Natural Resources
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October 08, 2025
Fraser calls provinces’ demand to scrap Ottawa’s SCC arguments on notwithstanding clause ‘untenable’
Attorney General of Canada Sean Fraser has pushed back against the demands of five premiers that Ottawa should drop its novel arguments at the Supreme Court that there are substantive constraints on governments’ powers to invoke the Charter’s s. 33 “notwithstanding” clause — arguments that those five provinces contend “represent a complete disavowal of the constitutional bargain that brought the Charter into being” in 1982.
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October 07, 2025
Energy experts Antonopoulos, McLaughlin join Osler in Calgary
Osler has welcomed energy law lawyers George Antonopoulos and Mauryah McLaughlin to its national energy group. The new partners will be based in Calgary.
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October 07, 2025
Attorney General Sean Fraser tells SCC the law needs to protect people with ‘no voice’
There was a celebratory mood at the opening ceremony for the Supreme Court of Canada’s 2025-26 court year, but Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Sean Fraser and other legal leaders delivered a sober message to the Ottawa courtroom packed with lawyers and judges.
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October 07, 2025
Lawyer ordered to pay costs for non-disclosure of gen AI use and citing fake precedents in court
In a cautionary case for litigation lawyers who use generative artificial intelligence (AI) for court submissions, a Federal Court associate judge recently hit an immigration lawyer with personal costs for submitting two defective AI-generated precedents and for breaching the Federal Court’s requirement to disclose any generative AI use in court filings.
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October 06, 2025
N.B. looking for feedback on water quality legislation
New Brunswick’s government is seeking input on proposed changes to laws governing water quality in the province. According to an Oct. 6 news release, environmental organizations, industry groups, First Nations and the public “can all take part in shaping new legislation that matches the needs and values of their communities.”
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October 03, 2025
Carney, Trump to discuss trade as U.S. softwood tariffs escalate tensions
Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit Washington on Oct. 7 to meet President Donald Trump, just days after the U.S. slapped fresh tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, escalating the trade dispute between the two countries.
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October 03, 2025
First Nations chiefs’ climate case dismissed again by court
Two First Nations chiefs arguing that federal government inaction on climate change has violated their constitutional rights have suffered another setback after a Federal Court judge has once again dismissed their claim.
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October 03, 2025
MINES AND MINERALS - Leases and licenses - Contracts
Appeal by Brad Paddison Contracting from decision of chambers judge dismissing its petition to enforce its lien. This appeal concerned the scope and registration of lien claims under the Miners Lien Act.
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October 02, 2025
Alberta premier pushes legal challenges to federal policies in justice ministry mandate letter
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has given marching orders to her justice minister on the issues she expects him to tackle during the upcoming legislative session. At the top of the list is using “every legal means possible” to overturn or overhaul a number of federal initiatives, such as the Impact Assessment Act, the oil and gas emissions cap and Ottawa’s clean energy regulations.
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October 02, 2025
Ontario releases draft regulations for special economic zones
Ontario has proposed a new regulation setting out draft criteria for designating “special economic zones” in an effort to enhance the economy and make it more competitive, resilient and self-reliant.