B.C. Supreme Court allows claim against government for damages for improperly cancelled project
Most development in B.C. requires approval by government, whether through permitting, rezoning, subdivision approval, or licencing. That process often appears opaque to applicants. Denials, which can effectively terminate a project, can be given with little or no ...
On June 17, 2021, a Joint Review Panel (the “Panel”) acting in its capacity as the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) denied approval of the Grassy Mountain Steelmaking Coal Project (the “Project”), a proposed open-pit coal mine, on the basis that the Project would likely result in significant adverse environmental effects. On January 28, 2022, the Alberta Court of ...
Bill C-69 received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 but did not come into force at that time. The Governor in Council has now ordered that the federal Impact Assessment Act (“IAA”) and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (“CERA”) will come into force on August 28, 2019, concurrent with the repeal of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 and the National Energy Board Act. Most of the amendments to the Navigation Protection Act (now to be called the Canadian Navigable Waters Act) will also come into force on August 28, 2019.
As a result, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will transition to the Impact Assessment Agency, and the National Energy Board will transition to the Canadian Energy Regulator.
Certain related regulations will also come into effect on August 28, 2019, including the Physical Activities Regulations (the new Project List) and the Information and Management of Time Limits Regulations, both under the Impact Assessment Act. These regulations are scheduled to be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II on August 21, 2019, but in the meantime unofficial copies may be found at the following links:
- Physical Activities Regulations (unofficial)
- Information and Management of Time Limits Regulations (unofficial)
Stay tuned or subscribe to our Project Law Blog for more information on the regulations and the implementation of these changes.
On June 21, 2019 Bill C-69 received Royal Assent. However the federal Impact Assessment Act (“IAA”), which will replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012, is not yet in force. It will be brought into force on a date to be set by order of the Governor in Council. Similarly, a replacement of British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Act (“BC EAA” ...
Bill C-69, which includes the proposed Impact Assessment Act (the “Act”) is currently in the second reading of the Senate. In February, 2018, the Government of Canada released the Consultation Paper on Information Requirements and Time Management Regulations and sought comments from the public on the proposed components of the Regulations. Based on the comments and ...
While the proposed Impact Assessment Act (the “IAA”) in Bill C-69 is under review and possible amendment by the Senate, the federal government is seeking public comments this month on a new Discussion Paper on the proposed Project List regulation. The Project List sets out criteria that, if met, make a project subject to the federal assessment process. This post ...
On November 5, 2018, the British Columbia (BC) government introduced Bill 51 – 2018 Environmental Assessment Act (Bill-51), its proposal to reform British Columbia’s environmental assessment (EA) process for resource projects.
Bill 51, if passed, will introduce some significant changes to the EA process in BC. In particular, Bill 51 creates a new early engagement ...
On October 24, 2018, the British Columbia Supreme Court released the latest decision in the West Moberly First Nation’s series of legal challenges to the “Site C” project, a hydroelectric dam, generating station and associated infrastructure, currently under construction along the Peace River in northeastern British Columbia. West Moberly has opposed the ...
The Supreme Court of Canada has confirmed in Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada (Governor General in Council) that there is no duty to consult Indigenous groups in the development of legislation.
At issue in Mikisew was whether the Government of Canada had a duty to consult the Mikisew Cree First Nation on the development of environmental legislation that Mikisew said had ...
In our previous Project Law blog post, we discussed the triggers for project Impact Assessment, as well as the transition provisions for existing projects, and provisions to substitute assessment processes run by other jurisdictions. The deadline to provide the Government of Canada with comments on the approach to revising the Project List and the Consultation Paper on ...
About Us
Lawson Lundell's Environmental, Indigenous and Natural Resources Blog focuses on environmental, indigenous and natural resources law, as well as related litigation. Included are summaries of significant cases from Canadian appellate courts, changes in the legal framework governing resource development including energy and climate change policy, and key decisions from the more influential regulatory bodies in Canada.
Legal Disclaimer: The information made available on this webpage is for information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and should not be relied on as such. Please contact our firm if you need legal advice or have questions about the content of this webpage.