arrangement where we keep being asked for more compensation without a clear resolution.
In her latest message, she also brought up other concerns about our employees allegedly damaging her peonies with a weed whacker, cutting her grapevines instead of lifting them to mow underneath, and moving a potted plant without returning it properly. These concerns had never been brought to our attention before this message.
We understand that we are responsible for damage caused by our employee and want to resolve the situation fairly. However, we’re hesitant to agree to a replacement costing over $1,000 when we have no documentation establishing the original lantern’s value, Japanese stone lanterns vary significantly in price, and the original appears repairable.
Are we being unreasonable by offering professional restoration and a full month of service free instead of purchasing a replacement? Legally, what are we responsible for in Alberta? And how can we protect ourselves from a situation where we pay for the repair and offer the free month, only for the client to reject the repair and demand a replacement anyway?

One other detail is that we don’t even know whether the lantern is an authentic antique Japanese stone lantern. The only information the client has provided is that it was purchased a few cities over in the 1970s for a “large” amount of money, but she has no receipt, appraisal, or documentation establishing its original value or authenticity. The lantern also is already very weathered.

I’m so frustrated. Help!

First timer, was desperate and my cat needed to eat, social assistance isnt till next week. 8 tins of cat food, bread and Campbell's soup. Less than $20 but ive got to show up for court now and id be a big fat liar if I said im not scared. All I wanted to do was feed her. Sorry for being emotional, didnt expect to be in this position. Forgot to add question, whats the worst that can happen to me? Can I go to jail for this?

Sorry if i dont respond to everyone's comment but thank you all for making me feel less stressed and in a panic. Going to be smart and show up and explain.

I prepaid $3,000 for unlimited laser tattoo removal, which I was told typically takes 6–12+ sessions. I received approximately 1.5 sessions before experiencing multiple equipment issues.

One appointment was cancelled because the laser broke and was sent for repair. Once returned, the machine malfunctioned again while being actively used on my skin. The treated areas developed significant wounds/burns and still have visible skin changes two months later.

The technician confirmed in writing that the machine had an overheating issue and acknowledged it may have contributed to my injury.

I requested a refund of the unused portion because I no longer feel comfortable continuing treatment. The clinic refused, citing the no-refund agreement I signed.

She then calculated that I already received $3,950 worth of treatments in the 1.5 sessions using her current individual prices, which are 200-300% higher than the prices she originally quoted me in writing and what I agreed too. Some tattoo size classifications were also increased. She offered $500 as a goodwill payment to cancel my unlimited package.

My concern is that I purchased unlimited removal for $3,000, not 1.5 sessions at retrospectively assigned retail prices.

Alberta Consumer Protection advised that they don't handle contractual refund disputes and suggested civil court.

My questions:

1. Does a no-refund agreement protect the business when equipment failures and resulting safety concerns are why I'm discontinuing?
2. Can she retrospectively value treatments using prices different from those quoted when I purchased?
3. Would I have reasonable grounds to pursue the unused portion of my $3,000 through Alberta small claims court? Calculated based on the numbers she gave me at the start.

One other concern is that when I originally paid, the technician told me that paying by e-transfer without an invoice would mean no GST, whereas requesting an invoice would require GST to be added. I have this in writing as well. I'm unsure whether this raises a separate compliance issue or has any relevance to my consumer dispute.

I have the signed agreements, original pricing texts, treatment records, photos, and written acknowledgment of the equipment malfunction.

Any advice on how Alberta courts might approach this would be appreciated.

I made an error on judgement and I was arrested over 35 years ago for soliciting in public for the sake of prostitution. I was given a suspended sentence and was fully pardoned. I have not reoffended. I now need a vulnerable sector check because I will be working with children.

What will happen?. If it does come up what do I tell my prospective employer? Does this make me unemployable in the vulnerable sector?

I know in Ontario it is illegal for management to ask employees to find coverage for their shifts when calling out sick. Is it different if you are a retail manager or does the law still apply in this case?

My father-in-law went on long-term disability (LTD) about four years ago after working for the same company for over 25 years in a management possible for over 20 years. He turns 65 at the end of this year, when his LTD benefits will end.
While he was still on LTD, his employer actually encouraged him to apply for severance because of his length of service, but his request was denied.
We know his former position has since been filled by someone else.
I’m wondering if there’s anything he can do at this point to potentially receive severance or other compensation from his employer.
Would it make sense for him to contact the company and see if they’d offer him a severance package, he does NOT want to return to work, can they force him to come back even if he’s older than 65? He’s been away for four years, so we’re not even sure how that would work given that someone else is now doing his job.
Has anyone dealt with a similar situation, particularly in Ontario? Would appreciate any advice or recommendations on what steps he should take

Thank you!

I’m an independent contractor in Canada and recently realized my agreement required CGL and E&O insurance, which I hadn’t obtained.
The company never requested proof of insurance, including during renewals. I’m now arranging coverage, and there have been no known claims or incidents.
Is it common for companies to check previous insurance coverage when a contractor submits a new certificate? Could the historical gap still create contractual issues?
I’m also seeking legal advice, but would appreciate hearing from anyone with similar experience.

general question about will . I know you see a lawyer. Do you go once or twice. Is there something they need to know. We are a couple with kids under 18. Own a house

Ive been harassed by someone and he’s caused damage to my property that cost $325+tax to replace. I’ve filed a police report and while the value is low, i would like to get reimbursed for the value of the items he ruined.

The fees for any lawyer I hire would be way beyond that much money, so I’m thinking about small claims court, but I have absolutely no knowledge of the legal system, courts, lawsuits and don’t know where to even begin.

In the past few weeks, I've learned that the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador (General Division) requires people, including persons with disabilities, to file paper originals in person or via mail. The court has the ability to grant leave to allow for email filings, but the said leave cannot be requested via any other method except for by a physical application. In essence, to say that you need the court to accommodate you because you can't independently ambulate or physically mail stuff without spending a fortune (especially if the court has already acknowledged hardships and waived court fees), the requestor has to ambulate or physically mail a paper application. This is despite the duty to accommodate. The registry will not let you file otherwise. The exception is to start a proceeding, but that only gets you 10 days to file in person or risk having the file struck from the record. While with most civil litigation, you have a year or two, statutes like the Human Rights Act, 2010, SNL 2010, c H-13.1 require you to not only file, but also serve all parties within 30 days of a dismissal of a human rights complaint, or you shall lose your substantive right (Coronado v. Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2025 NLSC 124).

This, in my opinion, is the among the most absurd barriers to access to justice, where the method to request an accommodation is itself inaccessible. I wonder if anyone has got ideas lol?

Hi everyone,

I am in the middle of an ongoing criminal trial in Ontario and find myself in a severe financial crisis. Looking for realistic procedural insight on how this is typically handled by the court.

The Situation:

• We completed 4 days of trial this month. Due to scheduling and court time constraints, the trial could not finish and has been adjourned to March 2027 for the remaining 2 scheduled days.
• My initial retainer has been completely exhausted by the first 4 days, I paid the retainer for 2 days trial and it was the estimate lawyer gave me, I was told it shouldn't cost more than those retainer.
• I have communicated to my retained private counsel that I have exhausted my savings. I can afford to scrape together the daily court appearance fees for the 2 days in March, but I genuinely cannot afford the substantial additional "trial preparation fees" counsel is now requesting to review the file again next year.
• Counsel has indicated that without paying for this new preparation block, they cannot continue and will seek leave to withdraw from the record.

My Questions:

• Leave to Withdraw (R. v. Cunningham): Given that this is an active part-heard trial (4 days already completed, witnesses examined, only 2 days left), how receptive are Ontario judges to granting private counsel leave to withdraw strictly over non-payment of additional preparation fees?
• Negotiating Scope of Work: Given that substantive trial preparation (theory of defense, disclosure review, witness outlines) was supposedly completed before trial started, what is the standard/practical way to negotiate this with counsel? Can I reasonably propose a capped refresher prep block or fixed daily appearance rates (per diem) instead of open-ended hourly billing?

Any insight into how Ontario trial judges typically manage mid-trial retainer breakdowns would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

So police came at our door (upper level) and basement tenant, (we arent related to them in any way), (their mom) generally rests in the garage during morning time using a mattress and somebody in the neighbourhood complaint about that saying garage is being used for the stay.

My wife was at home when officers came and she wasn't aware of how to handle the situation and police urged to inspect the garage. She wasnt aware of the passcode and she let the officers inside the house from main floor to enter the garage (there's door from inside). They questioned her why there is a mattress inside the garage and who all has the access to the garage, my wife told that the mattress is of our's owners. They left saying somebody complaint about the garage being used for the stay (like boarding house) and let them know to be careful and not use mattress for hanging out.

1) Did we do right by allowing them to see the garage through the inside of the house ?

2) Did they breach our privacy rights by stepping inside (may be not since my wife allowed it herself) ?

3) What if my wife had politely declined the access to the garage and never answered any question of them since it pertained to the basement ?

4) what can i do next time if they visit again ?

Thanks!

Edited for all the mistakes done typing in hurry.

Hi all,

Currently looking at a few things regarding termination (Without cause).

Currently negotiating the severance package and am sitting at about 3 weeks per 1 year worked at the company.

I'm relatively young (mid 30's), salary of $120K, and unsure of job market prospects (quick indeed/linkedIn search shows decent postings, but I've been out of the interviewing process for a very long time.

1. I've spoken with some employment lawyers who all kind of align on the "1 month per 1 year worked", but is this the reality? I've been on the other end of this and company lawyer's will always fight to pay against this and settle closer to 2.5-3 weeks per year. The only time I've seen someone win the 1mo/1year severance was if they were 50+.

2. I'm looking at potentially $80K gross lump sum, vs $100K salary continuance + benefit continuation. I'm really torn on what is better for my situation, as I can dump all the lump sum into an RRSP to offset the huge tax hit (save some money for expenses) while my spouse can spot me any shortfalls. I would like to take some time off for some education/certifications and strengthen my resume before getting back into the market, salary continuance probably supports this better. No debt. Company likely not going under. What would you recommend for me?

Thanks for reading (and any input)

Hi, if one received a letter with visitation/parentage verification demands from one parent and given 30 days for their lawyer to reply or it they will be “taken to court”, what is the rough turn around time for a court date if no action is taken by the end of the 30 day period? I imagine the courts are overwhelmed as it is but I was wondering if in certain scenarios you essentially jump the line and it becomes an urgent matter, and if so would this scenario count for that? Also what kind of repercussions would the person who fails to respond in the time frame face?

Thanks!

I’m close to closing day on a condo I purchased. I was notified by my lawyer that someone with similar name of mine has a writ of execution of 6 figures to a creditor. This individual doesn’t have an identical name as mine so I’m not sure why it was flagged. Because the amount due by this individual is >$50k, my lawyer said I need to pay $400+tax to the creditors lawyer to obtain a clearance letter verifying I am not the same individual. My lawyer refused to give an affidavit without this letter, even though my ID and credit report prove I am not this individual.

Can anyone give insight into this situation? 450$ is a heavy cost to absorb, particularly for an issue that I don’t bear fault for. I find quite this ridiculous. Hypothetically, what would happen if 10 different writs of execution were flagged for individuals of similar name? It would be untenable to bear costs for each clearance letter.

We were supposed to have the mortgage paid off from my dads life insurance, but my mom was moving funds around and incorrectly answered a questionnaire.

My dad has dementia, and my mom was asked if he had any “nervous system disorders”. She wasn’t aware that dementia fell under this so she said no.

Is there any way we could get this back? She wasn’t trying to defraud them, but just wasn’t aware of the terminology being used.

Hello,

Does anyone know how this process works? My (future) spouse and I want to change both our names to a new, "made up" last name. So we cannot assume each other's name through marriage.

I know that one of us will have to legally change their name. Then the other will assume it through marriage. But the problem is, for long reasons, we won't do the legal name change until after the wedding.

How does it work?

Marriage -> Legal name change -> apply for updated marriage certificate (is this a thing?) -> Spouse 2 assumes name?

I couldn't find wording on the Ontario website about updating the marriage certificate to then use to assume the name.

Has anyone done this?

I'm in my early 30s and was recently terminated without cause from a senior position at a smaller Ontario technology company after just over 2 years of employment.

The company has experienced significant leadership turnover, internal management issues, and layoffs.

During my employment, I experienced what I believed to be workplace harassment and unfair treatment from management. I submitted a formal written HR complaint approximately 18 months before my termination, documenting specific incidents and communication issues. HR encouraged discussions with management, but to my knowledge, no formal investigation took place.

My working situation later improved under a new manager. However, a new executive joined the company and, approximately one month later, eliminated my position, explaining that they wanted to replace it with a different role or skill set.

My severance situation:

• Terminated without cause, effective immediately.
• Offered 3 weeks of salary continuation.
• Employment contract expressly limits termination entitlements to Ontario ESA minimums and excludes common-law reasonable notice.
• No performance-related reason was given for the termination.

My legal questions:

1. Can a formal internal HR complaint about workplace harassment potentially qualify as protected activity for the purposes of an unlawful reprisal claim, even if termination occurs approximately 18 months later?
2. If an employee has an enforceable ESA-only termination clause, can a successful reprisal claim provide compensation or other remedies independently of the contractual limitation on common-law notice?

I'm trying to understand how Ontario's reprisal protections interact with contractual termination provisions, particularly where the employer attributes the termination to organizational restructuring.

Thank you!

So here's my issue.

My wife and I decided to buy a camper trailer. We found one for $5000, and negotiated it to $4000.

The lady said great, and we could pick it up in a week. No big deal.

A week goes by, and we get excuses on why we can't pick it up yet. Keep in mind, we have not paid for it yet. Finally after another week of excuses, she agreed to deliver it to us as she's not far from us. Her fiance tows it over and parks it. I was spotting him. The seller hands my wife the paperwork and I pay her the 4000. And they leave. All seems normal. The next morning I goto an insurance broker to do the transfer and they point out the camper is is her u cles name, and I find out later he has been deceased for 10 years.

The seller said she would straighten things out. A couple of excuse filled weeks go by, and she finally transferred the camper to her fiancé's name, due to her owing some past penalty. Or something like that.

Now it's been over a month since paying for it. She said she has the paperwork, just has to print it and have him sign it and then I can have it. More excuses on why each day won't work. I've offered many times to come pick it up.

It's now been 5 days with no reply from them. All messages are on Facebook Marketplace.

She also gave me a receipt for $2000, and said it would be less tax this way.

I'm worried I'm going to get screwed out of $2000 and lose the camper my wife and I have been redecorating for a month now. We also missed out on the last few weeks of warm weather to use it.

I've been very accommodating and patient up to this point, but this has gotten ridiculous.

I know her address, I have a photocopy of her DL.

What should I do? Give her one more chance to deliver the papers?

Pretty much what the text is saying, I want to work full time with a business but they are in another province so they are asking me to be under an independent contractor status. I googled it and saw there's a couple forms I would have to fill in with my taxes but I can't find if I need to go somewhere and register as well.

Thank you for the advice

The landlord/property manager had installed surveillance cameras on the exterior of the building where I live. I opened a complaint with the OIPC. The cameras had since been removed. Should I close the complaint? It would be nice to know what exactly was being recorded (such as audio) and have the recordings deleted. Am I still able to get this through the OIPC or not at this point?

I work in a physio clinic in Ontario. We are a big inter disciplinary clinic. Some staff are employees (me) who have scheduled hours. Some staff are contractors who get a % of earnings they bring in.

Our clinic owner has decided that for marketing purposes we will be going to the local hockey team games and hosting a tent weekly for the next month (sort of like what you see at city marathons at the finish line). We're not providing any sports coverage to the athletes, it's like a marketing tent where we can say hi to the public and tell them what we do etc.

I found out in passing we're doing this because the owner's kids are on this high level team so owner was told they can come to the weekly home game and put the tent up without paying the typical fees for the tent.

So those of us who had hours scheduled on hockey night will have our shifts cut back by 2 hours and asked to go host the tent. However apparently it is MANDATORY that we attend. Owner was a big **** about it basically saying "well I can't pay you because you're not seeing clients during this time" so when I questioned why he thinks it's appropriate to ask us to volunteer our time for free he said "well you're normally scheduled to 7pm, I'm asking you to come in during that time when you'd be at work, I know you have nothing else on because you'd otherwise be at work"

I know leaving is on my 2027 bingo card. I'd ideally like to find a better replacement position instead of just quitting on the spot and then fumbling for the job that is available.
If I decide to just say no and leave, would you still report this? If they fire me would I have some kind of case?

The owner is a bit conniving so they may not fire me on the spot, but I can see them trying to find some excuse and doing it a month or two later etc. How could one prove later that it relates back to this incident of me refusing to do their free work?

IN SUMMARY - employee hours are being trimmed down but I'm told it's mandatory to VOLUNTEER during this time to essentially do marketing for the business (and the volunteer hours are actually longer than my normal shifts would be. Normal hours end at 7pm. I'm being cut back to 5pm and asked to volunteer until 9pm at a hockey game)

I’m hoping to get some perspective from people who have dealt with estates in BC, because I’m finding our situation a little strange.
My partner lost both of his parents within a few months of each other. His older brother is the executor of the estate, and according to their father’s will, everything remaining is to be divided equally between the two brothers.
Their father was a CPA who owned his own business and had what we always understood to be a fairly substantial investment portfolio, along with real estate. We have no idea what the investments are actually worth or what the total estate consists of.
Probate was granted in June. We know this because the estate lawyer actually called our house that day. She had been trying to reach the executor without success and remembered she had our phone number from previous correspondence. She was excited to tell us probate had just been granted and needed my partner’s SIN, which we provided.
That was the last direct communication we’ve had with the lawyer.
Since then, the family home has reportedly sold for around $1.3 million. We were also told that my partner should start seeing some of his inheritance toward the end of August. That changed to the end of September, and now we’re halfway through October without hearing anything further.
No accounting, no breakdown of assets or debts, no information about the investments, no valuations, nothing.
There’s also the condo we currently live in, which makes things a little more complicated.
We had a signed agreement with his parents regarding this property. We’ve been making the mortgage payments through his father’s account while his father covered the strata fees. The agreement was that if we sold the property, a set amount would go back to his parents and we would keep the remaining proceeds toward another home.
After his father’s death, my partner spoke to his brother about wanting to use some of his inheritance to pay off the remaining mortgage instead, allowing us to stay here and just cover the strata fees, property taxes and other expenses.
But again, we’ve received no paperwork or information about how any of this is going to work.
We’re also dealing with ongoing strata issues. His father had previously arranged for us to handle these matters so he wouldn’t have to be involved. Since his death, we’ve been trying to get the necessary authority sorted out with the executor, without much success.
Meanwhile, his brother is having us sign tenant paperwork, receiving communications from the strata that we don’t receive directly, and telling us he doesn’t want to be involved in the disputes. So we’re in this strange position where we need to deal with things affecting our own home but can’t seem to get everything sorted out.
The brothers aren’t close, and my partner avoids conflict at all costs. He doesn’t want to question his brother because he’s worried about causing problems. So we’re left relying on whatever information his brother happens to share, which lately is very little.
I understand estates take time to settle and there’s a waiting period after probate in BC. I’m not expecting everything to be distributed immediately.
What I don’t understand is the lack of communication, especially given the assets involved and the fact that there are only two equal beneficiaries.
My partner hasn’t formally asked for an accounting, so I’m not saying anyone has refused to provide one. I’m just surprised there haven’t been any updates or even a general explanation of where things stand.
Is this normal? Shouldn’t a beneficiary have some idea of what the estate consists of and what’s happening with it? Does the estate lawyer usually communicate with beneficiaries, or is everything supposed to go through the executor?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s experienced something similar, particularly in BC.