We are pleased to announce that Irene Wong, Partner at Scargall Owen‑King Lavictoire LLP, presented at the 2026 Ontario Bar Association Ontario Legal Conference: Municipal, Planning & Environmental Law, held this past Friday in Toronto. Irene Wong co‑presented with Sarah Spitz (Rayman Harris LLP) on the Case Law Update: The Latest in Expropriation Law This session provided a comprehensive review of recent expropriation law decisions, notable trends, and key developments affecting practitioners…

Expropriated owners are generally entitled to their reasonable legal, appraisal, and other costs incurred for the purpose of determining compensation under section 32 of the Expropriations Act. The Divisional Court recently released a decision concluding that the Ontario Land Tribunal[1] does not have statutory authority to award interest on costs before the Tribunal issues its costs order. This decision serves as a reminder that, while full indemnification for owners remains a key…

In our previous blog posts, we outlined several key provisions of Bill C-15, which, if passed, would enact the High-Speed Rail Network Act to facilitate and expedite the construction of the proposed high-speed rail corridor between Toronto and Quebec City. Notably, Bill C-15 recently passed second reading at the House of Commons and has been referred to the Standing Committee on Finance for further consideration. At this stage, there have been…

New Name, Same SOK – We are proud to announce that Scargall Owen-King LLP is now Scargall Owen-King Lavictoire LLP. This change reflects our continued growth and recognizes the outstanding contributions of Guillaume Lavictoire, who has been a trusted leader and long-standing partner within our firm. Guillaume’s dedication to excellence, client service, and mentorship has been instrumental in shaping our firm’s success. He brings not only deep legal expertise but also a…

In our previous blog post, we discussed Bill C-15 and the federal government’s proposed High-Speed Rail Network Act, which aims to accelerate construction of a planned high-speed rail corridor between Quebec City and Toronto. This post takes a deeper look at the practical implications of the proposed federal legislation and how it compares to Ontario’s expropriation regime. Expropriation is the process by which a government acquires privately owned land for public use and…

The federal government’s plan to build a high-speed rail network between Quebec City and Toronto is moving forward under Bill C-15, a 600-page omnibus budget bill now at second reading in the House of Commons.  The project would create nearly 1,000 km of dedicated tracks for trains traveling at speeds of 300 km/h or more. The exact route has not been finalized, but preliminary plans show the line running from Toronto through Peterborough, Ottawa,…