Natural Resources
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March 18, 2026
The mask of professionalism: Stress of maintaining the ‘good lawyer’ image
In the first part of this two-part series (see link below), I wrote that in addition to actual legal work, most lawyers are also expected to act, speak and dress in certain ways. This added layer of effort can feel like a performance. It requires constantly monitoring yourself to maintain the image of a “good lawyer,” and it is exhausting. Here, I turn to what can be done to reduce the stress associated with all this extra labour.
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March 18, 2026
Mark Johnson joins McCarthy Tétrault’s business law group
Energy, infrastructure and construction lawyer Mark Johnson has joined McCarthy Tétrault as a partner in its business law group in Toronto.
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March 17, 2026
SCC heard more cases in 2025 but still fewer than pre-pandemic; number expected to rise in 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada heard more appeals last year than in 2024 and delivered its reserved judgments more quickly, but its hearings and output in 2025 were not yet up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the top court, which states it “expects to hear even more cases in 2026.”
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March 16, 2026
Canada, Nordic countries deepen ties for Arctic security, defence
Canada is deepening its cooperation with Nordic countries in the areas of defence, Arctic security and critical minerals following Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Norway this week.
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March 16, 2026
How I learned to stop worrying and love the bot
Over the past several decades, law became intertwined with numerous technologies that we simply incorporated into our workflow. We anticipate more creative destruction with generative AI, but with AI, we look into the mirror and sense the mirror looks back. Something more seems to exist than just the simple context window interface, and we tend to anthropomorphize. If all Roomba owners put googly eyes on their machine, most would believe the little guy was truly alive.
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March 12, 2026
B.C. proposing faster environmental assessment process
B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) is seeking feedback on an expedited environmental assessment process aimed at reducing assessment timelines and supporting more efficient decision-making for major projects.
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March 12, 2026
Peter Danner joins McCarthy Tétrault’s Calgary office as partner
McCarthy Tétrault has added Peter Danner as a partner in its M&A group in Calgary.
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March 12, 2026
Student paper snapshots in animal law: Animals vs. plastics
As part of my ongoing Student Paper Snapshots in Animal Law series in these pages, I am not only featuring my own animal law students from the Peter A. Allard School of Law at UBC, but I have also invited students from other universities to showcase their thought-provoking research papers.
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March 11, 2026
Ottawa extends temporary work-sharing EI measures to help employers avert mass layoffs from tariffs
The federal government is extending temporary special measures under the employment insurance work-sharing program until March 31, 2027, from March 6, 2026, to help employers facing unexpected slowdowns avoid layoffs and maintain stability for their workers.
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March 11, 2026
The billable hour is running out of time
Early in my career, I noticed a pattern I could not ignore. I would build rapport with clients, earn their trust and then watch everything fall apart the moment the invoice was sent. They were not upset with me personally, even though sometimes it felt that way. They were blindsided by a system that charged them in a way they found unfair. Even worse, I would get penalized if I found strategies to be fast and efficient to make it more fair.