Canada: Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
June 29, 2012
Canada: The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act was enacted by the Parliament on June 29, 2012 and entered into force on July 6, 2012. This Act aims to protect the environment from adversary effects of human activities. It especially promotes communication and cooperation with aboriginal peoples with respect to environmental assessments.
Article 19(3) recognizes the value of considering aboriginal traditional knowledge when conducting an environmental assessment. The Act also guarantees the protection of traditional cultural expressions of aboriginal peoples. Article 5(c) of the Act stipulates that every environmental assessment should take into account the environmental effects and their potential impact on aboriginal peoples such as causing changes to their physical and cultural heritage, structures, sites or objects that are of historical, archaeological, paleontological or architectural significance.