Natural Resources
-
April 22, 2026
Nova Scotia failed to consider impact of 2025 woods ban on rights: lawyer
People’s constitutional rights “cannot be ignored by government decision-makers — period,” says the lawyer of a man ticketed during Nova Scotia’s controversial woods ban. That man, Jeffrey Evely, was the face of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia’s April 17 ruling in Evely v. Nova Scotia (Minister of Natural Resources), 2026 NSSC 118, in which it was found the province failed to consider people’s Charter-protected mobility rights when it prohibited them from entering forested areas for a period last summer.
-
April 21, 2026
Ottawa introduces bill to establish sovereign space launch capabilities
The federal government introduced the Canadian Space Launch Act in Parliament on April 21, aiming to give Canada sovereign space launch capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign partners.
-
April 21, 2026
B.C. premier backs off plan to revise Indigenous rights law
B.C. Premier David Eby has walked back his pledge to change the province’s landmark Indigenous relations law during the current legislative session. In a statement issued alongside B.C.’s First Nations Leadership Council, Eby said the government will not be introducing legislation to suspend or amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) during the spring session — something Eby had previously said was “non-negotiable.”
-
April 20, 2026
Canada launches probe into wood product imports amid trade diversion concerns
The federal government has directed the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) to investigate whether a surge in imports of certain wood products is harming or threatening to harm domestic manufacturers.
-
April 20, 2026
Privacy commissioner addresses implications of Canada-China EV agreement
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research on April 16 to address the privacy and personal data implications of the Canada-China Preliminary Joint Arrangement on Canada’s Electric Vehicle Sector.
-
April 20, 2026
New OBA campaign brings rule of law understanding to public
This month, the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) launched its Rule of Law campaign in which local lawyers host discussions in their communities to help the public better understand the rule of law and its everyday importance to democracy.
-
April 20, 2026
Here comes the Sun (Tzu litigation agent)
With AI, lawyers can turn to AI agents to answer questions, locate files, find facts (or make them up) and automate certain functions. AI chatbots appear analogous to intelligent articling students.
-
April 16, 2026
Indigenous leaders object to ‘one project, one review’ agreement between Manitoba, Ottawa
First Nations leaders in Manitoba are claiming to have been wrongly left out of an agreement between the province and Ottawa designed to accelerate assessments of how development projects will impact the environment.
-
April 16, 2026
B.C. moves to implement treaty with Kitselas First Nation
The British Columbia government has introduced legislation as part of a treaty implementation process with the Kitselas First Nation.
-
April 15, 2026
B.C. bar president says UNDRIP law implementation must be transparent, protect court access
As B.C. contemplates making changes to its landmark Indigenous relations law, the president of the province’s bar association is affirming her organization’s support for the legislation and is calling on the government to be transparent in its implementation. In a statement issued April 14, Canadian Bar Association British Columbia Branch (CBABC) president Patricia Blair called the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), which mandates the B.C. government to bring provincial laws into alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the cornerstone of British Columbia’s commitment to reconciliation.