Expropriation

Expropriation is a complex field. A successful outcome depends upon having an agile, multidisciplinary legal team with experience in all of the various aspects of the process, from initiation to negotiating or mediating settlements and drafting complex agreement and, where necessary, examining and cross examining witnesses at a compensation hearing.

Resolving complex claims often involving environmental, engineering, land use planning, and business loss and appraisal experts requires a thorough understanding of those fields of expertise. BLG’s lawyers have experience working with these professionals to assemble the right team to deliver the best results.

Our Expropriation Law Group has advised both owners and authorities on the most complicated expropriation-related problems.

We represent a broad range of clients from the Provincial level to the local municipal level, including hospitals, universities, and school boards, helping to deliver much needed infrastructure projects. We also represent land and business owners who are impacted by an expropriation. Our lawyers have appeared before inquiry officers, tribunals, boards, and Courts across Canada.

Experience

City of Ottawa, Stage 2 Transit Project: land assembly including expropriations, municipal and railway regulatory advice, and negotiating complex agreements with public authorities, crown corporations, educational institutions and private sector property owners. The Stage 2 Rail Transit Project is a $3.6 billion investment.
The City of Windsor in an arbitration and appeals respecting compensation for lands expropriated for a park system along the Detroit River. The case was a rare example of an award of costs made payable from an expropriated owner to a municipality, one of the largest such awards ever made in Ontario.
The City of Kingston in land acquisition matters, formal expropriation proceedings and compensation proceedings pursuant to the Expropriations Act for the Third Crossing Bridge over the Cataraqui River.
York Region in the acquisition and expropriation of real estate and property interests required for new and expanded public transit services, as well as other significant infrastructure and road expansion projects.
A large real estate developer in a complex expropriation against the City of Calgary, claiming that the City intentionally delayed processing municipal approvals, thus delaying development.
Private property owners in the potential expropriation of their acreage homestead property, as well as assisting with ongoing planning matters and advising on their rights to compensation.

City of Ottawa, Stage 2 Transit Project: land assembly including expropriations, municipal and railway regulatory advice, and negotiating complex agreements with public authorities, crown corporations, educational institutions and private sector property owners. The Stage 2 Rail Transit Project is a $3.6 billion investment.
The City of Windsor in an arbitration and appeals respecting compensation for lands expropriated for a park system along the Detroit River. The case was a rare example of an award of costs made payable from an expropriated owner to a municipality, one of the largest such awards ever made in Ontario.
The City of Kingston in land acquisition matters, formal expropriation proceedings and compensation proceedings pursuant to the Expropriations Act for the Third Crossing Bridge over the Cataraqui River.
York Region in the acquisition and expropriation of real estate and property interests required for new and expanded public transit services, as well as other significant infrastructure and road expansion projects.
A large real estate developer in a complex expropriation against the City of Calgary, claiming that the City intentionally delayed processing municipal approvals, thus delaying development.
Private property owners in the potential expropriation of their acreage homestead property, as well as assisting with ongoing planning matters and advising on their rights to compensation.

Hands gesturing over development models | Mains gesticulant sur les modèles de développement

Development Projects

From high-proﬁle real estate developments to smart city planning and infrastructure, BLG offers you an experienced partner with cross-sector and practice expertise, a national reach and an innovative mindset. To read more about BLG’s experience, or to see what development projects we are involved in, please visit our Development Projects page.

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Testimonials

Our team’s professionals are recognized nationally for their expertise, with many listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory. As leaders in the field, we are authors of New Law of Expropriation (Carswell, 1990-present), the primary textbook on expropriation law.