Environmental Law Centre, University of Victoria

New $2.75 million to expand ELC Operations: Good News for the Environment and UVic Law Students

February 22, 2011

"It is fair to say that where there is a legally or ecologically significant environmental issue in British Columbia, chances are that we are working on it." ELC founding Executive Director Chris Tollefson, February 17, 2011

Thanks to $2.75 million in new funding from the Tula Foundation, the ELC is poised to expand its program and consolidate its vision of inspiring and training the next generation of Canada’s public interest environmental lawyers by giving them the opportunity to advocate for the environment as a core part of their law school experience.

In 2006, the Tula Foundation provided funding for the ELC’s core operations, which allowed it to hire three full-time staff: a Legal Director, a Program Paralegal/Administrator and an Articled Student.

Under a newly announced five-year arrangement, the ELC’s capacity will be enhanced through the creation of three additional full-time positions. These include a Chair in Environmental Law and Sustainability, to which ELC Executive Director Chris Tollefson has been appointed; a professorship for ELC Project Director Deborah Curran; and a new ELC staff lawyer/clinic instructor position, which will be filled in the near future after a national search. It will also fund Canada’s first-ever curricular concentration in "environmental law and sustainability" in which UVic law students can enrol commencing in the fall of 2011.

According to Tollefson, the key features of the ELC model and approach, including its commitment to mentoring and community service, will remain the same. "However," he added, "the new funding arrangement will bring about some important new innovations." Among other things, these innovations will:

permit the ELC to offer a wider range of legal services to protect the environment by providing it with the capacity, where necessary, to go to court, easing access to justice burdens faced by many of its clients;

integrate scientific knowledge and expertise into ELC operations and the law school curriculum through a variety of new interdisciplinary environmental law courses, some of which will be offered at the Hakai Beach Institute, the Tula Foundation’s research institute located on the Central Coast; and

support enhanced collaboration with other colleagues and BC universities working on issues of mutual concern.

The new funding will allow the ELC to build on its 15-year-long record of assisting students to provide much-needed pro bono public interest environmental law support to local communities, environmental groups and First Nations across the province.

"In many cases our work has allowed citizens concerns to be heard and understood, often for the first time. And, on occasion, it has been a game-changer," said Tollefson.

[Link to the full text of Executive Director’s comments at the Feb 17 public announcement to learn more about the agreement and the ELC’s partnership with the Tula Foundation and the Hakai Beach Institute]

[Link to UVic media release and backgrounder]

[Link to UVic Law posting for Senior Instructor in Environmental Law and Sustainability]

Environmental Laws: A Field Guide for BC's North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii

May 25, 2011

In collaboration with the Coastal Guardian Watchmen Network, a project of the Coastal First Nations Great Bear Initiative, the ELC has developed a tool to help First Nations better protect the environment in their territories. This field guide summarizes techniques that First Nations Guardian Watchmen (environmental monitors) can use to investigate environmental offences and the major environmental offences that apply on Haida Gwaii and the North/Central coast More...

Enhancing Environmental Oversight by BC Tribunals

March 16, 2011

While most BC tribunals are mindful of the public interest in environmental decision making, a new report by the ELC shows there is considerable room for improvement in tribunal mandates and their use of dispute resolution tools. More...

Problems with BC Mining Regulations

February 10, 2011 (updated June 8, 2011)

On February 9 an event was held at UVic Law about the social and environmental impacts of coal mining in BC. To see ELC student Maya Stano's presentation "Undermining the Value of Clean Air and Water" and learn how taxpayers are financially vulnerable for costly cleanups of coal mining operations, click here for the PPTX version or here for the PDF version. MAY 2011 UPDATE: Maya finalized her research on the inadequacy of mine securities required by government and government capability to actually enforce its environmental laws. Click here to read the report.

Call to Investigate Health and Safety Risks Posed by Natural Gas Wells

February 8, 2011

A growing number of residents in northeast British Columbia are so concerned about the health risks associated with the region’s natural gas industry and an sour gas wells they asked provincial Health Minister Colin Hansen in a letter sent today to appoint a formal inquiry under Public Health Act. The letter was written on behalf of Peace Environment and Safety Trustees Society (PEST) by ELC alumnus Tim Thielmann of Devlin Gailus and ELC Legal Director Calvin Sandborn with assistance from ELC students. Read the media release. Read the letter, appendices, and letters of support. MEDIA: Read articles in the Vancouver Sun (Stephen Hume and Ben Parfitt) and Globe and Mail (Mark Hume).

Calvin Wins Andrew Thompson Award

February 3, 2011

The ELC is thrilled to congratulate our Legal Director Calvin Sandborn on winning the 2011 Andrew Thompson Award and for wowing the crowd with an inspiring speech that was as gracious as it was passionate. It makes for a great start to the Renewing Environmental Law Conference. By popular demand, here is Calvin's acceptance speech!

Sandborn Receives Honourary Citizen Award

January 19, 2011

We are pleased to congratulate ELC Legal Director on receiving the Honourary Citizen Award from the City of Victoria. Click here to read the Media Advisory.

Examining Tanker Spill Liability on the Coast

January 13, 2011

In this report prepared for Living Oceans Society, ELC student Matt Boulton examines the potential financial liability Canadian taxpayers could face if there were a catastrophic oil tanker spill in the coastal waters of British Columbia's north coast. Click here to read the report. (*note new version posted Jan 17 to correct small typo) Click here to read Living Ocean Society's media release.

To read about more ELC projects, please see our News Archives page