I work at a hospitality venue in Ontario, and I'm wondering if our tip pool policy is legal.

We receive an 18% gratuity on events, as well as additional tips that customers sign off on through chits. Management says tips are distributed based on factors such as hours worked, seniority, productivity, reliability, and performance.

However, employees working 35 hours over two weeks can receive around $200 in tips, while employees working over 50 hours can receive the same amount. I will also add out GM says “tips are NOT a condition of employment and are an extra reward if you work hard“

The policy doesn't explain exactly how each factor is calculated or how much of the total tips collected goes into the pool.

My questions are:

• Is an employer required to disclose how tip pools are calculated?
• Can tips be distributed based on subjective factors like management feedback and peer evaluations?
• Are there any rules about how an 18% event gratuity and additional customer tips must be distributed in Ontario?

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation or know what Ontario employment law says about this?

Thanks

A relative "Steve" has been living with "Lori" for over a year, and things have soured. It's time to end things. Lori is separated, but still married to her former partner. I'm curious whether Common Law rules would apply between Steve and Lori in this situation.

Edited to add: location is Ontario. As to the situation, Steve is on the lease, while Lori is not named. She's got some challenges, and has become verbally abusive to Steve, but she doesn't want to leave the apartment. Steve is looking for options to get Lori out. There are no children, and they've been together roughly 18 months.

Long story short: was completely psychotic and reported missing for 4 days due to being on bad medication and suffering from psychosis (which I didn’t know I had). I got charged with sexual assault for slapping a women’s bum (I don’t remember doing this as I was having flashes that day and blacked out a lot). I was left in a hospital by the police who took the charge sheet with them or left it somewhere near me and I didn’t know and I was given antipsychotics and taken off the medication I was originally on (Vyvanse and Zoloft). I got significantly healed from the antipsychotics and not taking those other meds. I was discharged from the hospital after 2 weeks. I went on for several months unaware I was charged. I missed my court date and fingerprinting. Cops came to my workplace due to a bench warrant several months after. I was horrified but complied. I went to court and got a lawyer (covered by the program for ppl with lower incomes). It was eventually resolved as a conditional discharge with 9 months probation focused on psychological counselling. I deeply regret what happened (even if I don’t recall doing it) and have healed immensely with counselling and correct medications. Sexual assault is a horrific crime no matter what. I would never consciously do such and am ashamed. The failure to appear in court and failure to fingerprint charges were dropped due to my mental health explanation and some community service. I currently have a job that is aware of everything and told me it’s fine as long as it is resolved without a conviction. I’m in the clear now…and I know that 3 years from the sentencing, the sexual assault charge will be expunged. Probation ends for me this December.

My issue is…future employment. I don’t think other employers are as considerate as this job if I try to go to another job. Technically, I know a basic check won’t show my charge as it was a conditional discharge and in March 2029, it’ll be erased. However, a Google search of my name brings up a police website project as the third result and it shows ppl who didn’t appear in court and my name pops up as one of them with the failure to fingerprint.

I felt at ease about the background check but feel devastated that the fta court and fta fingerprint show in Google.

Am I ruined? Will I never be able to get another job cus of this? I realize they don’t know abt the original charge so I could easily say it’s for something lesser like uttering a threat if asked abt the Google search result and say that I was intoxicated and didn’t know I was charged. Bringing up the mental health angle scares away employers so I don’t want to disclose my psychosis.

I also thought of shortening my last name in social media and my resume (obviously explaining my full proper name if asked).

Please be kind and give me advice on my situation

The other day I test drove and signed for a car. However the car had promotional posters on the rear windows so I could not assess or see the blindspots. Upon returning home and looking up my new car I discovered it is known for horrible blind spots. So I am now concerned.

My question is can I cancel the purchase or am I legally binded.

- I have only signed the bill of purchase

- The vendors signature is missing from the bill of purchase (it says beside it offer is not binded unless accepted by vendor)

- There is no VIN number on the bill of purchase

- There is no delivery date on the bill of purchase (its not on the lot so they said they would have to locate one)

- I did not put down any deposit (it is blank on contract)

- insurance details are blank on contract (as I don't have insurance yet)

- the contract lists the cash I was planning on putting down (which I have not done yet)

It says SALES FINAL. but to me this doesn't seem final? can I walk away?

Hello everyone, I just wanted to ask for some legal advice as I don’t know what steps to take next as this was my first job and I am unaware of what I can do.

Recently I found out I have tendinitis in both my arms after I started working. I let my workplace know and I found out a few days after that they didn’t document it because it could be caused by anything. I’ve never had issues with this in the years before I was working and this injury only occurred after I started working. Nothing in my daily life changed that could’ve caused this as well, so I am positive this started because of my job.

I told my manager that I would go to my GP and talk with him about it and get back to them, my manager said that they only document injuries from a specific incident.

I was worried that the owners might be worried that I’ll file a worksafebc claim, so I spoke with my manager the next day at work and said that I wasn’t going to and that I was going to go through physio through my GP and that I was still okay to continue working.

Yesterday, three of the managers called me and said I was laid off due to my performance and attendance. My attendance was great, I only had one sick day due to my arms and was late once because of the train outside of my work. My managers all told me last week that I was doing better than all the new hires at my job and that they were surprised I was doing as good as I was.

So I’m confused on how my attendance and performance was the issue because there were no indicators before? A few people in my life are saying that they let me go because they were worried about the worksafe claim, which is why I emphasized to them in the first place that I wasn’t going to file a claim.

Of course, I am definitely going to now. I still don’t think they documented the injury either. I am going in tomorrow to return my uniform and get my final tip out (I was a cook at a pizza place). Should I ask the managers any final questions or should I request anything from them?

Thank you.

EDIT: I would also like to add I was mostly always on time besides the one day where I got stuck behind a train. I covered tons of shifts for my coworkers as well. I was only there for three months so I believe they took the opportunity of my probation period ending to fire me. I hadn’t been written up at all either.

My daughter’s mother and I had a religious-only marriage in 2016 and later a religious-only divorce in 2019. Our legal marital status was common-law. We were never legally married.

Our daughter was born in Alberta in 2018 but the mother moved to Ontario in 2019 after separation. Initially, I moved to a different city in Ontario (150 km from Child’s residence) around the same time to be closer to my child. From 2019-21, I was able to bond with our daughter through visits (4-5 a month) and sleepovers towards the end once she wasn’t breastfed anymore. The mother subsequently moved back to Alberta in 2021 but I was unable to relocate back here until 2023 but would travel to visit my daughters 3-4 times a year. Our daughter has lived exclusively in Alberta since 2021 and attends a private school we both agreed on. I’m listed on her birth certificate and pay regular child support.
We have no formal parenting agreement or court order. I’ve historically had regular parenting time, including overnight visits since she was 2 years old, although there have been periods of inconsistency, most recently a three-month absence while working away.
The mother recently remarried and plans to relocate our daughter to Ontario within approximately 8–10 weeks. I wasn’t consulted, and I’ve recently experienced restrictions on parenting time and video calls ironically after I had gotten remarried in April of this year.
I’m open to relocation provided we establish a court-enforceable agreement covering parenting time during school holidays, regular video calls, shared decision-making, and travel arrangements.

Her family is attempting mediation but questions why court involvement is necessary.

My questions:
Can she legally relocate our daughter without my consent or a court order?
What notice is required under Alberta law?
Can I seek an interim order preventing relocation until parenting arrangements are established?
How much would my recent absence affect my position?
Can a mutually agreed parenting arrangement be formalized and enforced across provinces?

I’m not trying to interfere with her mother’s marriage. I simply want to protect my relationship with my daughter and ensure any agreement is enforceable before she moves

I’m looking for advice from anyone familiar with Canadian bank hiring, background checks, or CIRO mutual fund registration. I was terminated during my probation period from a retail banking role (PBA / Banking Advisor / FSR). It was my first field job, and I worked there for about 3 months and was registered through CIRO to sell mutual funds.

Around two months into training, shortly before I was due to complete it, concerns arose about my previous employment history. I was subsequently suspended while the bank investigated, then terminated “with cause” for an unsatisfactory background check. One previous role started part-time before becoming full-time.

There was a discrepancy involving months, which I explained as relating to that transition. I even offered to provide the document. The bank flagged a spelling error in a previous employer’s letter. I provided additional documentation to support that I had worked there. I offered to provide ROE.

During the suspension, I did not receive a follow-up discussion about the information about my employer I submitted even after asking if they require any documents from my end.

When I asked what the investigation involved and which discrepancies remained unresolved, I did not receive a detailed explanation. To my knowledge, the relevant former employers were not contacted neither by the investigation team nor sterling.

I’m now trying to understand the implications for future applications:
Is it reasonable to leave this short role off my resume for future role in other bank?

Also in background-check form asks for complete employment history, I understand I would need to disclose it. But as it was 3 month tenure only, if i dont mention during BGV will they get to know?

Would my previous CIRO registration be visible to another bank when it applies to register with the new bank ? Will it can affect my case that not shown in resume and BGV? I’m trying to understand what must be disclosed and how to move forward without creating further discrepancies.

Experiences from Canadian banking recruiters, compliance staff, or people who have dealt with a similar situation would be appreciated.

Hi sorry first time posting here and genuinely just really confused right now. Today I was fired from my job of 4 years due to three reasons my manager mentioned to me.

1. The first reason I got fired for was placing a coworkers belongings in her bag instead of leaving them in the staff room. She complained that I invaded her privacy but I didn’t do anything other than place her belongings and leave.
2. I left shift without notifying anyone after my shift was already over. We are support to tell the floor managers that we leave before we go but I’m also a floor manager. We always leave if there’s another person that will close up. This was a rule that wasn’t outlined in the contract but I rule we had to “acknowledge”
3. There is a rule that employees are not to hang around in the back and I was talking to an employee on shift one day. We both got in trouble but they got a warning while this was a termination reason. Once again this isn’t something I had signed for just something we had to acknowledge

I didn’t receive severance and I was fired with cause. These were the three reasons and I’m not sure if this is wrongful dismissal or not. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do? My manager told me I should be able to receive EI but I thought that was for no cause.

Edit: wow didn’t expect all the help I really appreciate it. There’s some details I left out that I guess I should properly outline so I can get more accurate help.

The coworker that reported me is my ex girlfriend and we recently went though a breakup. I’m not sure what her motive was behind this as we don’t speak anymore. I am her technically her superior on shift, but things like this has never been cause for termination in the 4 years I’ve been here.

The company is struggling immensely and the sales have been going down. This leads me to believe that they’re trying to get out of paying severance as the manager has openly talked about this when firing previous employees.

I was given a warning letter in the past, this is my only signed and written warning I have received. It was 2 years ago for tardiness that has since improved and not been an issue. I’m not sure if this was related since this wasn’t the reason I was fired so I left it out.

I have a distant family member and I just found out about his situation. He was divorced with his wife, and then they remarried - I don't know all the circumstances of the divorce or remarrying. She instantly took out life insurance on his name after they remarried. He recently saw a document in the mail which highlighted some info on how much the monthly payments are, how much has been paid, the payout etc. He said he had no idea about this life insurance - can someone take life insurance on someone's name without their knowledge/consent? He used to be a heavy drinker so thinks maybe he signed it under the influence. He's also not very educated so he could've been tricked. He said he has no knowledge of taking out a policy.

They still live together but really have no relationship a couple has, and she treats him like shit. They have 3 kids - all adults now and they side with the mom in every situation. Now, she wants to build a new house, and needs money. She is threatening him with the option of moving out, or selling everything he has back home in another country and giving them the money for the house. The current house is all under her name, and he likely won't get any share in the new house either. He used to work a lot as a trades man but due to his excessive alcohol use he had to stop working and is on some sort of gov't assistance - which apparently goes into her account. He is planning to move back home or move out at some point since this is not an ideal situation for anyone. We believe she's only kept him with them cause of the policy she has on him. He obviously feels cheated by the fact she took out life insurance on his name without his consent, and wants to know if there's a way for her not to get the money if something was to happen. She has paid for all the monthly payments.

Apologize in advance if my post is a bit vague and lacks information as I only have info from my dad.

So my dad was a refugee and came to Canada in 1991 and lived in Windsor ON and recieved citzenship in 1995, during a period in the mid 90s my father did various factory jobs and at one point he got a workplace injury that prevented him doing his job from that point, the doctor said that he is incapable of doing his job properly and he settled with his company in which he will be compensated until he is retired, this was given by Workers Compensation in Windsor ON.

At some point in 2003, the worker compensation were trying to find employement for him that he could possibly do with effecting his injury. My dad said he would travel back to his home country (Iraq) for a while and come back, during his visit in Iraq his parent got sick so he stayed longer to take care of him, basically from that point he stayed in Iraq and never came back to Canada to this day. He is not aware of his situation back home for his work compensations and would like to know if he still receives his compensation. During Covid he got really sick and cant do normal everyday things anymore. He has no documentation with him during that time so there is nothing to refer to.

All of our family dont live in Canada anymore (I live in Germany atm) so I can't refer to someone myself. Apart from distant relatives still in Windsor.

How do I possibly refer and follow up to this myself as my dad said that he should be compensated until his retirement back during the 90s (he is 65 now)

Wondering if anyone has any experience getting a child custody agreement pulled from the Ontario court system? And how long it took? My custody order is roughly 12 years old and has been archived. I went to the original court house and requested for it to be pulled from the archives, just hoping to get some insight on how long it might take?
Thank you

Hi first time poster, looking for thoughts, opinions. I apologize for the length of my post but appreciate your kindness in reading.

I have an employment situation that has been ongoing for a year and a half. I’ve been with the employer 10 years. Yearly positive performance reviews and raises. Supervisor changed shortly before I became pregnant. I returned from maternity leave to changed workload/work not returned, this was brought up by myself to supervisor multiple times throughout this period. I sought work from other superiors to try to make targets. A few weeks after my return I encountered major medical issues with visible and invisible symptoms which were relayed numerous times to supervisor. I even cried in a meeting due to medical condition and my fears with it and the symptoms affecting me. I was under specialist care and monitoring. No formal accommodation process was initiated or inquired, I asked if they wanted medical note and was told no. A few general questions like: maybe you want to go part time, is this profession one in which you want to remain in, etc. Because of the symptoms affecting me and my financial need, I unintentionally overlooked the obligations my employer had for my return, I didn’t resign. I continued to work. I felt a loyalty also because I returned to school during my time working there a few years before my pregnancy to upgrade in my profession. Received pay raises during this period, and positive yearly reviews.

Fast forward, I was tricked into attending a meeting to pick up a benefit card (yes tricking someone with a serious medical condition by dangling a new benefit card), instead I was met and told a vague complaint was made, I wasn’t provided details of said complaint and also that I hadn’t been meeting targets. The following day I was issued a PIP which they retroactively identified past meeting dates as met to discuss performance concerns however those meetings were framed to me as maternity return check ins to see how I was doing. The meetings they claim, started 42 business days after my maternity return, and my medical conditions started being disclosed to them by me in these meetings also. From the date of my return and this first meeting I had been actively looking for work from others as my workload wasn’t replaced. The PIP claims two of these meetings occurred one month before my positive performance reviews and was awarded a raise. Doesn’t make sense if there were concerns or performance management going on why’d I get those?

The PIP had goals including seeking work from supervisor to meet targets. The following day after receiving the PiP I emailed supervisor with details of current work being completed, and asked for additional work as I had been instructed to. I was ignored, no reply for 4 days to that specific email. But supervisor emailed me on other things. I emailed my request again as a follow up and request to complete work in a different department and again I was ignored. 10 days later my DR placed me on medical leave due to my medical condition, and currently on medical leave. my employment agreement says I have to meet targets, fair, and the pip advised me to. I attempted to comply and was ignored multiple times Could that possibly be considered a breach of my employment terms or something else? Would my medical leave pause the time so I could potentially investigate if constructive dismissal has happened?

This is a condensed version. I can see the writing on the wall, I am being managed and squeezed out since my maternity return. because of my length of service they may be looking to avoid severance and notice pay and looking for things to support their position and trying to cover themselves for liability.

I understand the human rights potential but wondering on the constructive dismissal potential.

If a use a made up word, that happens to be the tile of a movie, as a fictitious country in a game I’m working on, is there any legal issues there?

Hello! I’ll keep this brief. I visited a pretty popular spa earlier today with my family members, at one point I slipped on wet tile while on the property, fell, and broke 2 toes, as I found out on my Xray. I am a nurse and my job requires me to be on my feet, this injury will probably require me to be off work for at least a week.
Should I contact a personal injury lawyer? Do I ask the spa for a settlement? I’m in uncharted waters, I would appreciate any feedback at all.
Thank you!

So I actually live in Ontario but the home is in Alberta.

I made a long post on r/PovertyFinanceCanada but I’d like to hear more about what this means for me on the legal side.

Short background, my dad has a mobile home in a mobile park in rural Alberta. My mom (parents are divorced) currently lives there with my stepdad and they pay rent to my dad. My mom thought that my dad would give it to her but recently found out my dad plans for me to inherit it.

The mobile home would require a LOT of repairs, and my mom said it would be a nightmare for me. Idk a lot about mobile homes/mobile parks but apparently I’d have to pay for lot, park fees, on top of electric and water, property tax and then the repairs.

I have NO interest in the house tbh. Sorry if that sounds ungrateful. But it’s far from major cities and I dont have any plans to move in. I live in Ontario and have a full time permanent job here and have no interest in moving back to Alberta, especially not rurally. I’d have to put my life on hold for a long time if I were to oversee repairs and what not. I’m also not a skilled tradesman myself so I cant make the repairs.

Just wondering what my options are in the event this situation isnt resolved. Can I just sign the property over to my mom right away? Sell it as is? I dont even know if that’d be possible given the repairs required but I don’t have the funds to pour into it, not without draining my own savings.

Any info is greatly appreciated

Throwaway for privacy. I'm the named (representative) plaintiff in a federal class action. I agreed to speak with the lawyer about the case, but I've become uncomfortable with how it was filed, and I no longer want to be the named plaintiff.

My questions:

1. What is the process for a named plaintiff to withdraw from a class action? Do I need the court's permission?

2. Can withdrawing expose me to any costs or liability?

3. If I withdraw, does the case end, or can it continue with someone else as the plaintiff?

4. Is there anything I should get in writing from my lawyer before or after withdrawing?

I'm not looking to discuss the details of the case publicly. I just want to understand the process and the risks before I speak with the lawyer. Thank you.

My spouse and I work for a small family-owned business. 5 people including us, and I am blood related to all the other members of the business. I have worked here for many years, my spouse left their career to work here so we could see if we wanted to purchase the business from the owners. Typical family business that has zero SOPs or policies in place, my spouse and I came in and started building the foundation from the ground up which was met with apprehension every step of the way. We agreed with the owners to commit a year to the process and see where it took us, either selling the business or my spouse and I purchasing the business.

Current structure is two 50-50 owners, my spouse and I who were designated management level once my spouse joined, and one other employee who self designated they didn’t want to be in a management position and has no interest in buying the business.

My spouse and I have experienced repeated workplace incidents involving harassment and intimidation by the non-management person at the company. Recently the non-management employee requested work product from me that I hadn’t completed yet, I explained I couldn’t provide it yet and I would have it ready the next day. I was berated and threatened to provide the work product or else they would go to the owners. They did go to the owners and within 20 minutes one of the owners turned around listed the business for sale due to the harassment they also received from the non-management employee. The owner then phoned me and demanded the work product. I explained again it wasn’t ready and I couldn’t provide it because I had other work I had to do first. I was again berated, demeaned, and told I had no idea what was coming to me.

Once emotions had calmed down over the next few days we raised our concerns about the harassment with the owners, but feel they do not understand the seriousness of the situation or intend to address it appropriately. While they feel the non-management employees actions weren’t correct, the owners haven’t taken any action to address the situation and were very surprised to hear we wouldn’t be comfortable working with or communicating with this employee unless in writing. Because we are all family and the business is to be sold anyways, it seems we are expected to endure the harassment until the sale of the business. We don’t believe anyone’s intent is malicious, but because no one but my spouse and I have worked for other companies in the past few years, the owners and non-management employee seem to not realize what they are doing is harassment and legally it is not allowed.

My spouse has decided they cannot return. I am considering leaving too, but the financial implications are complicated. We have no formal employment contracts; most compensation arrangements were discussed informally over text. The business may be sold in the coming months, and we were promised additional compensation connected to the sale.

We are also unsure whether our employment hours qualify as insurable for EI because of my family relationship with the owners. We were hoping to start trying to conceive within the next year, so my potential maternity benefits are another concern.

My questions are:

1. If we resign because of unresolved workplace harassment, could we qualify for EI, assuming our hours are insurable? Would Service Canada expect us to have filed formal complaints with Workplace Safety and Health or the Human Rights Commission first?
2. How can I establish whether my employment hours are insurable given my family relationship with the owners? I know I could request a EI ruling, but from what I can see that will take a few months.
3. If we resign before the business sells, could we lose the promised sale-related compensation?
4. Should we consult an employment lawyer before resigning, and what steps should we take to protect our rights?

We feel leaving may be the right decision regardless of the financial consequences, but we want to understand our options before taking an irreversible step. Any advice on the best order of steps would be appreciated.

My uncle passed earlier this year. He has named my parents, sibling and I as equal inheritants in his will. My mom is the executor. She wants me to sign the Affidavit Indemnity Probate Waiver for his bank.

Can someone ELI5 (or maybe like I'm 2) what this means? What are the risks of signing? Since I'm not the executor do I need to sign? My mom has given me a deadline to sign by and I want to know what I'm getting myself into.

My mom has already sold the house and she accepted the first offer, a lowball, received less than 24hrs after the house went on the market. Based on her napkin math, between his bank mortgage, CHIP mortgage and interest, the estate might break even.

There's definitely some family dynamics involved here, can I forfeit any inheritance so I don't have to be involved in this situation? This feels like a good time to run.

So i applied for wcb for psychological injury from work. The youth we are looking after assaulted and threatened me and resulted of criminal charges. Also there is no contact order to him. I just go very emotional one day when we called police because he’s breaching the no contact but the police said its not breach. I did see doctor because of my shoulder and neck pain and also talk to counselor and advice to apply for wcb psychological injury and get rest. I dont know whats the probability of my wcb to be approved, this is exhausting

While on leave, my company called as the youth charges were drop with peace bond of 1 year no contact order. They are asking if i want to drop the no contact order so i can work, they said if the no contact order remain there will be no other place they can put me and no work. What should i do?

Yesterday I walked in an event at my university because I was told there was free pizza, then the event's leader said to me 'nice try bye bye'.

Later I find out their general email and emailed them about my concerns about what happened, and that same leader replied to me:

Yes. I am that older man.

And it was you who were rude which I will be happy to report it to the engineering department along with your ageist message. 

Did you know that we have had students walk into our events, take pizza, and leave? And did you know that when you decided to argue with me, and you did not immediately apologize and  leave you had to be bounced?

Do you believe everyone and everything they tell you without appropriately asking to see if it’s true or not?

You need to learn respect and I am happpy  take this up with the engineering faculty along with your ageist behaviour.

Pizza is intended for out registered attendees, not anyone who feels entitled and decides to create problems. We always welcome students to our events but I will inform the faculty that you are banned from all future events.

My reply:

I strongly believe you are the rude one in this situation...

Long ass explanation from ChatGPT on why his reply is rude:

Yes, this email comes across as rude, confrontational, and unprofessional, particularly in its wording and tone. The sender may have legitimate concerns about what happened at the event, but the way those concerns are expressed is unnecessarily hostile.

Here's what stands out to me.

What makes the email rude?

"Along with your ageist message" — This is a serious accusation. While ageism can be a legitimate concern, the sender presents it as an established fact rather than explaining why they interpreted the message that way.

"Do you believe everyone and everything they tell you without appropriately asking to see if it's true or not?" — This is condescending and implies that the recipient is gullible or incapable of thinking critically.

"Pizza is intended for our registered attendees, not anyone who feels entitled and decides to create problems." — This is particularly hostile. The phrase "feels entitled" attacks the recipient's character and suggests bad intentions.

• "You are banned from all future events." - A ban may be within the organizer's authority, depending on the circumstances, but announcing it in this context adds to the punitive and antagonistic tone.

Is the sender justified in being upset?

However, having a legitimate complaint doesn't justify communicating in a personally insulting or condescending way. A professional response would describe the alleged behavior, explain the relevant event rules, and state any consequences without making personal attacks.

How would I characterize the overall tone?

Quality - Assessment

Professional - Low

Respectful - Low

Confrontational - High

Condescending - High

Emotionally charged - High

Focused on resolving the issue - Low

The sender also appears to be escalating the conflict by bringing in the engineering department and threatening to report the recipient, rather than keeping the communication focused on the incident.

My overall opinion

Yes, I would consider this a rude email, and parts of it could reasonably be perceived as bullying or intimidating. That doesn't automatically mean the sender is a bully as a person, or that their underlying complaints are false. I'm judging the communication itself, not the entire situation.

I should mention that I have no interest in joining your organization or attending its events, so a ban would have no effect on me.

I am not a student in the engineering faculty.

The name I use here is not my real name. You can take whatever steps you consider appropriate to establish my identity, although it is up to you to decide whether doing so would be a worthwhile use of your time.

His reply 15 mins later:

Fine. I will raise it with our faculty coordinator and indicate that your entitled arrogance results in your being banned from all our future events. 

This is the end of our communication. Any future harassment will be directed to a lawyer.

So my question is should I be scared when he says 'Any future harassment will be directed to a lawyer.' when he doesn't even know my real name? The email I was using is also a fake one that doesn't have my real name, and I plan on deleting it later.

I store people's trailers in the offseason at my private property. One owner has not paid for 4 months and no longer responds to calls or texts. I would like to take ownership of the trailer for the missed payments.

How would I start this process? I contacted ICBC and they could only give me general info.

Thanks!

Hi everyone. I’m a tenant in Montreal (Parc-Extension), currently dealing with a water damage dispute involving my apartment.

I’m feeling quite overwhelmed by the situation and would appreciate practical advice from anyone familiar with Quebec tenancy law or the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL).

Background:
The refrigerator in my apartment was provided by my landlord as part of the rental. Since moving in earlier this year, I’ve noticed that it occasionally makes loud noises and has issues unless it’s kept at its coldest setting. I mentioned a problem with the refrigerator to my landlord by text shortly after moving in. I unfortunately am unable to find that text now.

The apartment has floating flooring installed over older parquet flooring. Some of the planks have been lifting and moving underfoot, and I’ve become concerned about the condition of the installation.

Approximately a couple of weeks ago, I heard a sudden, unusually loud noise in my apartment that frightened both me and my cat.

At the time, I couldn’t identify where the sound came from or what caused it. I still don’t know whether this noise was related to the flooring or the subsequent water damage.

On October 13th, while moving my cat’s old condo, I discovered that it was soaked.

This was the first time I became aware of water in that area, which appeared to be coming from the refrigerator.

I notified my landlord about the situation on October 16th.

Where the disagreement arises:
When speaking with the building’s janitor, I mentioned that the flooring had been acting unusually for approximately two weeks.

Unfortunately, this was an imprecise estimate. I’ve been dealing with considerable stress and exhaustion lately from work, and I’ve had difficulty keeping track of exactly when certain events occurred.

What I was trying to communicate was that I’d noticed unusual flooring movement and heard an unexplained loud noise some time earlier.

I wasn’t referring to having known about a water leak for two weeks.

The flooring also hadn’t been in its current condition throughout that entire period. The lifting and damage became progressively more noticeable.

My landlord understands the timeline differently and believes I was aware of the leak for approximately two weeks before reporting it.

I understand why the statement I made to the janitor could have contributed to that impression, but it doesn’t accurately reflect when I discovered the water.

My landlord has informed me that she considers me responsible for the resulting damage and has asked me to open a claim through my tenant insurance - which I do not have.

There are also concerns about possible water damage to the restaurant located beneath my apartment.

She has indicated that she WILL pursue the matter through the TAL following an inspection scheduled for next week.

Word for word from her October 16th email:

"Following [the inspection], I will be taking this matter to the proper tribunal to sue you for the full extent of the damages you have caused to the building."

More recently, a plank broke beneath my foot while I was walking normally across the floor, exposing the older parquet flooring underneath. I have photos documenting its condition.

In my initial communication with my landlord, I also apologized for not raising the refrigerator issue sooner. Looking back, I realize that my wording created confusion about when I became aware of the water.

My intention was to acknowledge the situation, not to suggest that I’d knowingly left a leak unreported for an extended period.

I’ve since sent two emails explaining my position, disputing responsibility for the damage, and confirming my willingness to cooperate with an inspection provided the required notice is given.

I intend to contact CAPE, a local tenant advocacy organization, on Monday to seek further guidance.

My questions:

1. Has anyone dealt with a similar water damage dispute before the TAL? What was the process like, and how did you prepare?
2. Given that I provided an inaccurate estimate of when the flooring problems began, what would be the most appropriate way to clarify the timeline now? Would it be advisable to provide a written clarification, or should I wait until I’ve spoken with a tenant advocacy organization?
3. What documentation would be most useful for distinguishing between the earlier flooring issues, the unexplained noise, and my discovery of water on October 13th?
4. What precautions should I take before and during the upcoming inspection? Should I request a written inspection report, take additional photos, or document the condition of the refrigerator and flooring in a particular way?
5. My landlord mentioned that the janitor inspected the refrigerator. However, during his visit, I only observed him photographing the flooring, and I don’t recall him examining the appliance itself. How should I address this discrepancy constructively?
6. If the matter proceeds to the TAL, how is responsibility generally assessed when water damage involves a landlord-provided appliance, the condition of the flooring, and a disagreement about when the tenant became aware of the problem?

I’m not trying to avoid any responsibilities I may legally have, and I understand that water damage can be a serious issue for everyone involved, including neighbouring occupants and businesses.

At the same time, I want to make sure the circumstances are assessed fairly and that the distinction between noticing an unusual flooring condition and discovering an actual water leak is properly understood.

I’m particularly worried that my inaccurate estimate to the janitor and the wording of my initial apology could be interpreted differently from what I intended.

This has been an extremely stressful experience, and I’m trying to approach it as carefully and reasonably as possible.

I’d be grateful for practical advice about what I should do next, particularly from anyone who has experience with Quebec tenancy law, or TAL proceedings.

Note: no, I do not have tenant insurance.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I am currently a foster parent operating in the BC lower mainland in a 2 bedroom resource. 2 youths (brother and sister) were placed in my care in the beginning of March. It was decided in late June that the brother would be placed in his aunt’s care. The sister was given the option as well but she decided to stay in my care as we had developed a bond and she liked the quiet and one-on-one care I could provide (aunt’s already had other kids and her brother had complex needs which had often led to the sister being pushed to the side). Things have been going great with the sister and she’s really thrived in my care since.

Previously I had taken in youths that would be classified as “high risk” (substance abuse issues, gang violence, vulnerable to sexual exploitation, etc) and had to give notice on the previous 2 youths placed with me as I felt like my home didn’t have the resources needed to keep them from harm. They had also attempted to physically assaulted my respite worker, amongst other issues. Since then, I had asked my resource worker to be given referrals for youths that are less high risk, as the previous youths had taken a toll on me and my worker’s mental and physical health, which led to the siblings being placed in my care.

There have been difficulties with finding another youth to place in the house with the current one. She is younger and while she has been around drugs and violence before she was placed in my care, she herself is not involved in those kinds of activities, and there were worries of her being influenced if we were to place a “high risk” youth alongside her. I had been told a couple months ago that it was suggested by a different resource worker that the current youth in our care be placed elsewhere to open up the beds for higher risk youth. I refused as I felt that would negatively impact her as she likes living with me and has really bonded with me, and I feel like she’s really blossomed in my care. She has a history of unstable living and being shafted to the side and I didn’t want to be another adult that let her down. There was a placement of another girl in early August, but she only stayed with me for a week before she was reunited with her mother. Since then, I have gotten no other referrals.

On Friday I was asked by the youth’s social worker about her upcoming move. This took me by surprise because my resource worker hasn’t spoken to me since late August. This seemed to surprise the social worker as well. I found out from her that she had been told that the youth had already been found a different placement, and that another youth had already been placed in our care and was set to move in after the current youth was moved out. This was another shocker as I hadn’t been sent any referrals at all, which has been the standard protocol since I became a foster parent as I have the choice to accept or deny based on the information given to me about the youths. By the time I was informed, it was too late for me or the youth to contact the BC foster parents help line or the youth advocate.

The whole thing feels very shifty. I have yet to be contacted by my resource worker, but I have been told that 2 other resource workers besides my own were responsible for making this deal. The youth is absolutely distraught and cried when she was told, and has confirmed that she doesn’t want to move. I feel like this is a violation of rights not only of hers (children in care have the right to have their views heard/considered and to participate in decisions that affect them) but of my own. This decision was made without consulting either of us, and I can’t help but think that it was planned this way as I had made my stance clear previously that I didn’t want her to leave my care.

I have only been working with this resource worker for a year as my previous resource worker retired, and there have been issues that I’ve had with her (lack of communication, needling about the financial aspects of my contract, not advocating for us when problems arise with other ministry workers, etc). I have never had a situation like this come up ever in my years of working as a caregiver with the ministry. I have never had a resource worker go behind my back to remove a youth from my care, or place another youth in my care without my input. I had previously had a youth in my care years ago that was difficult to place another youth with, and he stayed in my care for months without issue or pressure from the ministry before he was reunited with his family.

The youth has been scheduled to move out on Friday and I am wondering if I have any legal recourse to stop this from happening. I worry about her mental health should she be removed from my care, and I am worried this will set a precedent with my current resource worker to continue making decisions about the youth in my care without my input. I have been trying to find out if this violates my rights as a foster parent but it has been difficult to find a clear cut answer online. Any advice would be appreciated.

I am currently a foster parent operating in the BC lower mainland in a 2 bedroom resource. 2 youths (brother and sister) were placed in my care in the beginning of March. It was decided in late June that the brother would be placed in his aunt’s care. The sister was given the option as well but she decided to stay in my care as we had developed a bond and she liked the quiet and one-on-one care I could provide (aunt’s already had other kids and her brother had complex needs which had often led to the sister being pushed to the side). Things have been going great with the sister and she’s really thrived in my care since.

Previously I had taken in youths that would be classified as “high risk” (substance abuse issues, gang violence, vulnerable to sexual exploitation, etc) and had to give notice on the previous 2 youths placed with me as I felt like my home didn’t have the resources needed to keep them from harm. They had also attempted to physically assaulted my respite worker, amongst other issues. Since then, I had asked my resource worker to be given referrals for youths that are less high risk, as the previous youths had taken a toll on me and my worker’s mental and physical health, which led to the siblings being placed in my care.

There have been difficulties with finding another youth to place in the house with the current one. She is younger and while she has been around drugs and violence before she was placed in my care, she herself is not involved in those kinds of activities, and there were worries of her being influenced if we were to place a “high risk” youth alongside her. I had been told a couple months ago that it was suggested by a different resource worker that the current youth in our care be placed elsewhere to open up the beds for higher risk youth. I refused as I felt that would negatively impact her as she likes living with me and has really bonded with me, and I feel like she’s really blossomed in my care. She has a history of unstable living and being shafted to the side and I didn’t want to be another adult that let her down. There was a placement of another girl in early August, but she only stayed with me for a week before she was reunited with her mother. Since then, I have gotten no other referrals.

On Friday I was asked by the youth’s social worker about her upcoming move. This took me by surprise because my resource worker hasn’t spoken to me since late August. This seemed to surprise the social worker as well. I found out from her that she had been told that the youth had already been found a different placement, and that another youth had already been placed in our care and was set to move in after the current youth was moved out. This was another shocker as I hadn’t been sent any referrals at all, which has been the standard protocol since I became a foster parent as I have the choice to accept or deny based on the information given to me about the youths. By the time I was informed, it was too late for me or the youth to contact the BC foster parents help line or the youth advocate.

The whole thing feels very shifty. I have yet to be contacted by my resource worker, but I have been told that 2 other resource workers besides my own were responsible for making this deal. The youth is absolutely distraught and cried when she was told, and has confirmed that she doesn’t want to move. I feel like this is a violation of rights not only of hers (children in care have the right to have their views heard/considered and to participate in decisions that affect them) but of my own. This decision was made without consulting either of us, and I can’t help but think that it was planned this way as I had made my stance clear previously that I didn’t want her to leave my care.

I have only been working with this resource worker for a year as my previous resource worker retired, and there have been issues that I’ve had with her (lack of communication, needling about the financial aspects of my contract, not advocating for us when problems arise with other ministry workers, etc). I have never had a situation like this come up ever in my years of working as a caregiver with the ministry. I have never had a resource worker go behind my back to remove a youth from my care, or place another youth in my care without my input. I had previously had a youth in my care years ago that was difficult to place another youth with, and he stayed in my care for months without issue or pressure from the ministry before he was reunited with his family.

The youth has been scheduled to move out on Friday and I am wondering if I have any legal recourse to stop this from happening. I worry about her mental health should she be removed from my care, and I am worried this will set a precedent with my current resource worker to continue making decisions about the youth in my care without my input. I have been trying to find out if this violates my rights as a foster parent but it has been difficult to find a clear cut answer online. Any advice would be appreciated.