Martin Z. Olszynski
@molszyns.bsky.social
Associate Professor & Chair in Energy, Resources & Sustainability @ U of Calgary Faculty of Law. Co-editor @ablawg.bsky.social. Thinking about land-use planning, trade-offs, and muddling through.
Calgary, AB/Treaty 7 🇨🇦
Calgary, AB/Treaty 7 🇨🇦
Heads up #yycbike: 5 of my family’s bikes were stolen from our garage last night 😔. Please keep your eyes open for these bikes and please repost widely.
2019 Rocky Mountain Instinct
2006 Brodie Fury
2008 Trek 1500
2019 Trek Marlin 6
2022 Trek Marlin 5
2019 Rocky Mountain Instinct
2006 Brodie Fury
2008 Trek 1500
2019 Trek Marlin 6
2022 Trek Marlin 5
October 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Heads up #yycbike: 5 of my family’s bikes were stolen from our garage last night 😔. Please keep your eyes open for these bikes and please repost widely.
2019 Rocky Mountain Instinct
2006 Brodie Fury
2008 Trek 1500
2019 Trek Marlin 6
2022 Trek Marlin 5
2019 Rocky Mountain Instinct
2006 Brodie Fury
2008 Trek 1500
2019 Trek Marlin 6
2022 Trek Marlin 5
If Albertans are going to accept ~ 88K inactive & orphaned wells littering the landscape in perpetuity, may as well commemorate it with a license plate, sure. #ableg
October 16, 2025 at 2:38 AM
If Albertans are going to accept ~ 88K inactive & orphaned wells littering the landscape in perpetuity, may as well commemorate it with a license plate, sure. #ableg
We’re kicking off day 1 of our Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector Conference. And in about 1&1/2 hrs, @drewyewchuk.bsky.social and I will be posting our latest @ablawg.bsky.social re: Alberta’s Mine Financial Security Program (MFSP). It’s sort of a big deal. #ableg #cdnpoli
October 3, 2025 at 2:42 PM
We’re kicking off day 1 of our Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector Conference. And in about 1&1/2 hrs, @drewyewchuk.bsky.social and I will be posting our latest @ablawg.bsky.social re: Alberta’s Mine Financial Security Program (MFSP). It’s sort of a big deal. #ableg #cdnpoli
Like I said at the outset, 5(1.1) is curiously worded. But any doubt with respect to the above is erased when you read the French version, as lawyers and courts are instructed to do to discern a provision’s proper meaning.
End/la fin. 9/9
End/la fin. 9/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Like I said at the outset, 5(1.1) is curiously worded. But any doubt with respect to the above is erased when you read the French version, as lawyers and courts are instructed to do to discern a provision’s proper meaning.
End/la fin. 9/9
End/la fin. 9/9
This is allowed under the “double aspects” doctrine. So while fed & prov law-making powers are “exclusive” (only feds can pass laws that are in essence about criminal law), the courts have recognized that one set of facts can have multiple aspects that lend themselves to laws by both levels: 6/n
October 2, 2025 at 12:18 PM
This is allowed under the “double aspects” doctrine. So while fed & prov law-making powers are “exclusive” (only feds can pass laws that are in essence about criminal law), the courts have recognized that one set of facts can have multiple aspects that lend themselves to laws by both levels: 6/n
The answer lies in our constitution. Per ss 91 & 92, the so-called division of powers provisions, both the fed’s & provs’ legislative authority (the “power to make laws” aka jurisdiction) is “exclusive”.
So Parliament has exclusive authority to pass some kinds of laws, provs other. 4/n
So Parliament has exclusive authority to pass some kinds of laws, provs other. 4/n
October 2, 2025 at 12:18 PM
The answer lies in our constitution. Per ss 91 & 92, the so-called division of powers provisions, both the fed’s & provs’ legislative authority (the “power to make laws” aka jurisdiction) is “exclusive”.
So Parliament has exclusive authority to pass some kinds of laws, provs other. 4/n
So Parliament has exclusive authority to pass some kinds of laws, provs other. 4/n
Note the plural “areas”.
Both s 91 and 92 grant “exclusive” legislative authority (the power “to make laws” — not over things, e.g. a project). The trick is to understand that projects can fall under both a 91 and 92 (or several of each class therein) pursuant to the “double aspects” doctrine. 1/2
Both s 91 and 92 grant “exclusive” legislative authority (the power “to make laws” — not over things, e.g. a project). The trick is to understand that projects can fall under both a 91 and 92 (or several of each class therein) pursuant to the “double aspects” doctrine. 1/2
October 1, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Note the plural “areas”.
Both s 91 and 92 grant “exclusive” legislative authority (the power “to make laws” — not over things, e.g. a project). The trick is to understand that projects can fall under both a 91 and 92 (or several of each class therein) pursuant to the “double aspects” doctrine. 1/2
Both s 91 and 92 grant “exclusive” legislative authority (the power “to make laws” — not over things, e.g. a project). The trick is to understand that projects can fall under both a 91 and 92 (or several of each class therein) pursuant to the “double aspects” doctrine. 1/2
T-minus 2 days until academics, lawyers, regulators, First Nations, eNGOs & others from Canada, the U.S., Australia & the U.K. gather at UCalgary Law. We’ve maxed out registration. If you weren’t able to register, look for an edited volume next yr & some @ablawg.bsky.social posts next week.
October 1, 2025 at 4:34 PM
T-minus 2 days until academics, lawyers, regulators, First Nations, eNGOs & others from Canada, the U.S., Australia & the U.K. gather at UCalgary Law. We’ve maxed out registration. If you weren’t able to register, look for an edited volume next yr & some @ablawg.bsky.social posts next week.
September 12, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Friends who lunch together, keep #forevercanada together. I hope to have some proper signing opportunities up on the Forever Canada website soon but in the mean time: forever-canadian.ca/sign-the-pet...
September 8, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Friends who lunch together, keep #forevercanada together. I hope to have some proper signing opportunities up on the Forever Canada website soon but in the mean time: forever-canadian.ca/sign-the-pet...
Just under a month away, registration is filling up fast with a great mix of government, Indigenous Nations, private bar lawyers, and NGOs signed up so far.
If you work in the environmental liability space, consider joining us in Calgary on October 2-4, 2025: web-eur.cvent.com/event/f374ca...
If you work in the environmental liability space, consider joining us in Calgary on October 2-4, 2025: web-eur.cvent.com/event/f374ca...
September 4, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Just under a month away, registration is filling up fast with a great mix of government, Indigenous Nations, private bar lawyers, and NGOs signed up so far.
If you work in the environmental liability space, consider joining us in Calgary on October 2-4, 2025: web-eur.cvent.com/event/f374ca...
If you work in the environmental liability space, consider joining us in Calgary on October 2-4, 2025: web-eur.cvent.com/event/f374ca...
September 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Stoked to publish the draft agenda & registration info for UCalgary Faculty of Law's "Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector" conference, which will be held this fall (October 2-4, 2025).
To maintain a workshop vibe, non-presenter registration is being *limited* to 30. Go to eur.cvent.me/KbDnxE
To maintain a workshop vibe, non-presenter registration is being *limited* to 30. Go to eur.cvent.me/KbDnxE
August 20, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Stoked to publish the draft agenda & registration info for UCalgary Faculty of Law's "Closure Liabilities in the Energy Sector" conference, which will be held this fall (October 2-4, 2025).
To maintain a workshop vibe, non-presenter registration is being *limited* to 30. Go to eur.cvent.me/KbDnxE
To maintain a workshop vibe, non-presenter registration is being *limited* to 30. Go to eur.cvent.me/KbDnxE
Beauty shot!
We cheated but still.
We cheated but still.
August 19, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Beauty shot!
We cheated but still.
We cheated but still.
August 17, 2025 at 1:40 AM
July 30, 2025 at 5:44 PM
I posted this to LinkedIn today, but here’s the tldr. On the left, from Dave Yager’s MAS, claiming that over 50 yrs #Ableg has received $300 B in resource $, $550 B adjusted for inflation. On the right, that (in)famous leaked 2018 AER prez re: O&G liabilities, $260 B, or $330 B adjusted. That’s 60%
July 23, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I posted this to LinkedIn today, but here’s the tldr. On the left, from Dave Yager’s MAS, claiming that over 50 yrs #Ableg has received $300 B in resource $, $550 B adjusted for inflation. On the right, that (in)famous leaked 2018 AER prez re: O&G liabilities, $260 B, or $330 B adjusted. That’s 60%
Is this really a thing? Are there really people whose views re: cyclists & bike lanes are driven by their own insecurity? Cyclists just want to enjoy biking and not get killed while doing it. That’s what we’re thinking about. #ableg #cdnpoli #yycbike
calgaryherald.com/opinion/brea...
calgaryherald.com/opinion/brea...
July 9, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Is this really a thing? Are there really people whose views re: cyclists & bike lanes are driven by their own insecurity? Cyclists just want to enjoy biking and not get killed while doing it. That’s what we’re thinking about. #ableg #cdnpoli #yycbike
calgaryherald.com/opinion/brea...
calgaryherald.com/opinion/brea...