Up to my elbows in tax returns...a pretty good summary here.
Employment stock option gains are taxed as employment income with a 50% reduction in the gain, and forms income for RRSP purposes the next year.
Bottom line for all of us here....shares held outside your rrsp or tfsa are subject to graduated tax rates depending on the province you live in, on half the capital gain earned (less any capital losses you may have from previous years, which I'm sure most of us may have since we seem to like flyers sometimes!).
Gains in the tfsa are tax free.
Gains in the rrsp are taxed at full rates when you pull your money out of your bloated rrsp down the road at the tax rates of that day.
Jimbo444