The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has issued an opinion that the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and its Physical Activities Regulations are largely unconstitutional....more
The Province of Alberta referred two constitutional questions to the Alberta Court of Appeal -
- whether the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA), part of Bill C-69, is unconstitutional in whole; and
- whether certain...more
In Optrics Inc. v Lloyd’s Underwriters, 2022 ABCA 26 [Optrics] the Alberta Court of Appeal highlights the limits on summary applications by insureds seeking confirmation that an insurer must defend a claim against the...more
The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently held that a professional liability insurance policy provided potentially unlimited coverage, at least in respect of one area of coverage. In Surespan Structures Ltd. v Lloyds...more
On July 26, 2017, the Supreme Court released two seminal decisions that clarify the role of administrative tribunals, such as the National Energy Board ("NEB"), in fulfilling the Crown’s duty to consult with Indigenous...more
A challenge to the validity of oil and gas permits outside the judicial review process is a collateral attack and will be struck, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench held recently in Ominayak v Penn West Petroleum Ltd, 2015...more
In Moulton Contracting Ltd. v British Columbia, 2015 BCCA 89, the BC Court of Appeal recently overturned the trial judge’s decision (reported at 2013 BCSC 2348, and summarized in an earlier update here) which had awarded...more
On July 11, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered its decision in Grassy Narrows First Nation v Ontario (Natural Resources), 2014 SCC 48, also known as Keewatin. The decision affirms the Court’s approach in Tsilhqot’in...more
On June 26, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a unanimous decision in Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia, 2014 SCC 44. The decision marks the first time that Aboriginal title has been granted – until now, the...more
On June 26, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a unanimous decision in Tsilhqot’in Nation v British Columbia, 2014 SCC 44 (also known as the William decision). It is a long anticipated decision on two significant...more
In the recent case of AI Enterprises Ltd v Bram Enterprises Ltd, 2014 SCC 12, the Supreme Court of Canada clarifies the unsettled scope of the tort of unlawful interference with economic relations and warns fiduciaries of the...more
On December 16, 2013, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench granted a long-term Order to Penn West Petroleum Ltd. prohibiting several members of the Lubicon Lake Cree from continuing to blockade a permitted access road in the...more
A recent decision of the B.C. Supreme Court suggests that recovering economic losses caused by blockades or activities that interfere with commercial activities will not be straightforward....more
Last week, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Behn v. Moulton Contracting Ltd., 2013 SCC 26. The case sets out some important principles that may be relevant for those who engage in operations in areas where...more