On April 16, 2024, the Canadian Government released the 2024 federal budget, including details on the much-anticipated federal Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program (ILG Program). First announced in the government's 2023 Fall...more
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
On November 8, 2023, substantial changes to B.C.'s emergency preparedness legislation took effect. Bill 31-2023, the Emergency and Disaster Management Act, (EDMA) replaced the Emergency Program Act, RSBC 1996, c 111 (the...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
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
3/30/2022
/ Aboriginal Issues ,
Canada ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Climate Change ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
First Nations ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Net Zero ,
Prime Minister ,
Tribal Governments ,
Tribal Lands
On January 7, 2022, more than a decade after the claim was first filed, the B.C. Supreme Court (BCSC) released its decision in Thomas and Saik'uz First Nation v Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. The decision considers the Saik'uz First...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
On April 23, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its decision in R. v. Desautel, 2021 SCC 17, which upheld the lower court decisions to acquit Richard Desautel of charges under the Wildlife Act. The SCC confirmed...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
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
COVID-19 is affecting how the Crown and proponents consult and engage with Indigenous peoples. Like many governments and organizations, Indigenous communities are taking actions to address COVID-19, including by closing...more
On October 24, 2019, the British Columbia (B.C.) government introduced Bill 41 – 2019, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, fulfilling its February 2019 announcement that it would table legislation...more
On May 2, 2019, the British Columbia Court of Appeal released its decision in R v Desautel, 2019 BCCA 151. The Court of Appeal upheld the lower courts decisions to acquit Richard Desautel of charges under the Wildlife Act and...more
On February 12, 2019, the British Columbia government announced plans to introduce legislation that implements the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) (the Legislation), as part of the...more
On November 20, 2017, the federal government announced that it will support Private Member’s Bill C-262, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Bill C-232, An Act to ensure that the laws of...more
Normally reserved for major league baseball players as they enter the game to take the plate or the mound, lawyers are rarely introduced with walk-up songs. But at the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association’s 25th...more
On November 2, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Ktunaxa Nation v. British Columbia (Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations), 2017 SCC 54. This case dealt with a novel argument related to the...more