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Pandemic Updates - Commercial Landlords and Tenants

May 19, 2020

Early last week, our News ReLease outlined the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) Program, which is a federal rent assistance program, to be administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Soon (later in May), many landlords and small business tenants across Canada will be able to avail themselves of this program.

Late last week, CMHC updated some of the details of CECRA. In this News ReLease we report on the new changes to the CECRA program and take a look at questions that remain unanswered.

Recent News

Apr 08, 2024

Pushing the Limits of Limitation Periods

When dealing with limitation periods, once it is determined whether the 2-year or 6-year period applies, it’s critical that the parties turn their mind to the question of: “starting when?”.

Feb 08, 2024

When the Tenant Wants to Dump the Lease and the Landlord Doesn't, "Whose Problem is it?"

The 1971 landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision in Highway Properties Ltd. v. Kelly, Douglas and Co. Ltd., transformed the commercial leasing landscape by adding a fourth option of relief provided to landlords. Prior to this, landlords had three options available: do nothing and demand payment when due, terminate the tenancy and elect to pursue a claim for arrears, or re-enter the premises and re-let on the tenant's behalf. In this decision, a fourth option was introduced, affording landlords the option to terminate the lease and pursue a claim for both arrears and damages. The decision affirms that commercial leases, similar to a contract, ought to be recognized and treated as such, which affords landlords the full remedies under both contract and conveyance laws. However, a recent claim was brought before the courts, where a tenant challenged the decision in Highway Properties, requesting the previous decision be overturned.

Nov 29, 2023

Are Exclusive Covenants About to Become Extinct?

On June 27, 2023, the Bureau released the Competition Bureau Retail Grocery Market Study Report aptly named “Canada Needs More Grocery Competition”. This report contained recommendations to the government, including that the Tribunal take measures to limit exclusive use covenants (referred to in the Bureau’s report as “property controls”) in the grocery industry.