Sarah Hudson at the Parks Canada display & information session at the Canada Pavilion, Victoria Tall Ships Festival, July 2005 |
Parks Canada, Coastal British Columbia Field Unit
This summer, thanks to Pro Bono Students Canada, U of T Law and the Donner Foundation, I am fortunate enough to be having my fellowship experience at home in Victoria, working with Parks Canada legal services at the Coastal British Columbia Field Unit. I have been working primarily as a research assistant, responding to a set of legal questions surrounding the implementation of the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and more specifically, the establishment of a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in the southern Strait of Georgia.
My research for Parks Canada comes at an opportune time, as the feasibility study for the Strait of Georgia is currently underway. In addition to compiling research materials into reference binders for the future use of legal services, and producing written opinions, I have been able to participate in one very important aspect of the feasibility study - consultation with the general public / local residents to determine whether there is sufficient support for the proposed NMCA in the Strait of Georgia. In late June, the Tall Ships festival took place in Victoria and Parks Canada had a booth in the prominent Canada Pavilion, which housed displays by several Government departments. Thousands of people came through the Pavilion on each of the four days. This was a terrific opportunity for Parks Canada staff to inform the public about the NMCA program and proposal for the Strait of Georgia, and also to engage with the public's questions, concerns and comments. Working at the festival certainly made me appreciate the extent to which the legal research I am doing responds to primary public concerns - what is the public right of navigation in an NMCA? Will offshore drilling be allowed? How does the establishment of an NMCA affect Aboriginal rights in the area?
Working together with other Parks Canada staff - legal counsel, planners, project managers - has allowed for a dynamic learning experience that has far surpassed my expectations and goals for this summer. In developing my fellowship proposal, I was keen to gain some practical exposure to issues of environmental and Aboriginal law in British Columbia. While my research questions regarding the NMCA program have allowed me to delve into these areas of law (and confront a steep learning curve!), my supervisor has also facilitated much of my learning by inviting me to attend several meetings and negotiations with her. One opportunity that really stands out is visiting the Treaty Negotiation office of a First Nations group on Vancouver Island and observing my supervisor and a lawyer for the First Nation negotiate and draft an innovative and groundbreaking consultation agreement. Afterwards, the lawyer for the First Nation gave me a tour of the office and offered a history and an update of the BC Treaty Negotiation process. This has been a tremendous learning experience.
