On March 28, 2024, British Columbia and the Council of the Haida Nation released the draft Gaayhllxid • Gíihlagalgang “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement (“Draft Agreement”) which would recognize Haida Nation’s...more
Le 26 février 2024, la Cour d’appel de la Colombie-Britannique (la « Cour d’appel ») a rendu sa décision dans l’affaire Thomas and Saik’uz First Nation v. Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., confirmant le rejet par la Cour suprême de la...more
On February 26, 2024, the British Columbia Court of Appeal (Court) issued its decision in Thomas and Saik’uz First Nation v. Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., upholding the B.C. Supreme Court’s dismissal of nuisance claims brought by two...more
The B.C. government is consulting the public on reforms to the Land Act to facilitate shared decision-making under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). The Land Act deals with how public land is...more
Dans le cadre de l’affaire Gitxaala v. British Columbia, la Cour suprême de la Colombie-Britannique (la « Cour ») a statué que la délivrance de claims miniers en Colombie-Britannique entraîne l’obligation, pour la Couronne,...more
In Gitxaala v. British Columbia, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that the issuance of mineral claims in British Columbia triggers the Crown’s duty to consult Indigenous nations. The Court suspended its declaration...more
On January 18, 2023, the Province of British Columbia (Province) and the Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) signed the Blueberry River First Nation Implementation Agreement (Implementation Agreement)....more
On June 6, 2022, a coalition made up of more than 25 Indigenous organizations from across Canada released a National Indigenous Economic Strategy designed exclusively by Indigenous leaders, institutions and organizations. The...more
Le régime relatif aux droits et aux intérêts des peuples autochtones au Canada continue d’évoluer au fil des nouvelles décisions judiciaires, politiques gouvernementales et mesures législatives. Il est important que les...more
The law on Indigenous rights and interests in Canada continues to evolve based on court decisions and government policies and legislation. It’s important that businesses are aware of new developments and their implications,...more
On March 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision in Anderson v Alberta [Beaver Lake Cree] that elaborates on the test for awarding advance costs to offset the expenses of public interest litigants. The...more
On December 16, 2021, the Prime Minister released the much-anticipated mandate letters outlining executive priorities and providing direction to cabinet ministers for the upcoming term. While customized for each of the 38...more
In its January 7, 2022 decision in Thomas and Saik’uz First Nation v. Rio Tinto Alcan Inc., the British Columbia Supreme Court (Court) affirmed the plaintiffs’ Aboriginal right to fish but denied their claim for relief...more
On October 7, 2021, the Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN) and the Province of British Columbia (Province) reached an initial agreement in response to the recent court decision in Yahey v British Columbia [Yahey]. The...more
Three important decisions relating to Indigenous peoples across Canada have been issued recently: Yahey v British Columbia, Southwind v Canada and Ermineskin Cree Nation v Canada (Environment and Climate Change). The three...more
Le 29 juin 2021, la Cour suprême de la Colombie-Britannique (la « Cour ») a rendu publique sa décision attendue depuis longtemps dans l’affaire Yahey v. British Columbia (l’« affaire Yahey »). Après un procès de 160 jours,...more
On June 29, 2021, the British Columbia (B.C.) Supreme Court (Court) released its long-awaited decision in Yahey v. British Columbia (Yahey). After 160 days of trial and thousands of pages of evidence, the Court determined...more
On March 19, 2021, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) launched the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Initiative (ICII), which aims to invest $1 billion to encourage infrastructure investment in Indigenous communities. The...more
Alberta will expand the powers of First Nations police services (FNPS) and officers and formally recognize FNPS as having equal status to other municipal police forces when it passes a bill currently before the Legislature....more
Section 25 is an infrequently cited provision of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) that protects certain Aboriginal interests from Charter scrutiny. In Dickson v. Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation (Dickson),...more
On May 14, 2020, British Columbia, Canada and the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) that establishes a process for the “three equal governments” to negotiate agreements on how to...more
Canada's duty to consult with Indigenous peoples does not guarantee outcomes, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA or Court) confirmed in Coldwater First Nation v Canada (Attorney General), 2020 FCA 34 [Coldwater]....more
In December 2019, the Government of Alberta (GoA) updated The Government of Alberta's Proponent Guide to First Nations and Métis Settlements Consultation Procedures (the "2019 Guide"), which took effect on January 2, 2020....more
In a decision released on October 22, 2019, the Alberta Court of Appeal addressed two questions raised by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) in an appeal of a judicial review of an Aboriginal Consultation Office...more
On October 24, 2019, the B.C. government introduced legislation which, if adopted, will be known as the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Act). The legislation aims to incorporate the United Nations...more