Environmental Law

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Repairing Reputations

After 10 years of neglecting environmental policy, the Canadian government needs to do a lot more than just show up to COP21 in order to begin repairing Canadian’s reputation on the world stage, according to Green Party leader Elizabeth May. “We’re hated,” May said about Canada’s status with COP delegates […]

United Against Enbridge

Day 6: Judges left to decide fate of Enbridge

The sixth and final day of the Enbridge hearing was as charged and exciting as the first. The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) was up first to make submissions on whether or not the Enbridge pipeline is in the ‘public interest’. Neither Canada nor Northern Gateway made submissions on […]

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Day 5: Northern Gateway seeks to defend the “gold standard” review process

Day 5 of 6. A core group of concerned community members persisted in the courtroom and listened intently to the dynamic exchanges between the judges and counsel for the Respondents. The judges started the day by addressing Northern Gateway’s last minute attempt to introduce fresh evidence. The judges unanimously rejected […]

United Against Enbridge

Day 4: Canada seeks to defend Enbridge approval in Court

It was another exciting day down at the Federal Court of Appeal. The day started with Northern Gateway seeking to introduce fresh evidence to the Court. Yesterday, the judges instructed Northern Gateway to seek an agreement with the applicants with respect to the admissibility of this evidence. No such agreement […]

United Against Enbridge

Day 3: Environmental and labour organizations challenge Enbridge approval

First up this morning, Chris Tollefson presented arguments on behalf of BC Nature, a B.C.-based conservation group. BC Nature’s main argument is that the Joint Review Panel (JRP) failed to conduct a fulsome assessment of the potential environmental impacts of a large oil spill despite having a legal duty to […]

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Yinka Dene Alliance kick off Day 2 of the Enbridge hearing

Spirits remained high in the 8th floor courtroom even as a dense fog settled on downtown Vancouver. The courtroom was jam-packed all day long while lawyers representing the Nak’azdli, Nadleh Whut’en, Gitga’at and Gitxaała Nations made their cases. Watching the proceedings on a video-screen in an overflow room felt a […]

Enbridge hearings

Day One of Enbridge Hearings

Representatives from the Haisla, Haida, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Heiltsuk, Nadleh Whut’en, Nak’azdli, Gitga’at and Gitxaala Nations travelled hundreds of kilometers to attend proceedings in front of the Federal Court of Appeal from October 1st – October 8th. These eight First Nations are challenging the federal government’s approval of the Enbridge pipeline and […]

Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Day 1 - Walk for Reconciliation “A\J Alter

Why Does Canada Hate Indigenous Rights? One Word: Oil.

Why does Canada hate Indigenous rights? Or, more properly, why has the government campaigned so hard to subdue the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), even when it’s now enshrined in a UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)? The specific right to FPIC, as it […]