Laura Bowman wrote our Pro Bono column on rabble.ca this month. In it, she discusses access to environmental information:
For citizens and NGOs who want to challenge environmental decisions, the biggest obstacle is usually obtaining information about the potential environmental effects of a decision or project. In the 1990s, the Ontario government passed the Environmental Bill of Rights which was supposed to make access to environmental information easier.
On April 17, Joe Oliver, federal Minister of Natural Resources made announcements and gave interviews about the fate of Canada’s beleaguered federal environmental assessment law, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. No specific amendments have been provided, so it is difficult to understand exactly what the government is proposing to do.
Continue reading “Rumours about forthcoming federal environmental assessment changes abound”
In mid‑March 2012, a number of news outlets reported that the Harper government is looking at significant changes to the wording of the Fisheries Act after they were leaked to Otto Langer.
Continue reading “Proposed Changes to Fish Habitat Provisions of the Fisheries Act”
The Ontario Government recently introduced Bill 55 – Strong Action for Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2012. Budget bills are exempt from the posting and public consultation requirements of the Environmental Bill of Rights. As a result, the public does not have the same opportunities to contribute to decision making when a number of environmentally significant laws are changed in a budget Bill. Overall the budget Bill adds exemptions both in law and through additional regulatory powers to a variety of environmental processes.
Continue reading “Important Environmental Law Amendments in the Ontario 2012 budget bill”
The Toronto Cyclists Union released a legal opinion (pdf) by Laura Bowman today which outlines the case that the City of Toronto must conduct a Schedule C Environmental Assessment in order to remove the Jarvis Street bike lanes and re-install the centre reversible lane. The bike lanes have been slated to be removed this summer.
In an article on spacingtoronto.ca, Mathew Blackett praises the action, writing, “instead of the typical cycling activist action of taking over an intersection and holding bikes high overhead to piss off drivers, the Union is taking the game to the City.”
The Union has given the city ten days to respond after which they will submit their request to the Minister of the Environment.
We’re pleased to announce that we’ve joined forces with rabble.ca to write a new monthly column called Pro Bono.
In our first entry, Paula Boutis writes about the March 8, 2012 NDP motion which expands the investigative powers of Elections Canada in response to the “robocall” scandal. The motion passed unanimously. Paula explains what this will mean.
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