About
The mission of the Legacy Fund for the Environment is to identify and finance lawsuits undertaken by citizens’ groups in defense of Canada’s environment, to promote public knowledge and awareness of environmental laws and the legal recourses available to citizens, and to raise funds to support these activities. The Fund was incorporated in June 2015 and obtained charitable status in July 2018.
Principle Ten of the Rio Declaration adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in November 1992 states that citizens have the responsibility and the right to care for their environment.
When this involves legal action, private citizens are usually at a severe disadvantage. By raising funds for citizen-initiated court actions, the Legacy Fund will be leveling the playing field.
Our Impact
We do urban acupuncture.
Here is a selection of some of our activities with our citizen partners:
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Sauvons l’Anse-à-l’Orme: Funded three injunctions, two biodiversity studies and a fiscal analysis in defense of l’Anse-à-l’Orme in Montreal’s west island. Montreal announced the creation of the Grand Parc de l’Ouest.
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Les Amis des milieux naturels de Laval: Funded legal research for this group. The Municipal Council of Laval has put a two-year reserve on twelve hectares of ecologically valuable land to create a park.
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Rosemère vert: With our assistance, this citizens’ group presented to their citizens and Town Council a financial analysis which shows that development on the Rosemère Golf Course (which they want green) would result in higher taxes.
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Nature Hudson: A study we co-funded found twenty-nine endangered species on the Sandy Beach site in Hudson, where the developer reported one. Our report was sent to the Environment Ministry. We funded legal procedures in defense of the Willowbrook area which contains wetlands, forests and an important archeological site, the Ottawa Glass Works. The new municipal council has halted development for now.
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Green Coalition: Funded an injunction, undertaken by the Green Coalition to preserve the Technoparc wetlands and forests in Montreal. Ongoing.