Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP
250 University Ave 8th Floor M5H 3E5 Toronto, ON, Canada

On this May 4th (aka #MayThe4thBeWithYou) you may be wondering what Star Wars has to do with Indigenous rights and Canadian law. Well friends, thanks to OKT partner @Inakonigaawin, you no longer have to wonder:

Congratulations to OKT's lawyers named by Lexpert as leaders in Indigenous Law in Canada https://www.oktlaw.com/okt-recognized-in-annual-ranking-of/ - Oliver MacLaren, SaraMainville, Nancy Kleer, John Olthuis, Randall Kahgee, Lorraine Land, Cathy Guirguis,Maggie Wente, Senwung Luk, Bob Freedman, Bryce Edwards, Renée Pelletier, Matt McPherson, Larry Innes

Congratulations to OKT Senior Counsel (and the first Indigenous Appeal Court judge in Canada!) Harry LaForme on being appointed to lead the creation of a new independent criminal case review commission!

Has your First Nation had a boil water advisory, lasting one year or more, at any time since 1995? Contact OKT today to join our class action against Canada. Time is short! We need to hear from you by end of May, 2021. Learn more at https://www.oktlaw.com//class-action-litigation-on-drinki/

New Brunswick Court recognizes importance of tax-sharing agreements as benefiting both Province and First Nations; rules that NB must share gas taxes (including carbon tax) with Maliseet....

Join OKT's Sinead Dearman for a workshop on Advanced Issues in Indigenous Child Protection Law on March 22 from 9 AM - 1 PM. https://www.cbapd.org/details_en.aspx?id=ON_ON21CYL01x

20 years after launching the claim, and following 97 days of trial, closing arguments in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation trial will begin on October 19th. Learn more here: https://www.oktlaw.com/saugeen-ojibway-nation-trial-coming/ You'll be able to watch closing statements, live via webcast. Visit https://www.oktlaw.com/services/cases/son_titleclaim/ each morning, starting October 19th, for the webcast link.

Canada has consistently failed to honour the treaties made with the Wolastoqey Nation since the 1700s. Now, the Wolastoqey Nation is taking legal action to confirm Aboriginal title to the lands that have been theirs since time immemorial. OKT is proud to be representing and supporting the Wolastoquey in this important fight.... Learn more here: https://globalnews.ca//wolastoqey-filing-lawsuit-aborigin/

In honour of #OrangeShirtDay OKT's logo turned Orange for the day. We remember and honour the victims, and the survivors, of Canada's racist and colonial Residential School System, and we pledge to continue dedicating ourselves to fighting for justice for Indigenous peoples. Every year, the OKT team gets together to commemorate #OrangeShirtDay. This year it looks a bit different, but we're no less committed to remembering and honouring the victims and survivors of Residential Schools. Your OKT lawyers and staff got together virtually for an Orange Shirt Day gathering. Unfortunately not everyone could fit in the photo!

OKT is pleased to announce the release of a groundbreaking new report: "Raising the Stakes: A Comparative Review of Canadian Mining Laws and Responsible Mining Standards" The report's authors, a team of lawyers from across Canada, concluded that none of the country's five major mining jurisdictions meet global best-practice standards. As OKT lawyer (and one of the report authors) Larry Innes explains: "This report highlights the need for more urgency in all study jurisdiction...s to undertake reforms compatible with international best practices." The report calls for expanded scope and opportunity for community engagement, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, modernized tenure and operating regimes, and a more limited role for ministerial or political discretion in approvals. https://www.oktlaw.com/raising-the-stakes/

OKT Welcomes Randall Kahgee as Senior Counsel ... click on the post for details!