(most recent to oldest)

As Wilp Sustainability Director for the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs for the past 8 years, I have been responsible for the implementation of the Gitanyow Lax’yip Land Use Plan. A unique, detailed and legal government-to-government plan with a focus on forestry has brought certainty and stability to the landscape.

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In May 2020, I joined the Board of Directors for the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Victoria. Being a huge fan of the work of Deborah Curran, this was an opportunity I could not pass up. The clinic offers pro bono environmental law services to a wide array of clients throughout British Columbia. In addition to working with Deborah, I am also able to work with and provide guidance to the up and coming legal minds of the future who are providing legal support as a part of their education in environmental law.

As a Board Member, I am responsible for overseeing the operation of the Clinic including being on the Finance Committee. The highlight of this work is meeting law students who are just starting out in their journeys in environmental law, and reviewing and providing input on their projects. Clients of the Clinic include First Nations, local government, environmental and community organizations. 

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Having been involved in the implementation of one of the first government-to-government, detailed Indigenous Land Use Plans for 8 years, I was approached in 2015 to join the BC Forest Practices Board.

My term with the Board was from 2018-20, during which time I learned extensively and contributed to several Panel reports on matters including: 

-effects of forestry on drinking water
-assessment of the effectiveness of the provincial Compliance & Enforcement agency
-land use plan compliance in a government-to-government context

I was also pleased to be a part of the working group who drafted the first-ever Indigenous Peoples policy for the BC Forest Practices Board.

I applaud much of the work of the Board, but in order to fulfill its function as a public watchdog for forest practices in BC, I see several key changes that are needed. Upon the end of my term I shared key recommendations with the Board and government, and was featured in a story by the Narwhal.

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Beginning in 2010, I spent six years on the Vancouver Foundation Environment Commitee as an Advisor. This was an interesting experience which allowed me to learn about the world of philanthropic funding, environmental issues across BC, and to interact with diverse and dynamic people working on environmental issues from across the province. The Vancouver Foundation is a long-standing foundation in BC and provides critical resources to community organizations, Indigenous nations, and other groups to help advance social and environmental causes.

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In 2009, I was invited to join the Trustees of the Skeena Wild Conservation Trust. This unique organization holds a mandate of wild salmon protection in the Skeena Watershed, and resources that have been dedicated to this protection, in trust. Different than a typical board of directors associated with a non-profit society, the Trustees were to take on a legal duty as trustees to fulfill the mandate, with an extra layer of legal accountability. Learning about the legality of trusts, salmon habitat and stock health, and how to ensure both are thriving was a valuable experience for me.

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My work for the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council in the early 2000s involved developing a First Nations Review Process for the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline which was also documented in the film “First Nations Environmental Governance”.

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My Masters thesis was fortuitously timed with the release of the Supreme Court of Canada decisions on Haida and Takucourt cases on Aboriginal consultation. These historic cases outlined further detail on the duty to consult, and provided direction to governments on what constituted meaningful consultation with Indigenous peoples. Looking at the courts dictum, existing government policy, and First Nations articulation of their views, I analyzed and made recommendations for what meaningful consultation would or should entail.

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In the final year of my undergraduate degree one of my professors encouraged me to apply to BC Legislative Internship. I completed a placement with the then-Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and then in the legislature with the BC Government Caucus Communications, under the Gordon Campbell BC Liberal Government.

For more information or a full CV please email me.