Happy National Indigenous Peoples’ Day from Westaway Law Group! Today we celebrate the contributions, achievements, of all the wonderful people we work with across the country. We wish you some rest today as we re-commit to working towards a better future for all. Our office will be open today to provide any service you may [...]
Anderson v. Alberta: Supreme Court of Canada Clarifies When First Nations can be Awarded Advance Costs in Litigation On March 18, 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada issued an important decision for First Nations seeking legal redress for harms caused to their lands and resources. In Anderson v. Alberta, 2022 SCC 6 (“Anderson”), the Court [...]
The federal government released Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience on April 19, 2021 (Budget 2021). It is a long document (over 700 pages). We were encouraged to see numerous measures included that address issues specific to Indigenous peoples. Most of these commitments are found in Chapter 8, entitled “Strong [...]
Overview On February 25, 2021, the Auditor General tabled a Report in Parliament entitled, “Access to Safe Drinking Water in First Nations Communities – Indigenous Services Canada” (the Report). The central question considered by the Auditor General is whether Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) provided adequate support to First Nations communities to ensure that they [...]
On March 25, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Reference re Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.[1] The central issue in this case is whether the matters addressed in the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (the GGPPA) are matters of sufficient national concern that they fall within federal jurisdiction. The GGPPA [...]
As a Band Council subject to the Canada Labour Code – are you prepared for the new obligations to proactively address workplace harassment and violence that came into effect on January 1, 2021? The Canada Labour Code (the Code) defines the rights and responsibilities of employers and employees in federally-regulated workplaces. Because the operations [...]
Yesterday, December 3, 2020, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada introduced in Parliament Bill C-15, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The purpose of this Bill is to affirm the United Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration) as a universal, international, human [...]
Westaway Law Group can help your First Nation take advantage of all the Financial Management Board’s benefits The Financial Management Board (FMB), a creation of the First Nations Fiscal Management Act (FMA) works together with the First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) to provide First Nations with low-interest, long-term loans to support economic development and [...]
Westaway Law Group can: Draft a Spousal Real Property (SRP) in consultation with a First Nation; Draft subsequent policies, regulations and rules; Provide legal advice on the implementation of the above; Help implement a tribunal; Provide legal advice to the tribunal; and Act as lawyers for those with family law or real property issues. [...]
Westaway Law Group lawyers are experienced in leading restorative justice initiatives for our clients charged with hunting and fishing offences. These restorative justice initiatives can often replace the Western adversarial system with a process more in line with Indigenous perspectives. After an offence is committed, restorative justice approaches aim to address the harm to [...]
