BC Court of Appeal Upholds Personal Liability for Director of
Mining Company for Regulatory Offences
The BC Court of Appeal released its decision in R. v. Mossman, 2026 BCCA 75, upholding the BC Supreme Court's decision confirming that a director, officer or agent may be personally liable for strict liability regulatory offences under the Environmental Management Act and the Fisheries Act (collectively, the "Acts").

The underlying investigation into a gold mining site near Prince Rupert, British Columbia led to regulatory charges against the director, president, and chief operating officer of the company and the designated 'mine manager' under the Mines Act.

The accused was charged with several offences under the Acts, which the Court divided into three categories. Read the full article by Gavin Cameron and Nathan Wells with Fasken.

Family Ties: BC Court of Appeal Confirms BC Utilities Commission
Jurisdiction over Affiliate Electricity Sales
In Powell River Energy Inc. v. British Columbia (Utilities Commission), 2026 BCCA 93, the British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal from a reconsideration decision of the British Columbia Utilities Commission ("BCUC"), confirming that electricity sales to corporate affiliates for export can still attract regulation under the Utilities Commission Act ("UCA"). The Court of Appeal's reasons affirm the BCUC's broad jurisdiction and provide guidance on the scope of the statutory "self‑supply" exclusion and the treatment of corporate affiliates under the UCA.

Powell River Energy Inc. ("PREI") owns and operates two hydroelectric generation and transmission facilities in the Powell River area of British Columbia. Historically, the facilities supplied electricity to a pulp and paper mill, pursuant to a ministerial exemption from certain requirements of the UCA. After the mill closed in 2021 and the exemption was rescinded, PREI reorganized its operations so that all electricity generated at the facilities was sold to wholly owned subsidiary companies, which, in turn, sold the electricity into the United States export market. Read the full article by Tariq Ahmed and Niall Rand with Fasken.

Minister Reveals Ambition to Triple
Production at B.C. LNG Terminal
Owners of the major gas export terminal near Squamish, B.C., are seeking to massively expand the facility's size, according to Canada's federal energy minister.

Woodfibre LNG is officially permitted to produce 2.1 million tonnes of liquefied gas per year, but federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson recently revealed the project's scale could grow significantly beyond its current permits.

"I know Woodfibre has ambitions to double and triple the size of their production," Hodgson said. Read the BIV article.

The National Energy Corridor: Forging Canadian
Energy Sovereignty in the Age of Disruption
The announcement on March 4, 2026, by the Government of Ontario regarding the signing of a groundbreaking National Energy Corridor Agreement (NECA) represents a fundamental pivot in the Canadian confederation's approach to critical energy infrastructure. For over a century, the Canadian electricity landscape has been characterized by a fragmented, "provincial-first" mentality where grids were developed as isolated silos, designed primarily to serve local industrial loads or to facilitate vertical exports to the United States. This historic agreement, initiated by the Ontario Ministry of Energy following the "Connecting Canada – Building an Energy Superpower Summit" in September 2025, signals the end of that era and the birth of a unified "United Canada" grid.

The partnership brings together a massive coalition of jurisdictions: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. While Quebec is not an initial signatory, it has signaled a strategic openness to cooperation provided its jurisdictional autonomy remains intact and the economic benefits are clearly articulated. Read the full article by Paul Harricks, Ian A. Mondrow and Thomas J. Timmons with Gowling WLG.

First Nation Sues BC Hydro Over Allegations
of Unfair Electricity Rates
BC Hydro mandates Indigenous ownership for new clean energy projects and pays a premium for it – but a First Nation that already owns a majority stake in an existing hydro project said the Crown corporation is using a rigid renewal policy to effectively price them out of the industry.

Details of the souring relationship between the BC Hydro, the province, the Lil'wat Nation and one of its businesses were detailed in a request for judicial review filed this week in the B.C. Supreme Court.

According to the court challenge, BC Hydro has purchased electricity from the Rockford Energy Corporation since 2001. The company owns a run-of-river hydro project on the Brandywine River less than a kilometre off the Sea to Sky Highway near Whistler, B.C. Read the BIV article.

Upstart B.C. Mining Company Makes Play in Critical Minerals
Sector. Can It Compete with China?
China has a lock on rare earth elements – minerals that are critical for the energy transition to electrification – but an upstart junior miner in B.C. is making a play to capture some of the market for the strategically important materials.

Vancouver-headquartered Defense Metals Corp. is vying to develop Canada's first rare earths mine at a deposit that appears to be rich in key elements, attracting the support of provincial and federal governments.

Rare earth elements, a suite of 17 obscure minerals grouped together on chemistry's periodic table, include metals that are essential for permanent magnets used in electric motors, electronic equipment and precision optic devices. Read the Vancouver Sun article.

Mining Exploration Group Urges B.C. to
Stick to Decision Timeline
The B.C. government is missing the timelines it has set for processing mining exploration projects, according to an industry group.

Over the past year, the median processing time for explorers to receive a decision on mineral claims is 143 days, exceeding the 90- to 120-day timeline the province promised under the Mineral Claims Consultation Framework (MCCF), according to the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME).

Accounting for applications that are still pending, only 14.8 per cent of applications were processed within the timeline, according to the Vancouver-based industry group with around 6,500 members. Read the BIV article.

Updates to Natural Resource Taxes
The following updates to natural resource taxes were recently posted:

Mining taxes

• March 12, 2026
  The new web page for interest rates for the mineral tax, the mineral land tax and the mine inspection fee has been published. Please update your bookmarks to the new location on our website.
• March 26, 2026
  Interest rates for mineral tax, mineral land tax and the mine inspection fee have been updated.

Oil and natural gas royalties and taxes

• March 31, 2026
  The new web page How to submit information for gas cost allowance (Allowable Costs in Petrinex) has been published. The page provides guidelines on entering information and submitting documents on Petrinex to receive gas cost allowance.

For more information, visit the BC government website.

BC Energy Regulator Announcements
The following BC Energy Regulator announcements were posted recently:

• TU 2026-06 – Renewable Energy Projects Regulation Introduced
• TU 2026-07 – Amendments to the Dormancy and Shutdown Regulation
• IU 2026-01 – Fee, Levy and Security Regulation Updates

Visit the BC-ER website for more information.

Environmental Assessment Act Amendments
On March 31, Bill 15, the Environmental Assessment Amendment Act, 2026, was introduced. The Bill proposes amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act to add a new protocol tool for resolving issues related to the environmental assessment process.

The new tool will be co-developed with First Nations and will help resolve and close issues during assessments to avoid the dispute resolution process, thereby reaching agreements more quickly. The protocol tool will also continue to be available at the end of the assessment when dispute resolution is no longer an option. The amendments intend to resolve issues earlier and improve fairness and predictability for all parties involved.

Other amendments will enable the Environmental Assessment Office to differentiate its consultation with First Nations in Canada and U.S. Tribes, in accordance with the Supreme Court of Canada's Desautel decision, when a Tribe makes an assertion of Aboriginal rights in Canada that may be impacted by a proposed project undergoing environmental assessment.

The Bill is set to come into force on Royal Assent, if passed.

Forests Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 Introduced
Bill 14, the Forest Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, was introduced on March 30, proposing amendments to the Forest Act and the Forest and Range Practices Act that will provide a greater range of fibre-generating and forest stewardship activities and help protect forestry-related jobs.

The amendments will allow BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to introduce new timber sales licences to include activities such as commercial thinning, salvage of damaged trees and wildfire risk reduction, providing contractors with a broader range of opportunities to bid on. The new licences will increase access to a more reliable fibre supply by allowing timber that was damaged by wildfire, windstorms or insects to be recovered more quickly.

The legislation will authorize BCTS to manage timber sale licences from initial harvesting, replanting, long-term stewardship to future harvest, to help strengthen long-term planning for working forests. If passed, the Bill will come into force on Royal Assent.

Land Use Objectives Cancelled
Notice is hereby given in accordance with Section 7 of the Land Use Objectives Regulation, that an order has been made under Section 93.4 of the Land Act.

The order amends the "Order to Establish the Kispiox Landscape Units and Objectives" by repealing the wildlife objectives as they relate to moose, for the purposes of the Forest and Range Practices Act. The order applies to the Kispiox Sustainable Resource Management Plan Area, located within the Kispiox Timber Supply Area (TSA) of the Skeena-Stikine Natural Resource District.

This cancellation is made as the result of ungulate winter range U-6-040 for moose in the Kispiox TSA coming into effect.

The order takes effect on the date this notice is published in the Gazette [March 12, 2026].

The order has been filed at the Skeena Region office of the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, located at 3726 Alfred Avenue, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0.

It is also available at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/crown-land-water/land-use-planning/regions/skeena/kispiox-lrmp/kispiox-srmp [mh12]

Read the notice in the Gazette Part I, Volume CLXVI, No. 10.

Ungulate Winter Range
Notice is hereby given that the boundaries of Ungulate Winter Range U-1-005 Unit 144 and Unit 149 in the Campbell River Forest District were amended on February 2, 2026 by order made under authority of Section 12(1) of the Government Actions Regulation (B.C. Reg. 582/2004). Details of the order may be obtained from the Ecosystems Section, West Coast Region, Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, 2080 Labieux Road, Nanaimo, BC V9T 6J9, or from the following website: https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/uwr/approved_uwr.html [mh12]

Read the notice in the Gazette Part I, Volume CLXVI, No. 10.

Ungulate Winter Range
Notice is hereby given that Ungulate Winter Ranges (UWRs) U-4-003 and U-4-004 in the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District and Selkirk Natural Resource District are established for bighorn sheep in the Kootenay Boundary Region. The Order was signed on February 23, 2026 under the authority of sections 9(2) and 12(1) of the Government Actions Regulation (B.C. Reg. 281/2023) of the Forest and Range Practices Act and section 31 of the Environmental Protection and Management Regulation (B.C. Reg. 219/2024) of the Energy Resource Activities Act. Details of the Order may be obtained from the Ecosystems Section, Kootenay Boundary Region, Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, No. 401 - 333 Victoria Street, Nelson, BC V1L 4K3.

The Government Actions Regulation Order, accompanying maps, and spatial files may also be obtained from: https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frpa/uwr/approved_uwr.html [mh5]

Read the notice in the Gazette Part I, Volume CLXVI, No. 9.

Nation-to-Nation Collaboration and Forestry Leadership
Teams of forest professionals from Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation and Nk'Mip Forestry hosted one another on field tours in their respective territories this past fall to build relationships, share experiences, and learn together on the land.

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation (CCR) is a joint venture of Tŝideldel First Nation, Tl'etinqox Government, and Yunesit'in Government. Nk'Mip Forestry operates as a division of the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB).

As the 2026 field season approaches, the connections formed during those visits remain top of mind. Through the tours, CCR and OIB shared how they are advancing wildfire resilience, post-wildfire recovery, and sustainable forestry practices aimed at creating healthier, more resilient forests. Read the full article in the BC Forest Professional, Spring 2026 edition.

Clayoquot Sound's Only Tree Farm Licence Subdivided into
Three Lots to Assert First Nations' Land Visions
The logging tenure for a landscape made famous by the "War in the Woods" protests on the west coast of Vancouver Island has been divided up into three new Tree Farm Licences (TFL) to assert First Nations' unique land-use visions.

TFL 54 in Clayoquot Sound was transferred from MaMook Natural Resources, which is owned by a partnership of five central region First Nations (Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Hesquiaht, Toquaht and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ), and reconfigured into TFL 66, TFL 67 and TFL 68.

According to the Ministry of Forests, Tla-o-qui-aht is now the holder of TFL 66 comprising over 13,000 hectares within their territory, TFL 67 is held by Ahousaht and comprises over 29,000 hectares in Ahousaht territory and Hesquiaht is now the holder of TFL 68 with an area size of over 9,165 hectares in their territory.

MaMook will continue to exist for the next few years with the legal obligation to clean up old logging infrastructure, including deactivating old logging roads, dryland sorts and log booming areas, but the company will dissolve once that work wraps, according to Toquaht appointed board member Ken Matthews. Read the full article in Chek News.

Legislation Passes to Amend Environmental Claims
Prohibitions of the Competition Act
Following its release of the Federal Budget 2025 ("Budget 2025"), the federal government has promptly passed Bill C-15, Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1 ("Bill C-15"). On March 26, 2026 Bill C-15 received Royal Assent, advancing measures set out in Budget 2025, which includes bringing into force key changes to the environmental business claims provisions of the Competition Act.

Budget 2025 targeted certain recently enacted – and controversial – provisions of the Competition Act that limited greenwashing (for additional information, see our detailed article on Budget 2025). With the passage of Bill C-15, the federal government's Competition Act amendments have become law, impacting how businesses can advertise environmental claims. Read the full article by Melissa Tehrani, René Bissonnette, Shannon Uhera, Inès Maarouf, Julia Kappler, Ian Macdonald and Christopher Oates with Gowling WLG.

Environmental Appeal Board Decisions
The following Environmental Appeal Board decisions were made recently:

Environmental Management Act

• Oak Bay Marina Ltd. DBA Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina v. Director, Environmental Management Act [Settlement Order – Appeal Dismissed Without Costs]
• Waves Coffee Inc. v. Director, Environmental Management Act [Preliminary Decision – Granted in Part]
• Waves Coffee Franchising Inc. & Fair Waves Coffee Inc. v. Director, Environmental Management Act [Document Production Order and Written Hearing Order – Documents Ordered to Be Produced]
• Brookswood Fernridge Community Association, Nicomekl Enhancement Society, Little Campbell Watershed Society, Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club, Bill Ridge, Sonja Kroecher, Frank P. Mueggenburg, Gabriel Farms Ltd., Irongait Ventures Inc., Carl and Inge Thielemann v. Director, Environmental Management Act [Final Decision – Appeals Dismissed in Part]

Water Sustainability Act

• Mark Croxall v. Assistant Water Manager [Preliminary Decision on Standing – Application Dismissed]

Wildlife Act

• Raymond Majerus, Fraser MacDonald, Michael Schneider & Alan Jarvis v. Executive Director, Wildlife Branch [Summary Dismissal Decision – Appeals Dismissed]
• Michael Schneider v. Director, Wildlife Branch [Summary Dismissal Decision – Appeals Dismissed]

Visit the Environmental Appeal Board website for more information.

Protecting Workers from Traffic: Getting Started
Protecting workers from the all-too common risk of being struck by a vehicle is crucial. Preventing these incidents starts well before workers arrive on site. To do this, employers must assess the risks associated with every roadside work zone and develop a traffic control plan that effectively eliminates or minimizes those risks. Traffic control plans must follow the order of controls set out in Section 18.3 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, as well as the principles outlined in the 2020 Traffic Management Manual for Work on Roadways. Read the full article published in WorkSafe Magazine – Spring 2026.

BC Expands Cancer Coverage for Firefighters
The British Columbia government announced changes to the Workers Compensation Act that will add eight cancers to the list of diseases presumed to be work-related for firefighters, making the province home to the most comprehensive firefighter cancer protections in Canada, according to a press release. The eight cancers being added are skin cancer, mesothelioma, soft-tissue sarcoma, and cancers of the larynx, trachea, bronchus, nasal cavity, and pharynx. They will join an existing list of 18 presumptive cancers established under the Firefighters' Occupational Disease Regulation. The province also reduced the minimum employment period required to qualify for esophageal cancer coverage, dropping it from 20 years to 15 years. Read the full article by Jonalyn Cueto with Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine.

WorkSafeBC Investigating BC Avalanche that
Critically Injured Worker, Killed 3 Guests
WorkSafeBC has launched an investigation into a fatal avalanche involving a heli-ski operation in northwestern British Columbia, treating the slide as a serious workplace incident and warning employers they remain responsible for managing avalanche risks wherever their employees work. The agency said it was notified about Sunday's slide on Mount Knauss, north of Terrace, as a "serious workplace incident" and has deployed investigators to determine what happened and whether similar tragedies can be prevented, according to a report from The Canadian Press (CP). Read the full article by Jim Wilson with Canadian HRReporter.

April 2026 Public Hearing on Proposed
Regulatory Amendments
WorkSafeBC is holding a virtual public hearing on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The virtual public hearing will be streamed live on April 21, 2026, in two sessions. The first will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second from 3 to 5 p.m. Further information on how to view or participate in the virtual public hearing will be provided closer to the hearing date. These details will be posted on worksafebc.com and communicated by enews. Read the full announcement from WorkSafeBC.

Crane Safety: BC Moves towards Mandatory
Licensing and Permitting
British Columbia is moving to introduce mandatory licensing and permitting for crane work under WorkSafeBC, in what observers say is the most significant expansion of crane safety oversight since a series of high‑profile incidents and regulatory reforms began in 2021. The province says forthcoming legislation will enable a WorkSafeBC‑administered crane licensing and permitting framework intended to strengthen protections for workers and improve the consistency of safety standards across high‑risk crane operations. Read the full article by Jim Wilson with Canadian Occupational Safety Magazine.

Licensing and Certification Transforming
Asbestos Work in BC
Two years in, these programs are revealing high-risk work and are helping protect workers before exposure to asbestos occurs. Asbestos may be banned from new construction, but it remains a serious and persistent hazard in older buildings across B.C. That legacy risk continues to surface during renovations, maintenance, and demolition – often in places where workers least expect it. The consequences are profound. Asbestos exposure remains the leading cause of work-related death in the province. Diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma can take decades to develop, making prevention today critical to protecting workers' long-term health. Read the full article by Alexandra Skinner with WorkSafeBC.

OHS Policies/Guidelines – Updates
Guidelines – Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
March 12, 2026
The following new and revised guidelines were posted:

• Part 7, Division 4 – Heat Exposure
  • G7.27(1) Heat exposure – Application (revised)
  • G7.28(1)-1 Heat stress exposure limits (new)
  • G7.28(1)-2 Unacclimatized workers (new)
  • G7.29-1 Heat stress assessment (revised)
  • G7.29-5 Exposure control plan (revised)
  • G7.30 Heat stress controls (new)
  • G7.31 Provision of water (new)
• Part 13, Ladders, Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms
  • G13.2 Ships' ladders (revised)
• Part 20, Construction, Evacuation and Demolition – Work in Compressed Air
  • G20.123 Alternate acceptable standard (revised)

The following guidelines were retired:

• G7.28(1) Exposure limits – Using the ACGIH Standard
• G7.28(2) Clothing correction values
• G7.29-2 Environmental parameters
• G7.29-3 Physiological measures
• G7.29-4 Heat stress assessment using a dry bulb thermometer or Humidex index
• G7.30-1 Engineering controls
• G7.30-2 Administrative controls
• G7.30-3 Personal protective equipment

New and revised guidelines are posted for a 60-day preliminary period, during which time the stakeholder community may comment and request revisions.

April 1, 2026
The following guidelines were revised or retired consequential to amendments to the OHS Regulation in effect on April 1, 2026.

• Part 8: Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment – Safety Headgear
  • G8.12/8.13 Use of safety headgear for workers on ATVs similar equipment in agricultural operations (revised)
  • G8.13 Use of safety headgear with bicycles and skates (revised)
• Part 8: Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment – Respirators
  • G8.33-1 Respiratory protection – Selection (revised)
  • G8.33(1) Selection of respiratory protection – Alternate standard (retired)
  • G8.34-3 Maximum use concentration and IDLH (revised)
  • G8.40 Respiratory protection – Fit test (revised)
  • G8.41 User seal check – Alternate standard (retired)
  • G8.44 Records (retired)
  • G8.45 Maintenance and inspection of self-contained breathing apparatus (revised)
• Part 31: Firefighting – Respirators
  • G31.26 Maintenance and inspection of self-contained breathing apparatus (revised)

Policies – Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
April 1, 2026
Housekeeping changes were made to the following policy items to reflect amendments to the OHS Regulation in effect on April 1, 2026.

• R8.33-1 Respirators – Interchanging Air Cylinders
• R8.33-2 Respirators – Interchanging Air Lines

Visit the WorkSafeBC website to explore this and previous updates.