Empowering communities, protecting ecosystems
Empowering communities, protecting ecosystems
Indigenous Guardians monitor and protect the lands and waters on their territory. They are the “eyes and ears” of a First Nation on the ground. Guardians monitor the activities of resources users, enforce federal, provincial, and Indigenous laws, gather data…
Our latest report on dealing with plastic pollution calls for the introduction of plastic recycling standards in Canada. This is the fourth report in the series of our work on plastics issues. Only 9% of total plastic is actually recycled,…
Before the global pandemic shifted focus, what are viewed as “protests” under Canadian law but are the exercise of Indigenous jurisdiction and responsibilities were gaining momentum with multiple blockades and other acts of protest across the country in support of…
A new ELC report prepared for the Victoria Fire Fighters Association shows the need for federal action in order to protect Canadian consumers, fire fighters, and the environment. The report, Raising the Alarm: the Case for Better Flame Retardant Regulation…
Friday, February 28 marks the third annual ELC Research-a-thon at UVic Law. The event, which gathers students together for a day of focused research on one topic, was modelled after the 2017 Research-a-thon organized by McGill law students to assist…
Over the past year, ELC staff and students have continued to work extensively to develop strategies to deal with plastics pollution. Our contributions have started to generate action at the political level, including a commitment this summer from the federal…
In the last year, our work in documenting the lack of enforcement of drinking water contamination led to province-wide improvements to control agricultural waste. This result means better drinking water protections for the entire province. It started in 2016 when…
This year, the ELC joined with project partners, organizations, and community groups throughout the province to officially launch a comprehensive mining law reform platform, which consists of nine reports that target specific mining law reform opportunities in BC. Although mining…
Many Canadians are concerned about plastics pollution, and governments at all levels are seeking ways to take meaningful action. Continuing our work on finding solutions to plastics pollution problems, the ELC recently helped clients Kids for a Plastic Free Canada…
Old growth forests are valuable to BC’s ecological and economic health and vital in the fight against climate change. However, standards to protect these important resources vary across the province and, in many areas, are inadequate. On behalf of Sierra…
With contributions from Emily Benoit, ELC Clinic (Fall 2018), Coop student (Spring 2019) Current rules for managing private forest land in BC fail to protect the province’s streams, fish, wildlife and other natural values. If not managed responsibly, logging activities…
Much of the infrastructure that deals with stormwater in the Capital Regional District (CRD) is in urgent need of upgrading, a problem that was highlighted in 2017 when Victoria’s annual Gorge Swimfest was cancelled caused by cross contamination of sewer…
