The Caregiver Crisis in Canada Have you attended a social event lately with people aged 40 to 60? Often described as the ‘sandwich generation,’ they try to care for older family or friends while working full-time, coping with busy family lives, and raising children. No doubt the conversation will turn…
Bell Let’s Talk. Not sure what I was doing on January 25, 2023 but I missed this important day so am providing a shout out now to talk about ‘good’ mental health. For many of us, obtaining and maintaining a good mental equilibrium is no easy feat. Let’s face it,…
Choosing who to name as the executor of your estate is an important decision to make when preparing your will (and a topic on which other All About Estates blogs have been written). But what happens if something happens to your executor, and they are unable or unwilling to act?…
This Blog was written by Emily Racine, Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management When it comes to estate planning, the cases where all property and beneficiaries can be found within a 10km radius are increasingly becoming few and far between. More and more estates cross not only provincial…
The recent case of Lepp v. The Municipality of York, 2022 ONSC 6978 (CanLII) (“Lepp”) is now considered to be a form of required reading for litigants and their counsel. While the facts of the case are not particularly unique, the court’s comments on lawyers’ compliance with the Notice to…
The recently enacted Underused Housing Tax Act[i] (UHTA) applies a one per cent tax on the ownership of vacant or underused housing in Canada. Per the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) published notification[ii] on Jan 17, 2023, “the vast majority of Canadian owners of residential property are excluded owners and, therefore,…
It is still Alzheimers Awareness Month and for those of you who have been following my blogs for the last many years, dementia awareness is very important to me. On October 31 2022, my colleague Sasha Adler blogged about the Canadian Dementia Strategy and shared CanAge’s report card. Today I…
Overview The Ontario government has enabled municipalities to enact a tax on vacant residential units in their regions (Granted under Part IX.1 of the Municipal Act).[1] Each municipality has to pass a By-Law stating the tax rate and conditions of vacancy that, if met, make a property subject to…
This blog was written by Jean Yong, Associate Estate and Trust Consultant with Scotia Wealth Management Chinese culture boasts a long and rich history. It is one of the world’s oldest cultures dating back thousands of years and includes a set of social norms and beliefs shared to a varying…
Guardianship disputes can be stressful and costly. Though each party wishes to do what is in the best interests of their incapable loved one, they struggle to reach an agreement about how to manage the incapable person’s personal care or property. These conflicts often make their way to the courts for resolution. But should they?