Some weekend listening for those trying to make sense of escalating controversy around proposed weakening of Canada’s cornerstone environmental laws. Grateful to Peter for having me on his fantastic @cjsw.bsky.social show, The Palgary Almanac. cjsw.com/program/the-...

“Canada’s Grey New Deal” - my piece in The Star today. TLDR: wave of deregulation crash crashing across Canada can be thought of a Grey New Deal that prioritizes rapid development through deregulation and weakening of existing environmental laws. Days of considering a Green New Deal are long gone.

Gift-redeem

thestar.com

Massive project, new industry. Can’t get more ripe for a joint fed-prov impact assessment. Perfect way to showcase diligent, good faith implementation of the AB-Ottawa MOU. Will they do it? So far, nope. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

No provincial environmental impact assessment required for Kevin O'Leary's proposed Wonder Valley data centre | CBC News

Kevin O’Leary's proposed Wonder Valley project in northwestern Alberta will not need to undergo an environmental impact assessment from the province due to existing water and power systems. However, t...

cbc.ca

Goodnight moon. Dig it. open.spotify.com/track/1bne4g...

Space Walk

open.spotify.com

It was a privilege and honour to appear this morning before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs regarding Bill C-10, An Act respecting the Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation (CMTI). www.ourcommons.ca/documentview... lop.parl.ca/sites/Public...

Huge win for environmental law today as Federal Court of Appeal reverses lower court by upholding federal listing of Plastic Manufactured Items as toxic. Expect fireworks from all sides politically, but this is a helpful step in clarifying this area of the law. decisions.fca-caf.ca/fca-caf/deci...

New Post: What Are the Implications of the International Court’s Climate Change Advisory Opinion for Provinces? ablawg.ca/2026/01/26...…on-for-provinces/

What Are the Implications of the International Court’s Climate Change Advisory Opinion for Provinces?

By: Nigel Bankes Case Commented On: Obligations of States In Respect of Climate Change, Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, July 23, 2025 PDF Version: What Are the Implications …

ablawg.ca

New Post: The New Brunswick Court of Appeal Weighs in on Aboriginal Title and Private Lands ablawg.ca/2026/01/14...…nd-private-lands/

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal Weighs in on Aboriginal Title and Private Lands

By: Robert Hamilton Cases Commented On: JD Irving, Limited et al v Wolastoqey Nation, 2025 NBCA 129 CanLII; Wolastoqey Nations v New Brunswick and Canada, et al., 2024 NBKB 203 CanLII. PDF Version:…

ablawg.ca

Beauty chinook arch this morning. No oil required. #yycbike

On the matter of climate policy rollbacks in a context of the AB-Ottawa MOU, UNDRIP, COP30 and so much else going on. Insightful coverage by Moira Donovan via @cba-nationalmag.bsky.social . And an @ablawg.bsky.social post in the works to expand on some of this.

CBA/ABC National@cba-nationalmag.bsky.social · 8mo ago

"The government seems to be taking out a mortgage on future generations to pay for the crisis today," says David Wright at the University of Calgary's faculty of law. nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articl...

Political hot potatoes giving way to cooler heads? Devilish details will matter. Aspects I’ll be watching: language around Indigenous & B.C. consent, target tanker ban exemption vs repeal, pathways plus price tag… and how this all fits in Canada’s carbon budget (or not!). www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

Ottawa, Alberta agree to broad outlines of energy deal, including path to pipeline | CBC News

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have agreed to the broad outlines of a memorandum of understanding that would give Alberta special exemptions from federal environmental l...

cbc.ca

PONIs or PHONIs? My latest ABlawg post on the subject of where things stand following yesterday's announcement of the second tranche of "major projects" / PONIs. And an imperfect glossary to try to make sense of the odd mix of terminology circulating.

ABlawg UCalgary@ablawg.bsky.social · 9mo ago

New Post: Major Projects and the Building Canada Act: New list of PONIs or PHONIs? ablawg.ca/2025/11/14...…-ponis-or-phonis/

Oil pipelines never cease to generate political friction and legal confusion. I spoke w @markhamhislop.bsky.social about the latest Alberta-BC spat and the relevant legal landscape. Might help clear the air to the extent possible, but open legal questions linger. m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt9Q...

BC and Alberta's Pipeline Political Fight Takes a Legal Turn

YouTube video by Energi Media

m.youtube.com

Helpful modelling from @pembina.org here. Canada and Alberta should both be transparently doing same and then relating it to comprehensive emission reduction plans and scenarios that demonstrate achieving climate commitments (or not). Present “grand bargain” discourse needs to be contextualized.

Pembina Institute@pembina.org · 10mo ago

A new pipeline paired with carbon capture may sound promising, but the numbers tell a different story. Our analysis finds the so-called “grand bargain” would result in oilsands emissions going up, even with the Pathways carbon capture project.

Bill to create a new Commissioner of Modern Treaty Implementation re-tabled as Bill C-10. Good to see. www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en...

First 5 PONIs now identified under the Building Canada Act. But is it a case of hot to trot, or all for naught? TLDR: legal framework is in place to corral PONIs and lead to greenlight pastures. But it behooves the govt to get implementation right at this early juncture. ablawg.ca/2025/09/25/f...

First Five Building Canada Act Projects of National Interest (PONIs): Hot to Trot, or All for Naught?

By: David V. Wright Matter Commented On: Building Canada Act, SC 2025, c 2, s 4 PDF Version: First Five Building Canada Act Projects of National Interest (PONIs): Hot to Trot, or All for Naught? Af…

ablawg.ca

Carbon pricing gone. And now ZEV pause. www.cbc.ca/news/politic... As federal GHG emission reduction measures slip, there’s still a legal requirement for the Carney government to present a comprehensive plan at some point. Will slip lead to fall? Under CNZEAA it shouldn’t ablawg.ca/2025/06/23/f...

Federal Climate Plans, Policies and Projections: Have no fear, CNZEAA is (still) here? - ABLawg

By: David V. Wright Matter Commented On: Implementation of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, SC 2021, c 22 PDF Version: Federal Climate Plans, Policies and Projections: Have no fear,...

ablawg.ca

What’s going on with federal climate policy? C-5 has taken up a lot of oxygen so it’s fair to wonder. Also fair to fret. We do have a law to reduce risk of backslipping. Is it up to the task? Can we have no fear, or at least less fear, because CNZEAA is still here? My latest via @ablawg.bsky.social

ABlawg UCalgary@ablawg.bsky.social · last yr.

New Post: Federal Climate Plans, Policies and Projections: Have no fear, CNZEAA is (still) here? ablawg.ca/2025/06/23...

Update: Bill C-5 will pass third reading today. Now senate for most of next week. Finish line likely next Friday. BUT amendments from house committee mostly adopted. These create some guardrails and constraints that steer toward transparency and accountability. www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentView...

Committee Report No. 1 - TRAN (45-1) - House of Commons of Canada

Committee Report No. 1 - TRAN (45-1) - House of Commons of Canada

ourcommons.ca

David V. Wright@davevwright.bsky.social · last yr.

Bill C-5 / Building Canada Act sure ain’t impact assessment; it’s an unprecedented deregulation move in modern times. Serious risk that ‘move fast and make things’ results in move fast and break things’. Leap before you look = risky at best. w/ @molszyns.bsky.social ablawg.ca/2025/06/10/b...

New Post: Provincial Referendum Legislation, Citizen-Led Secession Proposals, and Non-Derogation Clauses ablawg.ca/2025/06/11...

Bill C-5 / Building Canada Act sure ain’t impact assessment; it’s an unprecedented deregulation move in modern times. Serious risk that ‘move fast and make things’ results in move fast and break things’. Leap before you look = risky at best. w/ @molszyns.bsky.social ablawg.ca/2025/06/10/b...

Bill C-5: Move Fast and Make Things, or Move Fast and Break Things? - ABLawg

By: David V. Wright and Martin Olszynski Bill Commented On: Bill C-5 - An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act PDF Version: Bill C-5: Move Fast and...

ablawg.ca

Latest reports from Canada’s federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development just released: www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/Eng...

Oooooh boy, @davevwright.bsky.social and I have been brewing some hearty @ablawg.bsky.social soup this past weekend. Looking forward to sharing it tomorrow — strong ‘Building Canada’ flavour. #BillC5 #cdnpoli

a stove with a clock that says 8:08

Alt: a muppet (chef) cooking soup on a stove.

media.tenor.com

And just like that, it’s over. But what a two weeks it was for this special group of students in this year’s Modern Treaties & the Law course in the Yukon. Deep experiential learning, immersed in special spaces and communities. Huge thanks to all involved, including these courageous students.

Fantastic first week of this year’s Modern Treaties and the Law course with @roberthamilton.bsky.social and a group of wonderful @ucalgary.bsky.social students. Amazing to see students’ deep learning happening right before your eyes.

Seem like a good time to re-up this piece from @davevwright.bsky.social and myself: ablawg.ca/2019/11/01/a...

Albexit/Wexit/Albwexit and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - ABLawg

By: Robert Hamilton and David V. Wright PDF Version: Albexit/Wexit/Albwexit and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Matter Commented On: Secession by Alberta or Western Provinces Talk of western alienati...

ablawg.ca

Haven’t done this for decades but seems wise as summer-spring travel season begins.

A must read post by my colleague and impact assessment guru, Arlene Kwasniak. The case for federal impact assessment is not just some intergenerational moralistic plea. It’s rooted in economics imperatives, constitutional obligations, scientific integrity, ecosystem realities, and good governance.

Arlene Kwasniak@arlenejk.bsky.social · last yr.

We must defend the role of federal environmental assessment in Canada, not wrongly denigrate it: ablawg.ca/2025/04/21/t...

Watching the federal debate? Want fact check resource re ‘C-69’? Voila below. Reality - federal project assessment regime gives ample basis to show case project benefits. For better or worse, thumb is on scale for *approving* all projects, incl energy projects. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

So much crap but remember that bikes are still pure goodness. Even with snow and sub-zero temps… IN APRIL! #biketowork #yyc