By Graham Reeder On 22 September 2015, Greenpeace Southeast Asia (Philippines), thirteen other non-profit organizations, disaster survivors, and notable individuals, with the support of tens of thousands of Filipinos, filed a petition before the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) against the world’s largest investor-owned carbon and cement producers, known as the ‘Carbon […]
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Discussion with ECO Commissioner, Dr. Dianne Saxe
Dianne Saxe is the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO), a tough but fair watchdog over Ontario’s environmental, energy and climate performance, and guardian of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (EBR). Prior to her appointment in 2015, Dianne was one of Canada’s most respected environmental lawyers. She has 40 years’ unparalleled experience writing, interpreting, and litigating Ontario’s […]
Mikisew Cree First Nation v Canada: a missed opportunity on the path toward reconciliation
By Yvonne Mazurak The Crown has a legal obligation to consult with Indigenous peoples when its actions may negatively affect their constitutionally-protected rights. This duty to consult and accommodate was established by Haida Nation v British Columbia and is based on the principle of the honour of the Crown, which requires the Crown to act […]
Can a National Park And Its Trees And Animals Have Rights? Yes! Argues Maliseet Grand Council
By: Christina Persaud The Maliseet put forth a novel “Rights of Nature” argument, opposing Mount Carleton Snowmobile Hub In July 2015, the Government of New Brunswick announced plans to build a $1.4M snowmobile grooming hub at Mount Carleton Provincial Park. The motivation for developing this infrastructure is to promote the tourism sector, increasing the number […]
Can Law be used to Combat the Negative Effects of Gentrification?
By: Riel Hishon (JD Student at Osgoode Hall) Parkdale is a neighbourhood in south-west Toronto, spanning approximately from Roncesvalles Ave. to Dufferin St. from west to east, and Lake Ontario to Dundas St. from south to north. Gentrification is occurring in Parkdale. This is happening through the conversion of rooming houses into single-family homes, high-end […]
Silent Concerns: The Health Effects and Legal Loopholes of Hydraulic Fracturing in Saskatchewan
By: Kristina Hedlund and Garance Malivel (Master of Environmental Studies, York University) Last October, a media report was released by a collective of scholars, students and journalists under the name The Price of Oil. The report revealed that, for years, the Saskatchewan government had been withholding information about dangerous levels of sour gases emitted by […]
Untimely Delays and Ineffective Legislation: Are Court-based Strategies the Answer to Saving Canada’s At-Risk Species?
By: Helen Willoughby In September 2017, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released their Living Planet Report, which revealed that 50% of the monitored species in Canada are in decline. The decline can partly be attributed to ineffective environmental laws which are designed to protect species at risk. The WWF report uncovered that […]
Yaiguaje v Chevron Corps – Litigating against Goliath one appeal at a time
By: Amanda Montgomery In October 2017, a group of Ecuadoran plaintiffs won a small, yet crucial, victory in a Toronto courtroom. The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that the plaintiffs are not required to post nearly $1 million to cover Chevron Corporation’s legal costs should they lose an upcoming appeal in their quest to enforce […]
How Are Vulnerable Populations Impacted by Carbon Pricing Schemes in Canada?
By: Christie McLeod One of the biggest injustices of climate change is that those least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change are often the most affected by climate change. This is true on both a global scale and within Canada’s borders. For instance, according to Sarah Trainor et al, many Indigenous […]
Moving Mesothelioma out of the Marketplace: Assessing the Efficacy of Canada’s Proposed Prohibition on Asbestos
By: Aaron Cressman On January 6, 2018, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada sponsored the Prohibition of Asbestos and Asbestos Products Regulations (the Prohibition) and amendments to the Export of Substances on the Export Control List Regulations (the ESECLR Amendments) through the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The stated purpose of the Prohibition […]
