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You could be a target for pay equity!

It’s been a few years already since pay equity was front-page news. However, this does not mean that employers no longer have to worry about this issue.

Quebec’s Commission de l’équité salariale recently announced that it will be investigating employers who had to perform a pay equity initiative by December 31, 2010, but have yet to comply.

If you are the target of such investigation, you will first receive a letter from the Commission, informing you that you are in default, according to the information that it has gathered. The letter will request that you comply with your obligations before the date that will be specified.

You can then get to work to perform a pay equity initiative. You may also decide to challenge the notice by demonstrating that you did not have to perform such initiative by the end of 2010. In either case, be sure to make an informed decision, since an error could be costly. An employer failing to abide with the obligations created by the Pay Equity Act can be liable to a fine of $1,000 to $45,000.

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In Chatel v. Desjardins Insurance, 2026 QCCS 712, the Quebec Superior Court reaffirmed a principle of insurance law: direct evidence is not required to establish an intentional fault. Mr. Chatel claimed $532,000 under his homeowner’s insurance policy following two fires that occurred four days apart. The first caused partial damage to his residence, while the second […]

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Access to the courts is a fundamental right, but what happens when a person uses it not to assert legitimate rights, but to harass others or clog the system to excess? This is quarrelsomeness: the tendency to exercise one’s right to litigate in an excessive or unreasonable manner. Far from being a marginal phenomenon, it […]

Before Buying a Product, Read This: The Rules Are Changing on October 5!

On October 5, 2026, the final amendments to the Regulation amending the Regulation respecting the application of the Consumer Protection Act (the “Regulation“) are expected to come into force, completing the implementation of the new “good working order” warranty in the province of Quebec. When this warranty applies, the merchant or manufacturer will be required to repair […]

No Notice of Default, No Termination

In Pavage Wemindji Inc. v. Compagnie de Construction et de Développement crie ltée, the Quebec Superior Court emphasized that a valid notice of default (mise en demeure) is not just a formality—it’s a precondition to exercising remedies like contract termination in many cases under Quebec civil law. The Decision The plaintiff, Pavage Wemindji Inc. (“Wemindji”), […]