7 New Laws & Regulations In Canada Set To Take Effect In 2021
Some big changes have been heading our way this year! There are a number of new laws and regulations in Canada with major impacts, from plastic bag bans to financial support for parents.
Here are seven mandates and laws with changes happening in 2021 that you need to know about.
Editor's Choice: 9 New Laws & Regulations That Will Affect Ontarians Starting On January 1, 2021
Divorce Act
Canadians saw some changes in the Divorce Act concerning family laws already this year. Prior changes were made in 2019 and were originally supposed to come into effect on July 1, 2020.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these changes were postponed until March 1, 2021.
One of the major changes involved the terms used in divorce settlements. Words such as "custody" and "access" in the Divorce Act were removed and "decision-making responsibility" and "parenting time" took place, according to the Department of Justice.
Privacy Act
Canada has promised to look into modernizing the Privacy Act because "Canadians' expectations of how federal institutions use, share and store their personal information have changed."
The Department of Justice is currently reviewing feedback it received in online public consultations that ended on February 14, 2021.
Canadian Environmental Protection Act
The federal government revealed that they are working to ban single-use plastics across Canada in a bid to reduce pollution.
Certain plastic items could be banned by the end of 2021.
Canada Child Benefit
The federal government may be giving temporary support to families with children under six years old by giving them $1,200 per child in 2021.
Per the Government of Canada, this will help almost 2 million families and over 2 million kids.
Work-From-Home Tax Break
Did you work from home during the pandemic? Well, you may be entitled to a tax break of $400 this tax season.
The Canada Revenue Agency reportedly already had this in place but has now loosened its requirements for applying.
Feeds Regulations
Canada will be cracking down on manufacturers and suppliers of livestock feed later this year with the Feeds Regulations, 2021 act. This act will take a closer look at how livestock feed is produced across the country and the risk of contamination when feed is made.
Producers will now have to document the "biological, chemical and physical hazards" that come with production and determine if their supply contains any hazards or a chance of contamination.