Wading into the science on sea level rise – BC lags behind
Thursday, May 18, 2017 If you’ve been following BC’s sea-level woes extra closely, you’ll know that planning for a sea-level increase of “1 metre by 2100” has become a kind…
green communities
2017: A Look Ahead to Protect Nature, Climate and Communities
Thursday, January 5, 2017 Check out our short video to meet some of our talented lawyers and see what we're most excited about for 2017! From providing legal aid for…
2017: A Look Ahead
Thursday, January 5, 2017 Check out our short video to meet some of our talented lawyers and see what we're most excited about for 2017! From providing legal aid for…
Caring for the Salish Sea
Monday, December 19, 2016 At West Coast we’re buckling down to protect the Salish Sea, the global atmosphere, and future generations – a journey that will take us through 2017…
Lawn care company explains why poor environmental enforcement creates an uneven playing field
Monday, April 11, 2016 Poor enforcement of environmental laws doesn’t just hurt our environm...
This is Canada’s weather on climate change, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Any questions?
Thursday, March 3, 2016 It’s amazing how invisible climate change can be – how we feel...
West Coast demands reinstatement of illegally fired ALC Chair – and we encourage you to do so, as well
Monday, June 15, 2015 On May 14, 2015, nearly seven months before the designated end of his term, the BC Cabinet terminated Richard Bullock from his position as Chair of…
Tsleil-Waututh Nation: “Yes” to solar; “No” to Kinder Morgan
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 I was honoured to attend the Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s (TWN) launch and celebration of its new solar tracker. With the installation of TWN’s solar tracker, TWN signaled…
Squamish boreholes and FortisBC’s sleight of hand
Tuesday, January 20, 2015 A number of people have recently contacted us about a legal controversy that has emerged in Squamish concerning FortisBC and its plans to drill five boreholes…
West Coast and NWI Launch North Coast Community Dialogue Session Series on LNG and Cumulative Impacts Management
Thursday, December 18, 2014 On December 11, West Coast Environmental Law, along with the Northwest Institute for Bioregional Research (NWI), co-hosted the first of a series of community dialogue sessions…
RISING to the challenge and protecting our communities and our coastlines
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 RISE, a recent competition organized by Simon Fraser University, asked entrants to come up with a visionary solution to make the greater Vancouver area more resilient…
Foresters, biologists, planners take on the “fundamental impacts” of Climate Change
Tuesday, July 8, 2014 Governments and businesses rely heavily on the advice of professionals on a wide range of environmental, resource management and land use planning decisions. That’s why it’s…
Why amendments to Bill 24 don’t protect agricultural land
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Thank you to everyone who spoke up to oppose Bill 24 – the proposed Agricultural Land Commission Amendment Act, 2014. Your voices played an important role…
The government invites you to “adjust” BC’s park laws
Friday, April 4, 2014 It’s generally bad news for the environment & democracy when the government rewrites laws at the request of an industry. But when it comes to provincial…
How Pioneer Forest was saved
Thursday, February 20, 2014 In June 2012 word went around our community that Pioneer Forest park – heavily used from 1966 – was going to be sold. The information about…
Park Amendment bill paves the way for industrial exploration?
Friday, February 14, 2014 The BC Parks Service says that the provincial parks and conservancies are a “public trust” for the “protection of natural environments for the inspiration, use and…
On a “recycling facility”, Hazardous Waste and the Fraser River
Friday, February 7, 2014 Tuesday night (February 4th) the City of Chilliwack passed a bylaw intended to allow the development of a controversial hazardous waste recycling facility immediately adjacent to…
Say no to cosmetic pesticide use
Wednesday, October 30, 2013 It was only two years ago that Premier Christie Clark promised that the province would ban cosmetic pesticide use– pesticide use on lawns and ornamental plants.…
Will local government election rules silence the public?
Monday, October 21, 2013 Local government elections should be about communities discussing their problems, and electing people who will address those problems. Making a home-made lawn-sign or printing a few…
Should water managers put their head in the sand about climate change, or not?
Friday, October 11, 2013 Recently West Coast Staff Lawyer, Deborah Carlson, spoke to the Climate Change Committee of the BC Water and Waste Association (BCWWA) about whether local governments and…