This week, Toronto police displayed the fruits of a massive seizure of counterfeit soccer merchandise worth millions of dollars.

The haul included 16,000 fake name-brand jerseys and flags — including FIFA, Nike, Adidas and Puma — and even two counterfeit FIFA World Cup trophies.

At first glance, it’s easy to downplay such a bust as a “victimless crime.” But don’t tell that to Toronto lawyer David Lipkus, whose firm, Lipkus Law LLP, tipped off the cops to this operation.

A leading intellectual property lawyer who helps major brands protect their trademarks, Lipkus has seen first-hand how counterfeit items harm the economy, threaten consumer safety and line the pockets of organized crime.

Lipkus is our guest on this week’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast.

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Here's a piece of advice: Take a good look at your auto insurance policy.

Starting July 1, Ontario is introducing some significant reforms to auto insurance rules. Simply put, some coverage that is now mandatory will soon become optional — including certain accident benefits like income replacement and death and funeral costs.

Those in favour of the new system say it gives drivers more choice and flexibility — and potentially lower rates — while some experts worry the new rules could leave people unknowingly exposed to major costs after a serious crash.

Joining us on Village Media's Closer Look podcast to dissect the changes is lawyer Tudor Gagea, an associate at the personal injury firm Oakley Vigmond, which has offices in Toronto, Sudbury Barrie and North Bay.

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Last month, Mark Carney’s Liberal government announced a $6-billion plan to help recruit, train and hire up to 100,000 new skilled tradespeople over the next five years.

The plan acknowledges a longstanding concern: that Canada has an urgent need for more carpenters, plumbers, millwrights and heavy equipment operators.

Among the new initiatives is a $5,000 bonus when a worker completes their Red Seal certification, a process Ottawa also wants to modernize by introducing online exams, digital logbooks and creating a single national registered apprenticeship number.

On this week's episode of Village Media's Closer Look podcast, we revisit a recent interview with Ian Howcroft of Skills Ontario, an organization that empowers youth to explore careers in skilled trades and technologies.

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