For more than a decade, East Coast Environmental Law has been advocating for legal recognition of human rights to a healthy environment in Atlantic Canada. Most recently, we've been working in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to share why legislated rights to a healthy environment are so important. We've been speaking to community gatherings, the press, and government representatives. And today, we've published a series of interviews with community leaders in Nova Scotia who have deep-rooted perspectives on environmental and climate justice and the need for environmental rights recognition. 

In 2022, Ecojustice, on behalf of East Coast Environmental Law and Nature Nova Scotia, launched a judicial review proceeding that asks Canada's Federal Court to review changes that were made to the federal recovery strategy for Piping Plover–changes that, in our view, weakened the process to identify and protect the species’ critical habitat. Next week, Ecojustice will represent us in Federal Court to argue for stronger critical habitat protections for the Piping Plover.

Our first in-person workshop of the year will be on The Law and Policy of Herbicide Spraying on Crown Lands in New Brunswick. Join us from 6:30-8:30 PM on Wednesday, May 28th at the Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge in Moncton, New Brunswick to hear from staff lawyers Richelle Martin and Tina Northrup, as well as members of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick and Stop Spraying NB.  

The East Coast Environmental Law team has been busy this winter, with new public legal education resources in development, new blog posts published, and new submissions to government on the need for transparency, accountability, and good process in environmental governance and decision-making. 

We’re excited to share several new resources that are now available on our website and YouTube channel!

The postal strike at the end of 2024 was challenging for many charities that rely on receiving donations by mail, as well as for donors who are used to sending year-end donations by post. The Canada Revenue Agency recently confirmed that charitable donations submitted by February 28, 2025 can be applied to 2024 or 2025 income tax returns.

On February 5th, join East Coast Environmental Law for a free webinar on the federal and provincial assessment processes that apply to renewable energy infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador. This public legal education session will aim to demystify assessments and share tips on how to navigate them effectively.

With the end of the year fast approaching, this is a season for rest and reflection. Before we advance into the new year, we’re taking a moment to look back over the year and celebrate our successes.