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B.C. billionaire's real estate firms allege 'pattern of misconduct' by CRA in tax row
B.C. billionaire's firms fight ballooning tax bill
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Companies controlled by billionaire B.C. property developer Terry Hui allege that the Canada Revenue Agency has engaged in a "pattern of misconduct" in its attempts to collect on ballooning tax debts dating as far back as 2007.
Five companies within Hui's real estate development group are targeted in the audit by the CRA, including Adex Securities, One West Holdings, a B.C. numbered company and two Luxembourg-based shell companies.
The companies filed an application in Federal Court this month, claiming the government has wrongfully moved to collect on tax debts totalling nearly $330 million, most of which is accrued interest.
The application says the group is involved in capital-intensive real estate projects in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary and the audit, initiated in 2013, focused on transactions that relied on Canada's tax treaty with Luxembourg.
The companies say in the application that they've received tax debt assessments this year, with Adex owing $45 million and interest of more than $65 million, while the two Luxembourg based companies owe together more than $92 million and $127 million in interest.
They want the court to stop the government from collecting on the debts until a related case filed earlier this year is concluded, while objecting to the CRA wanting $115 million security payment from Adex.
Requiring a payment that large and not allowing the company to defer will cause the real estate group to "lose significant capital that is currently being used to fund active development projects."
The application is one of at least three filed in Federal Court this year related to the dispute, where they claim that being forced to pay will cause "irreparable harm" and that no advance notice from the CRA means that they "could not have reasonably planned for a debt … of this magnitude."
The companies claim the revenue agency has exhibited a "pattern of misconduct," alleging its officers acted outside established policies and procedures and "without regard to the impact of their actions on taxpayer businesses."
Lawyers for the companies were not immediately available for comment, but Justin Kutyan with KPMG Law in Toronto told The Canadian Press earlier this year that the transactions in the case were similar to a tax structure upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2021.
The court ruled 6-3 in favour of Alta Energy Luxembourg, which had claimed a tax exemption on a capital gain of more than $380 million under Canada's treaty with Luxembourg, described in the decision as being "well known as an international tax haven."
The court found in Alta's favour, ruling that Canadian tax authorities couldn't use anti-tax avoidance rules to "judicially amend or renegotiate a treaty."
The dissenting justices in the case, however, said "the federal government did not deliberately set out to create the conditions for unlimited tax avoidance by means of schemes" used by the company.
The dissenters wrote that "the court should not legitimize such blatantly abusive tax avoidance based on the view that Canada should have negotiated different treaty terms."
The CRA said it did not have a spokesperson available for an interview to comment on tax treaty abuse.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Darryl Greer | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Marando pitches northern investment in leadership bid
He would redirect funding from Highway 413 to northern roads and health care.
Ontario Liberal leadership candidate Dylan Marando says Northern Ontario should receive more health care funding per resident and more highway investment to meet needs he argues Queen’s Park is overlooking.
In an interview with the Miner and News, Marando outlined proposals he would pursue if he became premier, including a northern economic opportunity zone and a dedicated treatment centre in Northwestern Ontario.
The zone would offer lower personal and corporate income taxes, faster project approvals and higher per-capita investment in public services. Its boundaries and the details would be developed with northern communities.
“The north makes a unique economic contribution to our province, and that contribution isn’t always captured by the policy agenda of Queen’s Park.”
Marando said that consultation would include municipal leaders and representatives from the public and private sectors. He suggested communities north of the French River as one possible basis for the zone, rather than a settled boundary.
Northern highways
Marando would seek to twin as much of Highways 69, 11 and 17 as possible, while considering a 2+1 design where engineering challenges, costs or community concerns make twinning less practical.
He did not specify which stretches of Highways 11 and 17 would take priority or when construction would begin.
He said highway expansion would improve safety, access to services and the movement of goods. To help pay for it, he would redirect resources from Highway 413 and the proposed tunnel beneath Highway 401, neither of which he would pursue.
He also said major southern highway investments would wait until meaningful progress had been made on twinning the major northern routes.
“I’d rather start with twinning, twin as much as we can and then have 2+1 as the backup rather than the default.”
Marando acknowledged some communities may favour 2+1 as a faster or more affordable option and said he would be open to that approach where it meets local needs.
Health care and treatment
Marando said northern hospitals and other health care facilities need funding formulas that account for the higher cost of delivering services in northern and rural communities.
He would pair increased funding with provincial support for recruitment incentives and more opportunities to train health care workers through northern colleges and universities.
“Hospitals and other health care facilities in the north should expect an increase in funding.”
He said the workforce challenge extends beyond doctors and nurses to personal support workers, custodial and kitchen staff, clerical workers and other health professionals.
Asked about reliance on agency nurses and other temporary staff, Marando said the Ford government’s staffing and funding approach is hurting hospitals’ ability to recruit and sustain services. He did not outline a specific plan to replace agency staffing.
Marando also opposed the expansion of privately delivered, publicly funded health care and said he wants private, for-profit providers out of long-term care and seniors care.
“I would treat universality and public financing of our health care system as absolute bedrocks.”
According to the province, Ontario’s community surgical and diagnostic centres deliver OHIP-insured services outside hospitals and cannot charge patients for insured services. They may also offer uninsured services.
Marando’s platform calls for publicly funded psychotherapy, counselling, addiction treatment and other evidence-based mental health services under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
When asked whether he would support a dedicated treatment centre in Northwestern Ontario, he replied, “The short answer is absolutely.”
He said recruitment incentives and expanded northern training opportunities would help staff a centre, although he did not identify a location, opening date, or budget.
His addiction proposals also include banning online gambling, rather than only its advertising.
Housing and community safety
Marando said addressing homelessness requires more supportive, co-operative, non-profit and public housing, alongside mental health care and addiction treatment.
He would give Ontario municipalities revenue equivalent to one percentage point of the HST, describing it as permanent, predictable funding that would strengthen their ability to respond to local needs.
“There isn’t a neat and tidy answer to the challenge of homelessness.”
Asked about reducing crime beyond expanding jail capacity, Marando said his approach would focus on the opportunities available to young people, including keeping them in school, improving graduation rates and helping them move into post-secondary education and employment.
“Gangs don’t compete with other gangs. Gangs compete with our schools.”
He criticized government advertising promoting expanded jail capacity and said the province should work toward reducing the need for prisons.
Development and affordability
Asked to assess Greg Rickford’s performance as minister of Indigenous affairs and First Nations economic reconciliation, Marando declined to discuss his individual record. He instead criticized the Ford government’s focus on the Ring of Fire and its approach to consultation.
Marando said the province should pursue economic opportunities across the north and allow more time for Ring of Fire development if that is needed to build partnerships with First Nations.
The Ontario government says it has partnership agreements with Aroland, Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations as part of its Ring of Fire infrastructure plans, and describes First Nations as partners in northern development.
Marando said his proposal to speed up approvals would require more resources for consultation and regulatory review, not less.
“The speed that I’m talking about isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about devoting more resources to the consultative process and the regulatory approval process so that we can arrive at genuine partnership faster.”
On affordability, Marando proposes provincial income tax relief for Ontarians under 35 earning under $50,000. Asked what he would offer older residents, he pointed to extending rent controls to all buildings and sales tax relief on necessities such as internet and cellphone service.
He also proposed eliminating provincial corporate income tax for small businesses during their first five years of operation, saying he hopes they would pass some savings on to consumers.
Marando did not provide an overall cost or financing plan for his proposals during the interview. He identified cancelled southern highway projects as a source of funding for northern highway expansion.
The Ontario Liberal Party is scheduled to announce its next leader Nov. 21.
Copyright 2026, Kenora Miner & News. All rights reserved.
Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News.
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Feds investing $1 billion for road to Ring of Fire in Ontario: Carney
Feds investing $1 billion in road to Ring of Fire
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government is putting down $1 billion to help build the road to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario.
The region is said to be rich in nickel, chromite, copper and gold and Carney says it will secure Canada's critical mineral supply chain.
The area sits partially in the James Bay lowlands, part of North America's largest wetland, and is home to a number of remote, fly-in First Nations.
Earlier this year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced construction had begun on two of the roads that will eventually connect the provincial highway system to the mining area some 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Ford had long called for the federal government to match his government's $1-billion investment in the road project.
The province has signed partnerships with three First Nations who want the road, while many others are decidedly against it.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.
By Liam Casey | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Le départ volontaire d'Éloïse et Charles d'OD suscite des réactions surprenantes
L'émission d'OD Chez Nous du dimanche 1er novembre était très attendue par le public de la téléréalité. On prévoyait une élimination double et le départ d'Éloïse et Charles d'OD, tant attendu, a créé des réactions mitigées chez les fans.
Le « leader » et la « tricheuse » ont quitté le jeu de leur plein gré, quand Éloïse a réalisé au souper d'élimination avec Jay Du Temple que sa situation était plus grave qu'elle ne l'anticipait. Charles a suivi sa blonde; c'est donc trois candidats qui ont quitté l'aventure, Luis Maxime étant également éliminé.
Trois départs en une soirée, c'était beaucoup d'émotions pour les participants d'Occupation Double, ainsi que pour les auditeurs québécois.
La sélection de l'éditeur : Jay Du Temple fait réagir le public avec un commentaire sur la tricherie d'Éloïse à OD
En général, les gens sont heureux de voir le couple partir.
Mais aussi, plusieurs personnes souhaitent bon courage au couple et les remercient d'avoir donné au public un aussi bon show cette année.
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Il y en a même qui pensent que l'émission sera moins croustillante après leur départ.
D'autres se sont prononcés sur les commentaires haineux que Charles et Éloïse reçoivent.
Deux anciennes candidates d'OD Afrique du Sud, Claudie et Camille, ont expliqué dans leurs storys Instagram du 1er novembre que ces commentaires méchants avaient de gros impacts et pouvaient affecter la santé mentale des candidats les recevant.
Elles demandent aux gens de cesser les messages haineux.
On peut aussi lire une grande quantité de commentaires félicitant Jay Du Temple et la production d'Occupation Double pour la façon dont ils ont géré la situation d'Éloïse.