On Monday, June 1, 2015, the federal Minister of Natural Resources, Greg Rickford, announced that the Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act has come into force.
As we discussed in an earlier post, the Act will require companies operating in the extractive natural resources sector (oil and gas, mining) to report certain payments, including royalties, taxes, fees ...
Does the granting of subsurface mineral rights trigger the duty to consult with Aboriginal groups? In Saskatchewan, the short answer is “no”. The possibility of impact on Treaty 10 rights from the disposition of subsurface oil sands exploration permits is determined to be “too speculative” by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal in Buffalo River Dene Nation v ...
The proposed Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act has been enacted by Parliament and is now awaiting proclamation. The Government of Canada has stated that it intends to have the Act in force by June, 2015. This post provides a short overview of the legislation and its potential application to contracts between resource developers and Aboriginal governments ...
Introduction
On June 26, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) released its much anticipated decision on Aboriginal title in the Tsilhqot’in case and surprised many by granting the Tsilhqot’in Nation a declaration of Aboriginal title to approximately 200,000 hectares (2,000 km2) of land.
The Tsilhqot’in case is the first case decided by the SCC granting ...
On November 25, 2013, significant amendments to the fish protection provisions in the federal Fisheries Act came into force. For more information, please see our earlier blog post here.
Authorizations issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) prior to November 25, 2013 continue to be valid, but holders can apply for a review of their authorization to confirm whether it ...
On November 25, 2013, significant changes to the Fisheries Act come into force. The most significant, and most controversial, change in the legislation is the shift away from “habitat” protection to “fisheries” protection. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (“DFO”) has published a policy, the Fisheries Protection Policy Statement, 2013, and an operational ...
The public comment period on the Province’s proposed new Water Sustainability Act has now closed. With well over 400 submissions, interest in the new (potential) water regime remains very high. Issues of particular note that have been raised include:
- the applicability of the new Act to oil and gas operations, including a possible exemption for deep saline groundwater;
This is the first of two blog posts on the statutory powers of investigation and inspection granted under the federal Fisheries Act, examined through the lens of a recent series of cases beginning with R v Mission Western Developments Ltd., 2010 BCPC 274, involving a property developer charged with harmful alteration of fish habitat contrary to section 35 of the Fisheries ...
Ontario has made major amendments to the Environment Quality Act (the EQA) which came into force on November 4, 2011 which significantly increase potential fines for offences. The maximum fine that may be imposed on a legal person is increased to $6 million ($1 million for a natural person). The minimum and maximum fines double for a second offence and triple for a subsequent ...
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.
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