On August 1, 2024, the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA) issued a Request for Supplier Qualifications (RFSQ) for the right to develop a 100 MW Solar Project to be located in South Central Saskatchewan (Project)....more
On April 30, 2024, the Government of Canada announced widely-anticipated amendments to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA or Act) as part of a 663 page omnibus budget bill. Canada announced the 2024 budget with the tagline...more
On April 16, 2024 (“Budget Day”), the federal government released its annual budget (“Budget 2024”), which includes certain sales and excise tax measures and also confirms the government’s intention to proceed with several...more
Le 28 mars 2024, la Cour suprême du Canada (la « CSC ») a rendu sa décision tant attendue dans l’affaire Dickson c. Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, au cours de laquelle elle s’est penchée sur deux questions nouvelles et donc...more
On March 28, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) released its long-awaited decision in Dickson v. Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, in which it addressed two novel and previously unresolved questions: (i) the extent to which...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
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 15, 2024, Bennett Jones' Calgary office welcomed nearly 80 project stakeholders and industry leaders—with hundreds more tuning in online—to talk about Synergy in Energy: Building Effective Indigenous Partnerships....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
After much anticipation, on February 22, 2024, British Columbia announced its intention to create a First Nations Equity Financing Framework (Framework) as part of its latest budget and fiscal plan. The Framework aligns with...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
What is It? The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established in 2008 to document the history and legacy of residential schools, which were operated between the late 1800s and the late 1990s by the...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
The first major reform of Alberta's policing act in over 30 years received royal assent on December 15, 2022. When brought into force, the Police Amendment Act, 2022 , among other things, will champion a "policing-by-consent"...more
The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact the Canadian economy, commercial activity, and the legal system in general. Courts, tribunals, legislatures, law firms, corporations, and workers all learned to...more
Three recent actions highlight an emerging trend of First Nations peoples bringing climate-related claims. Recent decisions in two of these actions have set significant precedents both in Australia and internationally. The...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