Our Approach

Legal advice tailored to First Nation needs on environmental and natural resource management and protection, energy (wind, solar, hydroelectric, transmission lines), forestry, fisheries, agriculture and aquaculture harvesting & development. Participation in environmental assessments & project approvals, and Land use Planning. Judicial Reviews of government decision-making concerning environmental approvals.

• Advice on rights under environmental legislation, including at the federal level the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Fisheries Act, Canada Shipping Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act, Species at Risk Act, within Ontario the Environmental Protection Act, Environmental Assessment Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, Clean Water Act, Green Energy Act and Pesticides Act, and for Manitoba The Environment Act, the Contaminated Sites Remediation Act, the Water Protection Act, and the Drinking Water Safety Act.

• Negotiation with government officials on environmental permitting, assessment, compliance and enforcement matters, including with Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Convervation and Parks and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Manitoba Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Manitoab Ministry of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures, and Manitoab Ministry of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation,

• Advocacy before courts and tribunals on administrative, civil and prosecution environmental matters, including Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal, Manitoba’s Clean Environment Commisison, Ontario and Manitoba provincial and superior courts, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW EXPERIENCE FIRST NATIONS CAN COUNT ON

Gordon S. Campbell, B.A., LL.B., B.C.L. leads the firm’s environmental dispute resolution practice. His extensive environmental law experience includes:

• Served as Federal Crown environmental prosecutor and litigated environmental law matters up to level of Supreme Court of Canada.

• Served as legal advisor to Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Transport Canada on environmental issues.

• Facilitated environmental assessments and licensing reviews for pipeline, mining, forestry, fishing, oil and gas, and industrial development.

• Author of The Investigator’s Legal Handbook (Toronto: Thomson Carswell, 2006; 2nd ed 2024), Le manuel juridique de l’enquêteur (Cowansville, QC: Yvon Blais, 2010) and articles cited as judicial authority like “Fostering a Compliance Culture Through Creative Sentencing for Environmental Offences” 9 Canadian Criminal Law Review 1-33.

• Lecturer and curriculum developer in environmental and natural resource law at Dalhousie University’s School for Resource and Environment Studies, Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Law, Memorial University’s Marine Institute and the Canadian Bar Association.

• Trainer on environmental law for federal and provincial government enforcement agencies.

• Consultant to the World Bank and Government of Argentina on environmental law compliance and enforcement.

Dustin Seguin, B.H.S, J.D. leads the firm’s environmental law planning practice.

They are assisted by other lawyers, paralegals and law clerks of the Firm.