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Bussey Ainsworth Barry W. Bussey and Gary E. Ainsworth general legal practice

Most legal trouble in religious organisations comes from good people running on old documents and informal habits. Here ...
09/28/2026

Most legal trouble in religious organisations comes from good people running on old documents and informal habits. Here are the seven I see most often, and what to do about each.

Outdated bylaws, unclear membership, property held in trust. A charity lawyer on the seven legal mistakes Ontario churches make most often, and how to fix each one.

"Should we set up a charity or a non-profit?"It is one of the commonest questions I hear from founders, and the two word...
07/13/2026

"Should we set up a charity or a non-profit?"

It is one of the commonest questions I hear from founders, and the two words do not mean the same thing in law. The choice you make at the start shapes everything that follows, and it is hard to undo later.

The single biggest difference comes down to one thing: the tax receipt. If your plan depends on donations, that one fact probably decides the question for you.

I wrote a straight-forward guide to help you choose the right structure before you file.

Read it here:

Charity or non-profit? A charity lawyer explains the real difference in Canada, the donation-receipt rule that decides most cases, and how to choose before you file.

For many charity board members, the mere thought of losing their charitable status is a nightmare.Unfortunately, losing ...
07/07/2026

For many charity board members, the mere thought of losing their charitable status is a nightmare.

Unfortunately, losing charitable status is more common than most boards realise. And in most cases it was completely (and easily) preventable.

In this article I want to walk through what actually triggers revocation, what it costs an organisation when it happens, and the handful of habits that keep your status safe.

A charity lawyer explains what makes the CRA revoke a charity's registration, what revocation costs, and the simple habits that keep your status safe.

Every few months, someone sits across from me with a good idea, and a lot of questions. They want to start a charity, bu...
07/03/2026

Every few months, someone sits across from me with a good idea, and a lot of questions. They want to start a charity, but they don't where to begin.

Registering a charity in Canada involves several steps, and they happen in a particular order. Get the order wrong, or one of the steps wrong, and you can lose months. In 2023-24, the CRA sent more than a third of applications back as incomplete.

So, I wrote a detailed guide to the whole process: choosing your legal structure, writing charitable purposes that actually qualify, applying to the CRA, and staying compliant once you are registered.

If you're thinking about starting a charity, or you know someone who is, this will save you time and trouble.

If you need a hand, I've been doing this work for decades, and would be glad to guide you through the process. Give me a call at (705) 749-0628.

https://busseyainsworth.ca/blog/how-to-register-a-charity-in-canada/

Thinking of starting a charity in Canada? A charity lawyer with decades of experience walks through the real steps, from choosing a structure to CRA registration.

ONCA changed many of the rules that charity and non-profit bylaws must follow, and the deadline to bring older bylaws in...
06/17/2026

ONCA changed many of the rules that charity and non-profit bylaws must follow, and the deadline to bring older bylaws into line has passed.

Where a bylaw conflicts with the Act, it is treated as automatically amended. That leaves many boards unsure whether they are actually compliant when they follow their own unrevised rules.

I have spent more than thirty years working with churches, charities, and community groups, including ten years as Director of Legal Affairs for a national charities umbrella organisation. Good bylaws are quiet insurance. My aim is to give your board a rulebook it can rely on, so its energy goes to the mission rather than to procedure.

I take on a limited number of these files. If your organisation's bylaws may be overdue for a look, here is what the work involves:

Bylaws for Ontario charities and non-profits, drafted and reviewed to comply with ONCA. Bussey Ainsworth brings your bylaws into line with the Act and with how your board actually runs.

Helping a new charity come into being is some of the most satisfying work I do.For ten years I served as Director of Leg...
06/15/2026

Helping a new charity come into being is some of the most satisfying work I do.

For ten years I served as Director of Legal Affairs at a national charities umbrella organisation, advising charities across Canada. So I know charitable status is harder to obtain than most founders expect. The CRA grants it only to organisations whose purposes are exclusively charitable and clearly expressed, and it reviews each application closely.

I guide Ontario founders and boards through the whole process: incorporation, drafting purposes that satisfy the CRA without boxing in your mission, preparing the application, and handling the questions that follow. The aim is a clean registration, with as little delay as possible.

I take on a limited number of these files, so each founder has my direct attention. Here is how the work goes:

How to register a charity in Canada, set up properly from the start. Barry Bussey guides Ontario founders through incorporation and CRA charitable registration.

Churches and Christian charities are not like other organisations, and they deserve a lawyer who understands that.I've ...
06/08/2026

Churches and Christian charities are not like other organisations, and they deserve a lawyer who understands that.

I've just launched a new page for the faith-based charities I serve across Ontario and Canada.

I spent a decade as legal counsel to the Christian charitable sector at the national level, and have argued before the Supreme Court of Canada. I help congregations and ministries with the legal side of their work: charitable registration, ONCA compliance, bylaws, governance, and the disputes that occasionally arise.

If your church or charity has a legal question, I'd be glad to talk.

Learn more:

Legal counsel for churches and Christian charities in Ontario and across Canada, from a lawyer who served a decade as counsel to the Christian charitable sector.

Sold your house and wondering where the rest of your money went?It is one of the most common questions we hear at our Pe...
06/01/2026

Sold your house and wondering where the rest of your money went?

It is one of the most common questions we hear at our Peterborough office. A few weeks after closing, most of your sale proceeds have landed, but a portion is still sitting in your lawyer's trust account. That is normal, and your money is safe.

So, what happened to it? Barry's new guide walks through all four reasons part of your money waits in trust after closing, and when you can expect the rest:

https://busseyainsworth.ca/blog/when-does-seller-get-money-after-closing-ontario/

Buying or selling in Peterborough or the Kawarthas? We are always happy to talk through your closing before it arrives.

Most Ontario sellers see part of their sale proceeds sit in trust for weeks after closing. Here is why your lawyer holds it, and when you can expect the rest.

After years of handling real estate deals, we're used to receiving frantic phone calls that go something like this: It's...
05/27/2026

After years of handling real estate deals, we're used to receiving frantic phone calls that go something like this:

It's three in the afternoon on closing day. The moving truck is loaded. The kids are in the back seat. The dog is panting. The buyer is parked outside their new house, calling to ask why nobody has handed them the keys.

The short answer is almost always the same. The deal isn't closed yet. The keys move when the funds arrive, the wire goes through, and the transfer registers. In Ontario that lands closer to mid-afternoon than noon.

I wrote this post to answer this frequently asked question about when the buyer gets the keys, and why it sometimes takes longer than expected.

If you are buying or selling in Peterborough, the Kawarthas or Ontario, this one is worth a read before you book the moving truck:

When do you get the keys on closing day in Ontario? Usually mid-afternoon, not noon. Here is what decides the timing and what to do if you are still waiting at five.

Almost every week at our Peterborough office, a client arrives to make a will and their adult son or daughter is with th...
05/26/2026

Almost every week at our Peterborough office, a client arrives to make a will and their adult son or daughter is with them. I greet everyone in the lobby. Then I ask the family to wait outside, and I bring the client in alone.

Some families understand right away. Some are quietly hurt.

The rule is not mine. The Law Society of Ontario requires it, and it protects three things at once: your privacy, the will itself, and your family.

There is also a quiet trap in Ontario's Succession Law Reform Act. If a beneficiary witnesses the will, their gift disappears. Most people learn that too late.

New on the blog, written for both the parent and the adult child:

An Ontario lawyer explains why family cannot sit in on your will or power of attorney meeting, and why a beneficiary or their spouse must never witness the signing.

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101/294 Rink Street
Peterborough, ON
K9J2K2

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 3pm

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