Thursday, November 24, 2016 Many Canadians who care about nature, democracy and Indigenous rights will recognize the name Bill C-38 – the omnibus budget bill from 2012 that dramatically weakened environmental protection under federal laws such as the Fisheries Act. But did you know that Parliament debated another Bill C-38
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Environmental Law Alert Blog: Getting to yes: A process for building Canada’s visionary new environmental assessment act
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Last November, in a federally-unprecedented move, Prime Minister Trudeau m…
Continue readingWhere will all the scientists go?
In a new book about the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal, The Oil Man and the Sea, author Arno Kopecky relates his attempt to interview Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) scientist Kenneth Lee. Dr. Lee was the executive director of the DFO-sponsored Centre for Offshore Oil, Gas and Energy Research,
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: ForestEthics sues Harper government over limits on pipeline hearings
A Vancouver-based environmental group ForestEthics and activist Donna Sinclair are suing the Harper government over new rules that drastically limit Canadians’ participation in pipeline project hearings and decisions relating to the energy industry. The post ForestEthics sues Harper government over limits on pipeline hearings appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Tell the Prime Minister – Fish need legal protection
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Among the most controversial elements of Bill C-38, passed a year ago (June 18th, 2012) was the decision to “take the guts out” of the Fisheries Act by abandoning long-standing legal protections for fish habitat –the ecosystems that sustain our iconic salmon and other species –
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive | News & Analysis: New undemocratic rules barrier to public participation in Enbridge’s Line 9 pipeline hearings
Rules “a consequence of weakened federal environmental laws under Bill C-38″ By: Greenpeace Canada & Environmental Defence | Press Release: TORONTO, ON, Apr 5, 2013 – New undemocratic rules are creating a barrier to public participation in upcoming National Energy Board (NEB) hearings into the proposal for Enbridge’s Line 9 oil pipeline.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Chief Spence takes fight against Harper government’s Bill C-45 to UN
Chief Theresa Spence, Mushkegowuk People of Attawapiskat First Nation and the International Indian Treaty Council file urgent “Action Request” with U.N. human rights body By Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive, Feb. 25, 2013: Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence hasn’t given up her fight against Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s draconian omnibus Bills C-45 and C-38.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Chief Theresa Spence Ends 43-Day Hunger Strike With Declaration “Towards Fundamental Change”
by Guest Blogger | The Canadian Progressive, Jan 25, 2013 Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Theresa Spence signed the First Nations declaration that ended her 43-day hunger strike at Ottawa’s Victoria Island . The 13-point declaration, entitled “First Nations: Working Towards Fundamental Change”, was signed jointly with First Nations leaders and Canada’s federal opposition parties.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: “The people have said that enough is enough”: ACFN Chief Allan Adam
By Chief Allan Adam, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Jan 15, 2013: January 15, 2013 – Fort McMurray, AB: In the wake of Idle No More and the AFN’s calls for blockades, peaceful protests and a stall of the Canadian economy Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) has made waves
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Manitoba Chiefs urge Canadians to demand immediate repeal of Bills C-38 and C-45
by Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs | Jan 11, 2013: The Chiefs of the First Nations in Manitoba invite all Canadians and non-‐ governmental organizations (NGOs) to join First Nations in requesting the immediate repeal of Bills C-38 and of C-45 as well as the repeal of any existing or proposed legislation
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: AFN calls for “real change”, “remedies and actions” for First Nations
by Assembly of First Nations | Jan 11, 2013: The Assembly of First Nations has released this statement calling for “real change”, “remedies and actions required for first nations immediately”. The AFN’s demands are as follows. Emerging from First Nations dialogue and strategy sessions on January 9-10, 2013 in Ottawa the following are the
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: The Smoking Gun: Who was the real author of the 2012 omnibus bills?
Friday, January 11, 2013 Kudos to Greenpeace Canada for finding something of a smoking gun exposing the role of the oil and gas industry in the gutting of Canada’s environmental laws. Greenpeace has released a letter from the Energy Framework Initiative (EFI), representing every major oil and gas industry association,
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Omnibus Bills, Pipelines, First Nations
Chief Justin George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation connects a few of the dots leading from omnibus budget bills C38 and C45 to Kinder Morgan’s expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Most interesting bit from the news release: [Trans Mountain] is a brand new pipeline following a new route; the existing pipeline was built without First
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Why does it take a hunger strike to gain media attention for Aboriginal issues in Canada?
Dana Wensley | Troy Media: The issue is one of of fairness As First Nation groups continue their protests against Bill C-45, what comes as a surprise to me is that it took so long to happen in Canada. In the lead up to Canada Day I noted that while other
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Enbridge cross-examination focuses on campaigning, lobbying; ignores evidence
by Forest Ethics | Tuesday Nov 27, 2012: Given the opportunity to shed light on its proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project at the NEB’s Joint Review Panel (JRP) hearings currently taking place in Prince George, Enbridge lawyer Laura Estep chose instead to focus on ForestEthics Advocacy’s use of the media,
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Living Democracy from the Ground Up: Why Local Voices Matter
Thursday, December 6, 2012 Living Democracy from the Ground Up is a mini-documentary series produced by West Coast Environmental Law that takes an up close and personal look and the impacts that individuals could feel on the ground from rollbacks to our environmental laws. The stories in the series demonstrate
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Harper Conservatives and Big Oil turning Canada into a “petro-state”
by The Polaris Institute | December 4, 2012: A new report entitled “Big Oil’s Oily Grasp – The making of Canada as a Petro-State and how oil money is corrupting Canadian politics” released today by the Ottawa-based Polaris Institute found that six main oil industry players, including Enbridge and TransCanada, met
Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alert Blog: Environmental law is funny (really)
Thursday, November 1, 2012 When asked in polls, a large majority of Canadians think that it’s important for BC and Canada to have strong environmental laws. The trouble is, when public interest environmental lawyers start talking about different models of environmental assessment, or the legal definition of “critical habitat”, most
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Unpleasant Fact of Omnibus Bill C-38 Revealed
Given that it is a government with a well-known contempt for openness and democracy, the Harper regime rarely shocks me anymore. Its vilification campaigns of those with opposing views, its use of government power to muzzle the voice of science, its almost demonic obsession with resource extraction at any cost
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Queen Elizabeth II, Canada’s “Bond Girl” Shines At The 2012 London Olympics
That’s right, our absentee head of state is the newest Bond girl. The Queen made her acting debut in the spectacular and humorous Bond sequence during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. I think the Queen should take up acting. Here are my three reasons: First, the 86-year old
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