Sydney Smith

Bio

Sydney Smith is an associate lawyer practicing environmental law and litigation, Indigenous law, and energy law. Sydney draws on her background in environmental science to understand complex environmental legal problems and assist clients develop pragmatic solutions. Sydney is called to the bar in Ontario and the Yukon.

Environmental Law

Sydney supports a wide variety of clients with environmental compliance matters, and assists them to understand their environmental regulatory requirements and responsibilities.

Environmental Litigation

Sydney supports clients in environmental civil proceedings, administrative proceedings, and regulatory prosecutions.  Sydney has experience with assisting on appeals of Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ Orders to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and prosecuting and defending contaminated land lawsuits before Ontario’s Courts.

Energy and Natural Resources Law

Sydney supports clients seeking regulatory approval for energy projects.

Indigenous and Northern Law

Sydney assists with the provision of legal advice to First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities, resource proponents, governments, and environmental boards about natural resource and environmental law matters.

Prior Work Experience

• In law school, Sydney graduated with a specialization in Environmental Law.
• Sydney also interned with an environmental non-profit specialty legal aid clinic and took part in the Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic. In these roles, Sydney provided legal support on a range of issues, including opposition to the placement and design of a nuclear facility as well as aerial herbicide spraying in Northern Ontario.
• As a research assistant to an environmental law professor, Sydney conducted legal research about plastics pollution in Canada and created lecture modules.
• As a research assistant to a food law professor, Sydney conducted legal research about the Indigenous right to hunt, gather and trap on Crown land and sustainable agriculture.
• During her undergraduate degree, Sydney worked as a biologist for the federal government and assisted in compliance check-ups.

Clients

• Industrial companies
• Land developers, property owners, landlords and tenants
• Engineering and consulting firms
• Insurers and financial institutions
• Construction sector
• Aboriginal communities and businesses
• Environmental boards and tribunals
• Municipalities
• Individuals

Representative Work

Environmental Law

• Environmental Education and Training—Prepared materials for and assisted in developing an environmental law training course for an international metal manufacturing company.
• Environmental Screen of Regulatory Requirements—Assisted an international real estate corporation to understand environmental regulatory requirements in Canada.
• Freedom of Information Requests—Assisted various reviews and responses to Freedom of Information Requests.

Environmental Litigation

• Appeal of a Director’s Order—Assisted a land owner company appeal of a Ministry Director’s Order to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
• Civil Claim for Environmental Damages—Assisted a business corporation seeking damages arising from migrating contamination from a neighboring property and an environmental consultant’s negligence.
• Defence of Prosecution—Assisted a land owner facing charges from a Conservation Authority.

Energy and Natural Resources Law

• Wind Turbine Opposition—Assisted a group of concerned landowners to oppose the possible approval of a new wind farm development in Alberta.
• Advice on Regulatory Requirements for Transmission Lines—Assisted a First Nation with advice about regulatory requirements and permits needed for transmission and distribution lines.

Indigenous and Northern Law

• Represent Northern Board in Regulatory Proceedings—Assisted a Northern Resource Board with submissions to the Court regarding water and mining license decisions.
• Represent First Nation in Arbitration—Assisted a First Nation in arbitration against a power company pertaining to historic flooding.