History of Construction, Builders’ and Mechanics’ Liens in Canada, 7th Edition

The first edition of the present work was published in 1951 by R. W. Macaulay and H. M. Bruce, two well-known lawyers of their era.  Both men had become involved in a long-running mechanics’ lien case which generated so much legal research that they decided to rework it into a reference volume. 

By 1958, the original work of Macaulay and Bruce was in need of substantial updates.  David Bristow, along with his friend Douglas Macklem, embarked on the revision.  The manuscript for the second edition of Mechanics’ Liens in Canada was published by Carswell in early 1962.

The text would see many updates and further revisions between 1962 and 1990, resulting in four new editions, co-authored by Mr. Bristow and Mr. Macklem. This book remains the most cited construction law authority in Canada. 

In 2000, Douglas Macklem Q.C. passed away while in the process of gathering material for an updated edition.  Duncan Glaholt, Bruce Reynolds, and Howard Wise approached David Bristow about assisting, and work began on the seventh edition.  Work continued over the next five years during which the entire text was revised by all four authors collaborating over a series of meetings. It was during this phase of the project that the authors approached David Kaufman to write the chapter in respect of the province of Quebec.