Venus Law Corporation, Barristers & Solicitors.
101-2860 Trethewey St V2T 0G5 Abbotsford, BC, Canada

Canada makes amends to descendants of black loyalists Keeping a promise 200 years after it was made ------------------------------------------------------------... WHEN Britain needed reinforcements to fight American revolutionaries it tried to entice enslaved blacks to join up by promising them freedom and a farm. More than 200 years later, the offer has come back to haunt the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, where many black loyalists settled. In September a UN human-rights working group criticised them for failing to ensure that the loyalists’ descendants have clear title to land they inherited. Despite Canada’s reputation for celebrating multiculturalism and diversity, said the group’s report, it is deeply concerned by the structural racism that lies at the core of many Canadian institutions. Those stinging words prodded the provincial government into action. On September 27th it said it would spend C$2.7m ($2.2m) over two years to help descendants of black loyalists and other early settlers, including Jamaican Maroons, establish their claims in five mainly black communities, including Sunnyville and Cherry Brook. We’re turning a corner, said Tony Ince, the provincial minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs.The 3,000 black loyalists who followed the defeated troops north to British-held Nova Scotia were given land as promised, although their lots were often smaller and less fertile than those given to their white comrades in arms. Some farmland lay beneath swamps or was covered with impenetrable forest. Unlike white loyalists, most blacks did not receive legal title. Without it, their descendants cannot sell their homes. No one knows how many there are. Some 21,000 Nova Scotians have African origin. A Nova Scotia law from 1963 was supposed to solve the problem. But black Nova Scotians say it is too complex and leaves the onus on them to pay for a land survey and legal advice. Mr Ince says the province will now cover those costs. It will also appoint two liaison officers to help homeowners deal with bureaucracy. The blacks who stayed in Nova Scotia were a hardy lot. Not all did. Many black loyalists left to found Sierra Leone in Africa. They were joined by some Jamaican Maroons, transported from the Caribbean by the British in 1796 but soon driven away by Canada’s climate. They could not thrive where the pineapple does not, they said. Most African Nova Scotians probably think their forebears made the better choice. If they finally get title to their land, they will believe that still more strongly.

Bill C-6, an Act to amend the Citizenship Act and make consequential amendments to another Act, received Royal Assent on June 19, 2017. The latest set of amendments to the Act taking effect October 11, 2017, will also include aligning the number of years applicants need to file Canadian income taxes (if required to do so under the Income Tax Act) to three out of five years, to match the changes to the physical presence requirements. Some changes to the Citizenship Act... took effect immediately upon Royal Assent on June 19, 2017. They include: repealing of the ability to revoke citizenship from dual citizens convicted of crimes against the national interest; no longer requiring applicants to intend to continue to reside in Canada once granted citizenship; and making it easier for minors to apply for citizenship without a Canadian or permanent resident parent. More changes expected to take place later in 2017 and 2018 include strengthening the citizenship revocation process so that the Federal Court is the decision-maker on most cases, and giving clear authority under the Citizenship Act for citizenship officers to seize fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents. See more

https://www.google.ca//canada-real-estate-market-spri/amp/

How CRA treats you depends on where you live and how friendly your tax man is, auditor reports: The auditor general says the treatment you get from the Canada Revenue Agency depends on where in Canada you live and how friendly your tax man is. This violates the agency’s taxpayer bill of rights, which says every taxpayer deserves the same service as every other taxpayer in the same situation. Auditor Michael Ferguson reports Tuesday that audits of some of the more difficult ...files in one regional office take about 320 days. In another, they take eight months longer. When taxpayers file new information that could change their tax bills in one region, getting an answer takes about three months. In another, it’s more like nine. And CRA can’t really explain why. The CRA is cracking down on aggressive manipulation of TFSAs and all other registered plans The agency is allowed to waive fees and penalties in some cases when imposing them would cause a taxpayer extreme hardship, but Ferguson says that discretion is used inconsistently. From 2013 to early 2018, CRA waived $17 million in interest and penalties for taxpayers while they were in the middle of being audited because the agency wasn’t sure they were following the rules. In other cases, agents wouldn’t waive penalties even when it was CRA’s fault that taxpayers missed deadlines.

Bill C-6, an act amending Canada’s Citizenship Act, has finally received Royal Assent and is now law, benefiting many thousands of immigrants to Canada and their families. Under the new legislation, permanent residents of Canada may apply for citizenship sooner than previously. However, it should be noted that some of the measures contained in the legislation will not come into force until later this year or early 2018, while some measures came into force Outlined below are t...Continue reading

http://www.canadianlawyermag.com//supreme-court-rules-ag/

https://bccla.org//extraordinary-victory-citizenship-equa/

Effective June 15th, 2018, the British Columbia Real Estate Association’s Working with a REALTOR brochure will no longer be used by licensees. Licensees must use the Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services to disclose the type of representation they can offer a consumer. https://www.recbc.ca//Disclosure-of-Representation-in-Trad This new mandatory form outlines the difference between being represented and unrepresented, and which of those two options is being o...ffered to you by the licensee who is providing you with the form. For consumers who choose to conduct a real estate transaction without a real estate professional, licensees will provide you with the mandatory Council-approved Disclosure of Risks to Unrepresented Parties form for this disclosure. https://www.recbc.ca//Disclosure-of-Risks-to-Unrepresented This form confirms that the licensee providing the form will not represent you in the transaction for a variety of reasons, such as the licensee is already acting on behalf of another client in the transaction. It is ultimately the consumer's decision whether they wish to be represented by a licensee; however, the Real Estate Council recommends all unrepresented parties seek the advice of a professional during any real estate transaction.

'Not time for walls' Trump on Wednesday also ordered the construction of a US -Mexican border wall , a major promise during his election campaign, as part of a package of measures to curb undocumented immigration. Ostensibly referring to Trump's executive order, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech on Saturday: "Today is not the time to erect walls between nations. They have forgotten that the Berlin wall fell years.... "Today is the time for peaceful co-existence, not the time to create distance among nations."

Trump on Friday signed an executive order that will curb immigration and the entry of refugees from some Muslim-majority countries. He separately said he wanted the US to give priority to Syrian Christians fleeing the civil war there. The bans, though temporary, took effect immediately, causing havoc and confusion for would-be travelers with passports from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The United Nations refugee agency and the International Organization ...Continue reading

http://angusreid.org/beyond-vancouver-toronto-housing-pric/

http://www.aljazeera.com//mixed-reaction-canada-plan-chang

The government of British Columbia will collect new information on citizenship of homebuyers as one of several measures proposed in the 2016 budget to address housing affordability. The government will also modestly raise property transfer taxes to three per cent on luxury homes and in turn exempt taxes on new homes that cost under $750,000. The proposed property transfer tax exemption on new homes priced up to $750,000 estimated to save eligible buyers $75 million per year will be funded by increasing the property transfer tax rate on luxury homes that cost more than $2 million, according to Ministry of Finance budget documents released Tuesday.

http://www.vancouversun.com//budget+o/11723141/story.html

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016FIN0001-000002

http://business.financialpost.com//hard-hit-alberta-may-be

The country’s economy expanded by 0.3 per cent in November, Statistics Canada said Friday, the first gain following a decline in growth in the previous two months. The jump was in line with what economists were expecting. The November reading managed to match expectations for a change, marking one of the better months for the beleaguered domestic economy in the past year, BMO chief economist Doug Porter said.... RELATED CIBC now expects the country's economy to expand by 1.3 per cent after a downward revision. CIBC downgrades outlook for Canadian economy Yet even with the November gain, the sluggish readings in the prior two months suggest the economy grew at best slightly above zero in the final three months of the year, or fourth quarter, the economist said, with non-trivial odds of a negative reading.

http://createsend.com/t/j-3b1ce34abf46d70d

http://business.financialpost.com//bank-of-canada-rate-cut

Updated Canadian dollar forecasts from a leading Canadian research institution have confirmed more losses may lie ahead for the already under-pressure currency. Lower oil prices and more stimulative monetary policy also led us to downgrade our forecast for the loonie. We now expect the Canadian dollar to depreciate versus the U.S. dollar, reaching 73 cents by the second quarter of next year, before rising gradually back up to 76 cents by the end of 2016

The new citizenship Bill C-24 introduced by Chris Alexander, the current Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, passed and became law on Friday June 20th, 2014. The new law changes the core aspect of Canadian citizenship as Chris Alexander announced: It would remind individuals that citizenship is not a right, it’s a privilege. With the new Bill, Citizenship Canada redefined narratives of citizenship, what it means to be a Canadian, and what can be seen as an exemplary Ca...Continue reading

What is a will? A will is a document which states what you want done with the assets that you own when you die. These assets typically consist of real estate, money, investments, and personal or household belongings that you own. You can change your will at any time and it has no legal effect until you die. A will doesn’t deal with certain assets:... A will generally doesn’t cover assets that you don’t own at your death. For example, a joint bank account or a house owned in joint tenancy has a right of survivorship and will be owned by the joint survivor when you die. Also, a will does not apply to assets like life insurance, RRSPs, RRIFs and TFSAs, where you have already designated a beneficiary.

XV. First Time Buyers Exemption in B.C. A. Who Qualifies for the Exemption? To qualify for the First Time Buyers Exemption (FTHB) exemption, the purchaser must be all of... the following: a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident as defined in the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act (Canada); a person who has resided in BC for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to the date of registration of the transfer, or who has filed two income tax returns as a BC resident within the last six years; a person who has never, at any time, held a registered interest in a principal residence, anywhere in the world (a principal residence is defined as the usual place where an individual resides); and a person who has not previously received an FTHB exemption or refund. B. What Property Qualifies for the Exemption? The FTHB program provides a full exemption from the Tax only on properties where: the improvements on the property become the principal residence (whether or not they are formally classified as residential); the land is 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres) in size or smaller; and 5.1.10 the value of the land plus improvements falls below the threshold amount of $475,000. . C. Partial Exemption Partial exemptions from the Tax are available in certain circumstances. Where part of the improvements on the land are used for purposes other than the purchaser’s primary residence, such as where part of the improvement is used for commercial purposes or where there is a separate dwelling or residential improvement on the land, only the portion that is the purchaser’s primary residence is eligible for the exemption. Where the land is larger than 0.5 hectares (1.24 acres), only the residential improvement and 0.5 hectares of the land are eligible for the exemption. A partial exemption is also available where the fair market value of the property is between $475,000 and $500,000. Requirements that Must be Met During the First Year the Property is Owned: The purchaser must occupy the residence as his or her principal residence within 92 days of the transfer being registered at the Land Title Office. To be eligible for the full exemption, the purchaser must then continue to use the residence as his or her principal residence for at least one year after the date the transfer was registered

Probate fee 2 (1) In addition to any fees payable under the Supreme Court Civil Rules to commence a proceeding to obtain the issue of a grant or a resealing and to any fees payable under the Rules of Court to file documents within that proceeding, a fee determined in accordance with this section must be paid to the government, before the issue of any grant or before any resealing, as the case may be, on behalf of the estate of a deceased by the personal representative of the... deceased but is payable by that personal representative in his, her or its representative capacity only. (2) No fee is payable under this Act (a) on a grant de bonis non, a cessate grant or a double probate, or (b) if the value of the estate does not exceed $25 000. (3) If the value of the estate exceeds $25 000, whether disclosed to the court before or after the issue of the grant or before or after the resealing, as the case may be, the amount of fee payable is (a) $6 for every $1 000 or part of $1 000 by which the value of the estate exceeds $25 000 but is not more than $50 000, plus (b) $14 for every $1 000 or part of $1 000 by which the value of the estate exceeds $50 000. (4) If, after the issue of any grant or after any resealing, the personal representative learns of the existence of an asset of the deceased that was not disclosed in the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Distribution exhibited to the affidavit leading to the grant or to the resealing, determines that the value attributed to an asset in that statement must be revised or determines that an asset was otherwise not properly disclosed, the personal representative must disclose to the court the existence and value of that asset and must pay to the government the difference between the fee paid before the issue of the grant or before the resealing and any greater fee that would have been payable under subsections (1) to (3) had the asset been disclosed or appropriately valued in the original Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Distribution.

Information about Probate, Wills and the role of the Executor Probate is the process that transfers legal title of property from the estate of the person who has died (the "decedent") to their proper beneficiaries and usually involves several steps. It is generally overseen and accomplished by the executor if there is a will, or by a court appointed representative if there is not. The term "probate" refers to a "proving" of the existence of a valid Will, or determining and "p...Continue reading

Return to PST On April 1, 2013, B.C. will return to a provincial sales tax (PST) system. The PST is a retail sales tax that is payable when a taxable good or service is acquired for personal use or business use, unless a specific exemption applies.... The PST will generally apply to: the purchase or lease of new and used goods in B.C. goods brought, sent or delivered into B.C. for use in B.C. the purchase of: software services to goods such as vehicle maintenance, furniture assembly, computer repair accommodation legal services telecommunication services, including internet services and digital and electronic media content such as music and movies gifts of vehicles, boats and aircraft All permanent PST exemptions will be re-implemented with the new PST. Learn more about PST exemptions Legislation & Regulations The legislation and regulations to re-implement the PST on April 1, 2013 are now complete, giving businesses all the information they need to successfully transition to the PST. The final legislative amendments to the Provincial Sales Tax Act have received Royal Assent and the regulations to bring it into force on April 1, 2013 have been approved by Cabinet. To help businesses prepare, government is making available unofficial consolidated versions of the Provincial Sales Tax Act, the Motor Fuel Tax Act and the New Housing Transition Tax and Rebate Act, reflecting the amendments made in Bill 2. Read the unofficial consolidation of the Provincial Sales Tax Act Read the Provincial Sales Tax Regulation Read the Provincial Sales Tax Exemption and Refund Regulation Read the unofficial consolidation of the Motor Fuel Tax Act Read the unofficial consolidation of the New Housing Transition Tax and Rebate Act

Venus Law Corp will assist you in buying, selling or incorporating a business; negotiating or drafting a lease; negotiating, drafting, granting or taking securing interests and mortgages; filing and discharging builders liens and personal property charges