Love and Litigation
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
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Donate today! Dear Paov,
We could all use a little love and care these days. Even in uncertain times, there are still reasons for optimism – like the recent success of negotiations to protect the Skagit River headwaters from mining.
This month, we’re taking time to show our appreciation for nature, celebrate key wins, and renew our efforts in demanding accountability from decision-makers. Don’t worry if you’ve been too busy to catch everything going on! We give you the environmental law scoop below.
Last month, we celebrated Imperial Metals' agreement to surrender mineral claims in the Skagit River headwaters. Now we must reform the broken system that entertained such a threat to begin with.West Coast is proud to have supported the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission in their work to protect the Skagit Valley “Doughnut Hole” from development, through our Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund.
Learn more about this longstanding legal effort – and why it’s time to modernize BC’s outdated mining laws to respect Indigenous rights, and protect watersheds and communities across the province. Two years (and a global pandemic) later, what’s the price tag on Trans Mountain?
This February marks two years since we received the last cost update for the Trans Mountain Expansion project (TMX). Back then, the construction cost was an estimated $12.6 billion, but Staff Lawyer Eugene Kung explains
that the new price tag is likely closer to $20 billion – with the project potentially delayed into 2024.Canadian taxpayers need the truth about rising TMX costs before any more public money goes down the drain. You can sign a petition calling for a cost estimate and to pause construction here. Why we’re suing Jason Kenney and the Alberta Government for defamation
We thought our headaches were over when the Alberta Inquiry found that West Coast and other environmental groups did nothing wrong (but care about climate change)
in campaigns related to Alberta’s oil and gas industry. But that didn't stop the Alberta government and Premier Kenney from misrepresenting the findings of the Inquiry, and then refusing to apologize and retract their defamatory statements.We have filed legal proceedings to set the record straight once and for all. The Emissions Reduction Plan is the first serious test of our new climate accountability law
After all the climate chaos we endured last year, one silver lining was the passing of Canada’s first climate accountability law, the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The Act requires the creation of a national Emissions Reduction Plan which must chart an ambitious path to meeting net-zero by 2050 – and it’s due to be released next month.We break down four key ingredients for a strong plan in this op-ed, co-authored by West Coast along with Ecojustice, Équiterre, and Climate Action Network Canada. Climate-impacted British Columbians: We want to hear from you
Have you or your immediate family and loved ones been personally impacted by wildfires, extreme heat or flooding in BC?We are currently gathering stories as well as seeking participants for an upcoming roundtable discussion to explore perspectives on a key climate law initiative. If you are interested in participating or sharing your story, please fill out this short survey. Welcome new West Coast legal interns
Say hello to law students Megan Delaronde and Rory Erickson!Megan and Rory are working with West Coast as a part of their placements through Osgoode Law School’s Intensive Program in Indigenous Lands, Resources, and Governments. We’re excited to have them with us for several weeks, working alongside our environmental law experts and gaining hands-on experience on applied legal issues.
Are you our next Executive Coordinator?
We have an opening for an Executive Coordinator to join us at West Coast, one of Canada’s most prominent environmental law organizations. Use your excellent administrative, governance, interpersonal, and project management skills to help advance environmental justice and Indigenous rights. Check out the details here or share this opportunity with someone you think would be a great fit. Applications close February 25th, 2022.
West Coast Environmental Law depends on donations from individuals like you. Any gift you make to the WCEL Research Foundation today will be eligible for a charitable receipt. Please consider making a generous gift to help us continue our work in 2022. We would love to have your support.