CELA

Canadian Environmental Law Association is a legal aid clinic dedicated to environmental equity, justice, and health.

Founded in 1970, CELA is one of the oldest environmental advocates for environmental protection in the country. With funding from Legal Aid Ontario, CELA provides free legal services relating to environmental justice in Ontario, including representing qualifying low-income and vulnerable or disadvantaged communities in litigation. CELA also works on environmental legal education and reform initiatives.

CELA Foundation

Canadian Environmental Law Foundation

The CELA Foundation is the charitable arm of Canadian Environmental Law Association. The Foundation was established in 1993 and supports CELA’s research and education work on environmental law and justice issues.

CELA FOUNDATION

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Air Quality

Get the Lead Out of Drinking Water

Although the health impacts of lead are well documented, we’re not doing nearly enough to address it. Learn more about what you can do to protect water in your community.

2023 Annual Report

2023 Annual Report

In our 2023 Annual Report, you’ll read stories that profile CELA’s work on extreme heat, air pollution, legacy contamination, and public participation in environmental decision-making. These stories represent just a few of the many ways CELA’s is dedicated to ensuring communities are healthy and thriving.

Our Legal Services

How can we help?

Public Legal Education

Learn about the law

Advancing Environmental Law

Action on Environmental justice

CELA's Latest Activities

Discover staff blog posts, publications, reports, alerts, and media releases.

Blog: Neighbours of a Nuclear Plant – What Residents of Durham Region Should Know about Nuclear Energy

Blog post providing information for Durham residents living near Pickering and Darlington nuclear generating stations.

April 17, 2024

Brief: CELA Comments on Proposed EBR Exemption of Orders under Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act

CELA submitted a brief opposing the Ontario government’s proposal to exempt certain orders under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act

April 15, 2024

Submission: CELA Comments on the Discussion Document on the Implementation Framework for a Right to a Healthy Environment

CELA initial comments and recommendations in response to the Federal Government’s Discussion Document for the development of the Implementation Framework

April 11, 2024

Joint Submission: CELA, ACTO, LIEN & SCAN! Comments on ERO#019-8307

CELA, ACTO, LIEN, and SCAN! submitted comments on ERO posting #019-8307, the Ministry of Energy’s proposed Bill 165, Keeping Energy

April 10, 2024

Joint Submission: CELA and HEJSupport Comments on Plastic Treaty

CELA and HEJSupport submit the following comments and recommendations to the Canadian government participating at these negotiations seeking for mechanisms

April 9, 2024

March 2024 Newsletter – Intervenor, Volume 48, Number 3

Protecting public consultation rights, focus on indoor air quality and children’s health, and our submission on environmental assessment reform.

March 28, 2024

Casework: Elliot Lake and Radioactive Mine Waste

Families in Elliot Lake are demanding action by the federal government and mining company BHP to clean up radioactive wastes found on their properties. Uranium mine waste was widely used as fill for construction in the 1960s in Elliot Lake, and came from uranium mines, now closed. The residents are calling the presence of radioactive waste at their homes “an egregious failure of Canada’s nuclear regulatory system”.

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Canadian Environmental Law Association
1500-55 University Avenue,
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2H7

info (at) cela.ca

1-416-960-2284
1-844-755-1420

This site contains general legal information for Ontario, Canada. It is not intended to be used as legal advice for a specific legal problem.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.