Construction of new nuclear plants at Darlington has been a controversial issue for the past five years and only more so after the tragic meltdown at Fukushima, Japan. The handling of the various consultation processes for the Darlington nuclear approvals has been an extremely complex, fascinating and frustrating odyssey thus far. It highlights some of the flaws and limitations in public consultations for environmental approvals processes for massive infrastructure projects involving expenditures of billions of dollars. This article provides a brief summary of some of the main public policy developments and related approvals processes to date and explores some of the lessons we have learned so far.
Consultations on Approvals for the New Nuclear Plants at Darlington: what have we learned so far?
September 19th, 2011 by Iler Campbell LLPSigning a commercial lease? Make sure you know exactly what you are getting into
September 6th, 2011 by Ted HylandCharities, non-profits and co-operatives often enter into commercial lease agreements without having first consulted with a lawyer. By the time they arrive at our offices at Iler Campbell with a signed 50 or 60 page standard lease agreement (sometimes years after signing it) they often have made commitments that will have serious implications for their organizations, creating problems that likely could have been avoided if they had checked with a lawyer first.
Continue reading “Signing a commercial lease? Make sure you know exactly what you are getting into”
Funding for Public Participation and Access to Justice: Where Are We in 2011?
August 17th, 2011 by Iler Campbell LLPWhen the Intervenor Funding Project Act (IFPA) expired in 1996 there was concern that access to environmental justice would be seriously affected in Ontario and there is growing evidence that this has happened. Under IFPA, environmental groups and individuals were able to better contribute to tribunal hearings under the Environment Assessment Act and other laws because of financial assistance provided to them. We argue that participant and intervenor funding for participation in approval processes such as those created by the Environmental Protection Act, Environmental Bill of Rights, the Planning Act, the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and the Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009 would be beneficial and promote better decision making by government ministries and proponents. Early participation in planning can avoid surprises and controversies for decision-makers at later stages in the approval process.
Duty to accommodate in Small Workplaces: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
August 9th, 2011 by Iler Campbell LLPSmall, non-profit employers frequently come to us with the impression that human rights laws do not apply to them. All employers, no matter how small or underfunded, have a duty not to discriminate and to accommodate individuals who may be experiencing discrimination in the workplace.
Paula Boutis in the OBA’s Environews
July 14th, 2011 by Iler Campbell LLPPaula Boutis has an article, written with David McRobert, in the July issue of the Ontario Bar Association’s Environews newsletter. In it, they describe the arguments recently put before the Divisional Court in a judicial review of a decision of the Ontario government to grant a permit under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 for a controversial bridge project at the Detroit-Windsor border crossing.
Brian Iler joins the Ontario government’s Advisory Committee on the Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010
June 16th, 2011 by Iler Campbell LLPIt’s been almost exactly a year since we last wrote about the Not‑for‑Profit Corporations Act, 2010. This time we’ve just a quick note to let you know that Brian has joined the Ontario government’s new Advisory Committee on the Not‑for‑Profit Corporations Act, 2010. He will be representing the Center for Social Innovation.
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