Canada's controlled-substances schedules restructured and new substances added to temporary-control lists

Schedule V has been split into two parts: Part 1 now lists controlled substances subject to temporary scheduling, while Part 2 houses precursors (Class A, Class B, and preparations/mixtures). As a result, the definition of 'controlled substance' now refers to Schedules I–IV and Part 1 of Schedule V, and 'precursor' now covers Part 2 of Schedule V as well as Schedule VI. Several chemicals previously in Schedule V (Phenethyl bromide, Propionic anhydride, Benzyl chloride) have been moved permanently into Schedule VI. New temporary entries have been added to Schedule V: two substances (Spirobrorphine and Spirochlorphine) appear in Part 1 as controlled substances, and one substance (R 29676) plus preparations containing it appear in Part 2 as precursors, each for a one-year period. Police and military police undercover exemption powers have been expanded to also cover related Criminal Code conspiracy and attempt offences. Businesses and individuals handling any of these substances—including importers, manufacturers, pharmacists, and researchers—should review whether substances they work with have shifted schedule classification or been newly added, as this affects their licensing and compliance obligations.

Precursor Control Regulations expanded to cover new Schedule V substances and four new chemicals added to controlled schedule

The definitions of Class A and Class B precursors have been broadened to include substances listed in the newly created Schedule V to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, in addition to the existing Schedule VI substances. All regulatory requirements—licensing, permits, record-keeping, import/export declarations, authorization certificates, and suspicious transaction reporting—now apply to these additional Schedule V precursors in the same way they already applied to Schedule VI precursors. Four new substances have been added to the Regulations' schedule with a maximum quantity of zero: phenethyl bromide, propionic anhydride, phenethyl iodide, and phenethyl chloride; a fifth substance (R 29676) has since been added by a subsequent amendment. A new ministerial order-making power allows the Minister to temporarily add or remove precursors from the schedule to mirror temporary scheduling actions under Schedule V to the Act. Licensed and registered dealers handling any of these substances—including those dealing in preparations or mixtures containing them—must review their licences, permits, record-keeping practices, end-use declarations, and authorization certificates to confirm they cover the newly in-scope Schedule V precursors.

B.C. expands restricted-activity permissions for occupational therapists, opticians, optometrists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and pharmacists

This amendment broadens what several regulated health professions can do without additional authorization. Occupational therapists gain the ability to administer oxygen by inhalation and, if certified, to perform wound-care procedures below the dermis and conduct airway suctioning. Opticians are newly authorized to fit contact lenses as a full restricted activity. Optometrists no longer need certification to perform certain vision-related restricted activities, and their drug-prescribing and dispensing authority is clarified to cover general therapeutic treatment, diagnosis, and topically administered drugs, with a new duty to notify a patient's primary care provider when prescribing for therapeutic purposes. Physical therapists gain explicit authority for wound-care procedures below the dermis, and airway-suctioning rules are restated. Speech-language pathologists see their list of permitted restricted activities updated, including oxygen administration by inhalation. Pharmacists may now administer Schedule I, IA, or II drugs topically and may use any method to treat anaphylaxis that arises from performing those topical-administration activities. Organizations employing or credentialing these professionals should review scope-of-practice policies and certification records to reflect the updated permissions.

BC brings into force new Medicare Protection Act section on extra billing or user charges

British Columbia has proclaimed in force a provision of the Medicare Protection Amendment Act, 2003 that adds sections 18.1(1) and (2) to the Medicare Protection Act. These provisions had been enacted by the legislature years ago but were not yet operative. The practical effect is that the rules or obligations set out in those subsections now have legal force in BC. Health-care practitioners, facility operators, and others operating under the Medicare Protection Act should review what sections 18.1(1) and (2) require and ensure their practices comply. Legal counsel or the Ministry of Health should be consulted for guidance on the specific obligations those subsections impose.

B.C. brings into force 2025 amendments to Health Care Costs Recovery Act and updates supporting regulation

British Columbia has activated the Health Care Costs Recovery Amendment Act, 2025 and made corresponding updates to its supporting regulation. The amendments update cross-references within the regulation to reflect new and renumbered sections of the parent Act, replacing old references to sections 4(1) and 4(1.1) with references to sections 4 and 4.1. Two new forms have also been added to the regulation's Schedule: a Notice of Third Party Claim form and an Information from Uninsured Defendant form. These changes affect parties involved in health care cost recovery proceedings—particularly third-party defendants, uninsured defendants, and those who administer or process such claims. Businesses and individuals who are or may be named as defendants in health care cost recovery actions should be aware of the new required forms.

BC Shared Health Services added to whistleblower and lobbying oversight frameworks

A new provincial health body called BC Shared Health Services has been added to the schedule of government bodies covered by the Public Interest Disclosure Act, meaning employees of that organization can now make protected whistleblower disclosures and its Chief Executive Officer is designated as the responsible head. The same body has also been listed under the Lobbyists Transparency Regulation, making it a provincial entity that lobbyists must account for when registering their activities. Additionally, BC Shared Health Services has been recognized under the Medical and Health Care Services Regulation, expanding the list of bodies whose services qualify under that framework. Organizations that lobby BC Shared Health Services, employees of that body, and health service providers connected to it should review whether these changes affect their registration, reporting, or disclosure obligations.

B.C. removes Community Health Councils from three health authority regulations

Three regulations under the Health Authorities Act have been updated to remove all references to Community Health Councils and their associated provisions. The Amalgamation of Regional Health Boards and Community Health Councils Regulation has been renamed and stripped of council-specific definitions and sections, the Board and Council Purposes Regulation has been renamed and trimmed of council references, and the Hospital Transfer Regulation has had 'or council' removed throughout. In practical terms, Community Health Councils are no longer recognized as distinct entities in these rules, leaving Regional Health Boards as the sole bodies addressed. Organizations or individuals who previously relied on council-specific provisions in these regulations should review how this affects their governance structures or transfer arrangements.

BC updates funeral cost supplement rules: new service definitions, $1,685 cap, and revised transportation rates

The Employment and Assistance Regulation has been amended to change how funeral cost supplements are calculated and paid for eligible recipients. The definition of

Cosmetics labelling now requires separate disclosure of fragrance allergens above set concentration thresholds

Cosmetic product labels must now individually name any ingredient that qualifies as a 'fragrance allergen' — defined as a fragrance or flavour capable of causing an allergic reaction that appears on the EU's Restricted Substances List with a mandatory disclosure requirement. Previously, all fragrances and flavours could be grouped under the catch-all terms 'parfum' or 'aroma' at the end of the ingredient list; that shortcut now applies only to fragrances and flavours that are not fragrance allergens. For rinse-off products, an allergen must be listed if its concentration exceeds 0.01%; for leave-on products the threshold is 0.001%. A transition rule means a specific allergen does not need to be listed until it has formally been added to the EU Restricted Substances List and any phase-in period set out in that EU listing has passed. Cosmetic manufacturers and importers should audit their formulations and labelling against the current EU Restricted Substances List to identify any fragrance allergens that now require explicit disclosure.

Liquor licence renewal fees raised and training program fees updated across B.C.

Licence renewal fees for most B.C. liquor licence types — including liquor primary, food primary, catering, retail stores, distilleries, breweries, wineries, and agents — have been revised upward under a new fee schedule. The fee for a given licence is based on the type of operation and, for many licences, the volume of liquor purchases or sales, with tiered amounts now running from $325 to $2,860 for most hospitality and retail licences. A transitional rule protects licensees whose licence expires before the new schedule took effect: those renewals are billed at the old rates. In a separate change taking effect slightly later, fees for the Serving It Right (SIR) and Special Event Server (SES) responsible-service training programs have also been updated — online SIR is now $40 per person, print SIR is $45, and SES is $25. Affected operators should confirm which fee tier applies to them when submitting renewal applications and budget accordingly for upcoming staff training.

New 'E supplier' class created for small online gaming distributors, with $5,000 application fee

The Gaming Control Regulation has been amended to insert a new class of registered gaming services provider called the 'E supplier class.' This class covers providers authorized to distribute gaming supplies to the lottery corporation for use in online gaming schemes where projected gross annual revenue from that distribution is less than $1 million. The previously existing 'E supplier' class has been renamed 'F supplier' throughout the regulation. A new application fee of $5,000 applies to the new E supplier class, listed in the fee table alongside existing classes. Separately, the existing D supplier class threshold has been clarified to cover revenues of $1 million or more but less than $5 million. Businesses or individuals distributing gaming supplies for online gaming schemes should review which supplier class now applies to them and ensure they apply under the correct class and pay the associated fee.

Expanded definitions and updated compliance deadlines for eligible financial contracts at federal member institutions

This amendment to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Eligible Financial Contracts By-law makes three practical changes. First, two new defined terms—'central counterparty' and 'clearing and settlement system'—are added directly to the By-law, replacing a cross-reference to definitions in the Payment Clearing and Settlement Act. Second, the list of counterparties whose contractual termination rights are exempt from the prescribed class is expanded to include departments and agencies of foreign governments (previously just the foreign government itself) and multilateral development banks (banks owned and funded by two or more governments for economic development purposes). Third, the general compliance deadline for capturing eligible financial contracts entered into, amended, or renewed has been pushed back from October 1, 2024 to October 1, 2028, giving federal member institutions and their counterparties additional time to update contract language. Federal member institutions should review their eligible financial contract portfolios and counterparty relationships in light of the expanded exemption categories and the revised timeline.

'Health occupation' definition added to B.C. private training rules, replacing vague 'health field' language

The Private Training Regulation has been updated to introduce a precise definition of 'health occupation,' replacing the broader phrase 'in the health field' used in two existing definitions. 'Health occupation' is now defined as a career occupation described in Category 3 of the current National Occupational Classification (NOC). This change affects the definitions of 'clinical placement' and 'preceptor,' both of which previously referred to 'the health field.' Private training institutions offering health-related programs should check whether their clinical placements and preceptor arrangements still qualify under the updated, NOC-anchored definition, and update any internal policies or documentation accordingly.

B.C. expands greenhouse gas new-entrant rules to cover parts of industrial operations and proposed operations

Two B.C. greenhouse gas regulations have been updated to allow parts of an industrial operation—not just whole operations—to qualify as "new entrants" with reduced compliance obligations, provided the operation has increased its regulated-product capacity by at least 80% through the addition of that part. Proposed industrial operations can now apply for new-entrant designation before they begin reporting, and their new-entrant period starts on the earlier of a requested date or their date of first commercial shipment. A new regulated product category—"lime recovered by kiln" in chemical pulp mills—has been added to Schedule A.1 with its own benchmark emissions intensity and reduction factor, and a terminology fix changes "hydrogenated-derived" to "hydrogenation-derived" renewable diesel in Schedule C. Cross-references in the administrative penalties regulation have been updated to reflect renumbered sections. Operators in industrial sectors—especially pulp and paper—who are expanding capacity, building new facilities, or producing lime via kiln should review whether they or a part of their operation may now qualify for new-entrant status and what application requirements and timelines apply.

Sections 5–8 of B.C.'s Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 are now in force

The British Columbia government has brought sections 5 through 8 of the Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 into force by order-in-council. This regulation does not itself set out substantive rules; it is the commencement instrument that activates those four sections of the parent Act. Anyone affected by sections 5–8 of that Act should now treat those provisions as operative. If your organization's legal or compliance obligations touch on attorney general statutes amended by S.B.C. 2025, c. 16, you should review those specific sections to understand what new requirements or changes now apply.

B.C. Court of Appeal Rules updated: quorum language, fee table, and three forms revised

Three targeted changes have been made to the Court of Appeal Rules. First, the quorum threshold for a specific type of hearing (Rule 66(3)(b)) is no longer expressed as '3 or more justices' but simply as 'the court,' giving the court flexibility in how it constitutes itself for that purpose. Second, the fee schedule (Schedule 1) has been updated: item 8 now explicitly covers case management conferences alongside applications, and item 11 replaces the word 'settled' with 'assessed' when describing how certain costs are determined. Third, Forms 11, 12, and 21 in Schedule 3 have been replaced with new versions. Parties and counsel involved in B.C. Court of Appeal proceedings should ensure they are using the updated forms and are aware of the revised fee table entries.

B.C. rural property tax rates updated for 2026 and future years across all property classes

The provincial rural area property tax rates have been replaced with new fixed rates that apply from 2026 onward. Two separate rate tables now exist: one for most of British Columbia and a separate, higher one for the Peace River Regional District. In the Peace River area, rates for Utilities, Major Industry, and Light Industry are set higher than the rest of the province, while Residential, Supportive Housing, Managed Forest Land, Recreational/Non-profit, Farm, and Business and Other rates are the same in both tables. Property owners and businesses in rural areas subject to Taxation (Rural Area) Act levies should check which table applies to their location and property class to understand their ongoing tax obligations.

B.C. residential tenancy rules updated for public housing bodies, supportive housing, and standard tenancy agreements

Several changes have been made to the Residential Tenancy Regulation affecting landlords and tenants in public and non-profit housing, supportive housing, and standard residential tenancies. A new definition of 'specified agreement' is introduced, covering housing agreements under municipal legislation that restrict who can rent a unit and how much rent can be charged. A broader list of organizations now qualifies as 'public housing bodies,' including BC Housing, CMHC, certain municipal corporations, housing societies with government agreements, and owners of units subject to specified agreements — with consequences for which rules apply to those units. Public housing bodies (excluding those in the 'specified agreement' category) remain exempt from rent increase and assignment rules when rent is tied to tenant income, while supportive housing units gain new exemptions from quiet enjoyment, landlord entry, and tenant access provisions. Landlords who do not collect security or pet damage deposits, or whose units are exempt from rent increase rules, no longer need to include the corresponding standard clauses in their written tenancy agreements. Operators of units subject to housing agreements, non-profit housing societies, and supportive housing providers should review which exemptions and obligations now apply to them.