ALSA Q&A – Differences in regional plans? 1/14/2010 Question Is there a sense that regional plans would be allowed some significant differences depending on the region or is the government of Alberta more intent on streamlining planning across the province? Answer So far, it appears that the regional plans will...
ALSA Q&A – Interim Measures? 1/14/2010 Question Can you confirm that there are no interim measures planned or in place with respect to the implementation of the regional plans? Answer Section 9(2)(l) of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) provides that a regional plan can include “transitional or bridging arrangements”. Cabinet has...
ALSA Q&A – Further recommendations from the ELC? 1/14/2010 Question Will the Environmental Law Centre prepare a brief report on the current performance of the Land-use Framework, future considerations and recommendations for the Alberta government and Cabinet? Answer The Centre has been following the Land-use Framework initiative from its beginning, and we have...
Bill 50 delivers shocks to transmission approvals in Alberta (Slides and handouts) 1/11/2010 On January 7th 2010, Laura Bowman presented a lunch seminar on Bill 50, the Electric Statutes Amendment Act, 2009. This controversial bill was tabled in the summer and has been part of a storm of...
Moving past the tipping point: Alberta’s new land use system 12/10/2009 On December 9, 2009, Cindy Chiasson presented a webinar on Alberta's new land-use system. In it, she reviewed this system and discussed the Land Use Framework, the newAlberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA), and development of regional land...
Are Canadian waterways subject to public rights? 12/10/2009 The Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA) has existed since 1882 and is one of the oldest pieces of legislation in Canada. Public common law rights to navigate water bodies have existed for over a thousand years, and have been adopted into...
It's About Time: Reclamation and managing cumulative effects require quick action 12/3/2009 Published in Alberta Oil Magazine December 2009-January 2010 By Jason Unger It is a sequence of events that has played out thousands of times in Alberta. A surface lease is obtained. Provincial authorizations are acquired. A well is...
Alberta’s changing land-use planning system 11/24/2009 Published in Wild Lands Advocate, October 2009 By Cindy Chiasson, Executive Director, Environmental Law Centre The Alberta government has moved closer to implementation of its new land use planning and management system in passing the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) during the spring 2009 legislative session. The...
11/17/2009 MEDIA ADVISORY BILL 50 – A CURIOUS SOLUTION TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS Edmonton, AB, 17 November 2009 – There is no doubt that electricity transmission planning and approval in Alberta faces challenges, including difficulty responding to public concern. Bill 50 – the Electric Statutes Amendment Act – is the most recent...
Building Relationships: Industry should look to family law of all places, to improve the fairness of energy projects 10/1/2009 Published in Alberta Oil Magazine October-November 2009 By Cindy Chiasson, Executive Director, Environmental Law Centre Communication is recognized as a key element of good relationships, from marriages to corporate transactions. In the...
Vast control: New land use apparatus blankets Alberta and concentrates power in the provincial cabinet 8/4/2009 Published in Alberta Oil Magazine August-September 2009 By Cindy Chiasson, Executive Director, Environmental Law Centre Alberta’s proposed new system of land use planning and management moved closer to fruition with passage of the Alberta Land Stewardship...
Worth Our Salt: Tightening constraints on water supplies call into question the legal line drawn between saline and pure sources 7/3/2009 Published in Alberta Oil Magazine Summer 2009 By Jason Unger As a food preservative, salt has been essential to civilization. It is no accident that the word “salary” derives from...
