Five years ago, on April 11, 2019, the Coastal Protection Act was passed with all-party support. Now, the Government of Nova Scotia has abandoned the Act in favour of a “plan” that preserves the status quo and fails to implement best practices for coastal management.

Co-authors, Mike Kofahl (ECEL) and Karen McKendry (EAC), explore the challenges of assessing and regulating impacts of spaceports.

On Monday, February 26th, the Government of Nova Scotia publicly announced that it was abandoning work to implement the Coastal Protection Act, which would have been Canada’s first legislation dedicated to coastal protection if it had been brought into force. Instead, the province opted to create another plan that maintains the status quo and fails to provide rules or protect coastal communities.

This summer I had the opportunity to join East Coast Environmental Law as a Legal Research Assistant. My interest in environmental law stems from a dedication to protecting the environment, which grew from my academic experience at the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law. Courses such as “Environmental Law” and “Global Climate Change and Governance” provided me with an understanding of analytical law and policy frameworks for evaluating environmental issues, which helped me in my research at East Coast Environmental Law.

This summer, I had the incredible privilege of interning at East Coast Environmental Law, an organization dedicated to environmental advocacy and policy in Atlantic Canada. As a Mi’kmaw person, this unique opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in the intricacies of environmental law and policy specific to Mi'kma'ki. Throughout my internship, I engaged in a wide range of activities, from conducting legal research on environmental laws in New Zealand to supporting projects focused on Indigenous law revitalization, all while gaining invaluable practical skills and knowledge.

On October 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) released its opinion in a reference case that examined the constitutionality of the federal Impact Assessment Act (“IAA”) and Physical Activities Regulations. The opinion of the majority—shared by five of the seven Supreme Court Justices who considered the case—is that the impact assessment process established by the IAA and Physical Activities Regulations is unconstitutional in part.

As a summer intern at East Coast Environmental Law ("ECEL"), I conducted legal research on wetland legislation and policy in Nova Scotia, across Canada, and internationally. Through my research, I identified gaps in Nova Scotia’s current wetland protections and identified best practices in other jurisdictions. The goal of the work was to contribute to advocacy for more effective wetland stewardship in Nova Scotia using law and policy.

The global biodiversity crisis, characterized by the rapid decline of species and the degradation of life-sustaining ecosystems, will have severe consequences for human wellbeing. Governments around the world must act quickly to halt biodiversity loss and achieve transformative change in the way humans interact with the environment. Urgent action is needed to address this crisis and to protect and restore the world's biodiversity.