Originally published in TEACH Magazine, 40 Years of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Special Issue, 2022
By Fiona Tapp
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter guarantees Canadians the basic rights to democratic and free life, but what about the right to nature? Some environmentalists argue that access to a safe and unpolluted environment should be a protected human right as well.
A landmark case is currently making its way through the legal system in Canada, the very first of its kind. Seven young climate activists are taking the Ontario government to task for failing to live up to several climate change targets. But it’s the argument these young mavericks are using that’s truly revolutionary: for the first time in Canadian history, climate change has been cited as a violation of a Canadian citizen’s Charter rights.
Fiona Tapp is a former teacher and school administrator of 13 years. She writes about education, parenting, and travel for a variety of publications including National Geographic, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, The Sunday Times, and many more.
