Environmental Law Alert Blog

Through our Environmental Law Alert blog, West Coast keeps you up to date on the latest developments and issues in environmental law. This includes:

  • proposed changes to the law that will weaken, or strengthen, environmental protection;
  • stories and situations where existing environmental laws are failing to protect the environment; and
  • emerging legal strategies that could be used to protect our environment.

If you have an environmental story that we should hear about, please e-mail Andrew Gage. We welcome your comments on any of the posts to this blog – but please keep in mind our policies on comments.

2020 Canadian Law Blog Awards Winner

Environmental racism is a widespread problem in Canada, affecting many Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities across the country.

The federal government is preparing to introduce its 2022 budget, considering funding decisions that will have major implications on Canada’s ability to address key environmental and social justice priorities in the coming years.

Last month Imperial Metals agreed to relinquish its mineral claims in the Skagit River Headwaters, about 37 kilometres east of Hope, BC, near the Canada-US border.

The start of a New Year is a time for reflection as much as it is a time for celebration.

The telling of true stories is necessary to remember our collective history across the globe. Specifically, this has become clear in recent discussions about the abundant life of Semá:th Lake (also known as Sumas Lake) in the Fraser Valley of BC, which once “reached from Chilliwack into Washington State.”

What legal options do community members have to protect threatened ecosystems on private property? West Coast’s Access to Justice team helps clients across BC to find innovative solutions – including unique legal arrangements that can preserve healthy lands and waters for the long term.

West Coast has reviewed the party’s ocean commitments in its election platform and assessed how they measure against the work that needs to be done. We identified a few glaring holes, many important and encouraging commitments, and several high-level statements whose effectiveness will depend on the details.

This election, vote for a healthier, more just and sustainable future.

This month, we spoke with BC-based novelist William Deverell about his new book, Stung – the latest political-legal thriller in his popular series following lawyer Arthur Beauchamp.

Niché sur une route tranquille à l'extérieur de Port Alberni, dans la petite communauté de Beaver Creek sur l'île de Vancouver, se trouve un établissement unique, dirigé par des Autochtones. La mission de cet établissement est d'aider les personnes et les familles à guérir leurs traumatismes et leurs dépendances.