On July 11 and July 18, 2026, Shake Up The Establishment (SUTE) facilitated two community consultation and policy action events in Vancouver, British Columbia to support public participation in the Government of Canada’s consultation on the draft National Strategy to Advance Environmental Justice and Address Environmental Racism. The first event took place during the Khatsahlano Street Party on July 11, 2026 in Vancouver, where SUTE engaged community members through a public outreach booth. The second was held at Beaumont Studios in Vancouver as part of Pacific Northwest Climate Week and included a presentation on environmental justice in Canada followed by a community letter-writing workshop. We interacted with a total of 350 people at Khatsalano and 20 people at the PNW Climate Week event with letter-writing materials and educational resources. 

At both events, participants were invited to write letters to the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature, sharing their experiences, concerns, and recommendations to help inform the National Strategy. Participants had the option of mailing their letters directly to the Minister or participating in SUTE’s consultation process. Those who participated in the consultation consented to having their letters reviewed and their experiences and recommendations synthesized and shared publicly in this report. After documenting participants’ responses, our team mailed each participant’s letter so their perspectives would both contribute to this summary and be submitted directly to the federal consultation.

A total of 18 participants gave us their letters to include in this write up from both events. Participants represented a range of lived experiences, professions, and backgrounds from communities across Metro Vancouver and beyond. Together, they brought both diverse lived experience and technical expertise, providing a space for community perspectives and academic research to amplify voices in federal environmental justice policy. The Vancouver consultation brought together participants that self-identified as racialized or people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, persons with disabilities or chronic health conditions, and immigrants or newcomers to Canada. Their prior knowledge of environmental justice ranged from individuals with little previous exposure to the concept to professionals and researchers holding master’s degrees in environmental justice and related fields. 

The consultation also included youth representing a diverse range of non-profit organizations and academic institutions working to advance climate and environmental justice, including the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability (IRES), CityHive, the Tanah Air Project, Columbia University Climate School, and more.

Participants’ experiences, observations, and concerns about environmental racism and environmental justice

Disproportionate environmental harms affecting Indigenous communities

Participants consistently identified Indigenous communities as experiencing some of the most severe and longstanding impacts of environmental racism in Canada. Many described ongoing concerns related to unsafe drinking water, contaminated waterways, industrial pollution, mining, oil and gas development, petrochemical facilities, pipelines, hydroelectric dams, and other extractive activities occurring on or near Indigenous lands. Participants emphasized that these activities continue to negatively affect community health, traditional food systems, fisheries, cultural practices, and Indigenous relationships with the land.

Several participants referenced specific examples, including Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Grassy Narrows, and communities affected by oil sands development, mining, pipelines, and industrial contamination. One participant highlighted that approximately 40% of Canada’s petrochemical industry is concentrated around Aamjiwnaang First Nation and described benzene levels far exceeding what is considered safe. Another described the cumulative impacts experienced throughout the Winnipeg River watershed, citing multiple hydroelectric dams, lithium mining, nuclear research activities, historical nuclear spills, inadequate notification of downstream communities, and elevated rates of illness and cancer.

Participants also raised concerns that governments continue to approve or consider major development projects without meaningful consultation, consent, transparency, or adequate mitigation. Examples included proposed dredging in Burrard Inlet, the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, and projects affecting the Tsleil-Waututh and Gitanyow Nations. Several participants felt these examples reflected broader failures to uphold Indigenous rights, title, sovereignty, and Indigenous Knowledge within environmental decision-making, with governments often prioritizing resource extraction and economic development over reconciliation, environmental protection, and community wellbeing.

Environmental inequities experienced by racialized, immigrant, newcomer, and lower-income communities

Participants described environmental racism as affecting racialized, immigrant, newcomer, and lower-income communities through unequal environmental conditions, systemic barriers, and reduced access to healthy environments. Many identified disproportionate exposure to pollution, poor air quality, urban heat, inadequate neighbourhood infrastructure, and limited access to parks, tree canopy, cooling, and other environmental amenities that support health and wellbeing.

Several newcomers described working in precarious or unsafe jobs that placed their health at risk while receiving limited protections or advocacy. Others described living in unhealthy or poor-quality housing because of unfamiliarity with Canadian systems, language barriers, or limited housing options. Participants noted that inadequate housing, neighbourhood conditions, and limited access to green space can contribute to both physical and mental health impacts, including chronic stress, anxiety, and depression.

Participants also emphasized that environmental justice should not depend on political representation or citizenship status. Several noted that newcomers often experience environmental harms long before becoming eligible to vote and argued that governments have a responsibility to address those concerns regardless of whether affected communities have electoral influence. Participants stressed that access to clean air, clean water, healthy environments, and meaningful participation in environmental decision-making should not depend on immigration status or voting eligibility.

One participant also highlighted ongoing pollution and municipal neglect affecting Vancouver’s Chinatown, while others expressed concern that racialized communities continue to experience displacement, economic insecurity, and environmental burdens while receiving insufficient government support.

Unequal access to healthy neighbourhoods, infrastructure, and nature

Participants frequently described unequal access to healthy neighbourhoods and environmental amenities as an important dimension of environmental injustice. Many observed that racialized and lower-income neighbourhoods often have fewer parks, trails, trees, rapid transit options, cycling infrastructure, and other features that support health and quality of life. 

Limited transportation options were described as reducing access to employment, healthcare, recreation, and natural spaces while increasing financial burdens for people without access to private vehicles. Participants also noted that neighbourhoods with limited tree canopy and green space experience greater urban heat-island effects, while children and families may have fewer safe outdoor spaces close to home. Lauren, a community programmer from Vancouver, BC reflected on how “the children I work for may not have a safe place close to home to connect to the land in present day nor will they have a safe space to live and grow in the coming years.”

Several participants emphasized that access to nature should itself be understood as an environmental justice issue. They described limited opportunities to spend time outdoors as affecting physical health, mental health, social connection, and overall wellbeing. Participants also raised concerns about industrial contamination and unsafe drinking water affecting lower-income urban neighbourhoods, emphasizing that environmental health inequities related to water quality extend beyond Indigenous communities alone.

Climate change, cumulative impacts, and unequal resilience

Participants consistently viewed climate change and environmental racism as deeply interconnected. Many expressed concern that extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding, drought, and other climate-related hazards disproportionately affect Indigenous, racialized, newcomer, and lower-income communities while compounding existing social and economic inequities. Aliya of Vancouver, BC commented in regards to these inequities as “failing to serve us [racialized people] while failing to act on climate change is creating a Canada exclusive of our prosperity and futures.”

Rather than viewing environmental hazards in isolation, participants described cumulative impacts resulting from interactions between housing, transportation, environmental exposures, healthcare, income, infrastructure, and climate change. Several emphasized that climate adaptation efforts must intentionally prioritize communities already experiencing environmental injustice rather than applying universal approaches that fail to recognize differing levels of vulnerability.

Participants also highlighted that environmental injustice extends beyond unequal exposure to climate hazards. One participant described inequities in disaster preparedness, emergency response, insurance, and recovery following climate-related disasters, arguing that marginalized communities often have fewer resources available before, during, and after emergencies. Others expressed concern that governments continue to delay meaningful action despite substantial existing evidence documenting environmental racism and environmental health inequities.

Barriers to education, employment, and participation in the green transition

Participants emphasized that environmental justice extends beyond reducing environmental harms to ensuring equitable opportunities to participate in environmental education, employment, leadership, restoration, and decision-making. Several identified barriers women, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, and other underrepresented groups face in accessing environmental education, restoration initiatives, leadership opportunities, and careers within environmental fields.

One participant highlighted gender-based wage inequities within British Columbia’s forestry sector as an example of broader structural inequities affecting participation in environmental industries. Others emphasized that environmental justice should ensure everyone has equitable opportunities to benefit from the transition to a more sustainable economy rather than concentrating those opportunities among already privileged groups. 

Across responses, participants consistently described environmental justice as encompassing not only protection from environmental harm, but also equitable access to healthy environments, meaningful participation in decision-making, environmental knowledge, employment opportunities, and the benefits of a just transition. On a just transition, Daniel of Coquitlam, BC said: “Environmental justice is not only about reducing environmental risks but also about ensuring everyone has equal opportunities to participate in, lead and benefit from the green transition.”

Participants’ recommendations for Canada’s National Strategy

Invest in community-led environmental justice initiatives

Participants consistently emphasized that advancing environmental justice will require sustained investment in community leadership rather than short-term consultation alone. Many called for stable, multi-year funding for Indigenous Nations, grassroots organizations, community-serving organizations, researchers, and frontline initiatives leading environmental education, monitoring, restoration, advocacy, and community-based research.

Participants stressed that funding should support long-term organizational capacity rather than only time-limited projects, enabling communities to build relationships, develop expertise, and respond to local priorities over time. Several recommended supporting community-led research and environmental monitoring while ensuring Indigenous communities retain ownership and governance over environmental and health data collected within their territories.

Many participants also emphasized that governments should invest in building communities’ capacity to participate meaningfully in environmental decision-making. This included providing dedicated funding for Indigenous Nations to engage in consultations, supporting environmental education and leadership opportunities, and recognizing newcomers, immigrants, refugees, and other marginalized communities as important partners in environmental justice work. One participant also recommended expanding truth and reconciliation education for newcomers to strengthen understanding of Indigenous rights, environmental stewardship, and Canada’s colonial history.

Strengthen implementation, accountability, and federal leadership

Participants consistently emphasized that Canada’s National Strategy should move beyond high-level commitments by establishing clear implementation measures, dedicated funding, measurable objectives, transparent reporting, and ongoing accountability. Many expressed concern that environmental justice commitments risk remaining aspirational without concrete timelines, clearly assigned responsibilities, and regular public reporting on progress.

Several participants recommended establishing a permanent federal agency dedicated to environmental health inequities with responsibility for coordinating research, implementation, accountability, and collaboration across governments. Others emphasized that advancing environmental justice should become a shared responsibility across federal departments rather than remaining solely within Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Participants also emphasized that implementation should be adaptive rather than static. Beyond establishing targets and accountability measures, governments should regularly evaluate whether interventions are producing meaningful improvements, use evidence to identify where approaches are succeeding or falling short, and adjust implementation over time rather than simply allocating funding without demonstrating results. Several participants stressed that governments already possess substantial evidence documenting environmental racism and should prioritize acting on existing knowledge while continuing to strengthen research and data collection. One participant further recommended that the Strategy explicitly acknowledge lessons learned from past government failures to address environmental racism and incorporate those lessons into future implementation.

Embed environmental justice across government decision-making

Participants recommended integrating environmental justice into all areas of federal decision-making rather than treating it as a standalone strategy. Several proposed creating a mandatory Environmental Justice Analysis tool to assess the environmental, health, social, historical, and cumulative impacts of federal legislation, regulations, funding decisions, infrastructure investments, and project approvals before decisions are made.

Participants also recommended applying an environmental justice lens across future federal regulations, ensuring public investments align with environmental justice objectives, and avoiding situations where government funding or policy decisions contribute to disproportionate environmental harms experienced by marginalized communities. Several emphasized that environmental justice considerations should become a routine part of decision-making across all federal departments.

Improve transparency, public information, and meaningful participation

Participants emphasized that meaningful participation depends upon accessible information, transparent government processes, and clear opportunities for communities to influence decisions. Many recommended improving access to multilingual information about environmental hazards, environmental rights, consumer products, reporting mechanisms, and government responsibilities.

Several participants also recommended creating accessible complaint processes, clearly defined government response times, dedicated staff to support community members navigating reporting systems, and publicly available performance indicators so communities can better understand how environmental concerns are being addressed. Others emphasized that consultation should occur early, continue throughout decision-making processes, and provide affected communities with genuine influence over outcomes rather than symbolic opportunities to provide feedback. 

Strengthen environmental protections and hold governments and industry accountable

Participants consistently called for stronger regulation and enforcement of environmentally harmful industries, including mining, petrochemical production, fossil fuel development, pipelines, commercial fishing, and other industrial activities. Many emphasized preventing environmental harms before they occur through stronger oversight, meaningful enforcement, comprehensive environmental assessment, remediation, and legally enforceable consequences where environmental standards are violated.

Participants also recommended strengthening protection of Indigenous rights during resource development, improving assessment of mining impacts, addressing the impacts of harmful fishing practices on Indigenous and small-scale fishers, and better protecting waterways and surrounding ecosystems from industrial contamination. Several emphasized that governments, corporations, and employers should all face stronger accountability when their actions contribute to environmental injustice. 

Some participants also recommended introducing environmental or health-related taxes on polluting industries, with revenues directed toward healthcare, environmental restoration, mitigation efforts, and affected communities. Others proposed compensation or restitution for Indigenous and other communities that have experienced environmental harms.

Support an equitable transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy

Participants recommended accelerating Canada’s transition away from fossil fuels while ensuring the benefits of the transition are shared equitably. Suggestions included ending fossil fuel subsidies, halting pipelines and similar large-infrastructure projects, investing in renewable energy, reducing regulatory barriers to private solar panel installation, expanding subsidies for household renewable energy, improving public transit, and strengthening investments in climate-friendly infrastructure.

Several participants also called for governments to follow through on existing climate commitments, including substantially expanding the proposed Youth Climate Corps to provide living-wage employment while supporting climate action and community resilience. Participants emphasized that climate investments should align with reconciliation commitments and contribute to healthier, more equitable communities rather than reproducing existing inequalities. 

Invest in healthy, resilient communities

Participants recommended increasing investments in affordable housing, public transit, cycling infrastructure, parks, tree canopy, and climate adaptation measures that improve health while reducing environmental inequities. One participant specifically proposed requiring a meaningful proportion of housing in new developments to remain below market rates to improve affordability for young families, seniors, and marginalized communities.

Several participants also recommended strengthening research into mining impacts, contaminated waterways, fisheries, ecosystem health, and cumulative environmental exposures to better inform future policy decisions. Others emphasized that governments should identify communities experiencing the greatest environmental burdens and prioritize investments where needs are greatest.

Expand environmental education, leadership, and public participation

Participants consistently emphasized that environmental justice requires expanding opportunities for people to learn about, participate in, and help shape environmental action. Recommendations included creating a national database of environmental education, restoration, and training opportunities; expanding volunteer stewardship, educational nature walks, and community data collection initiatives; and improving access to environmental leadership opportunities for underrepresented groups.

Several participants also proposed recognizing organizations demonstrating leadership in environmental justice through transparent sustainability indicators that consider factors such as representation, pay equity, leadership diversity, and community participation. Others emphasized that environmental education should be widely accessible and that governments should invest in building environmental knowledge, leadership, and civic participation across communities.

Participants’ vision for an environmentally just Canada

Healthy environments as a universal right

Participants envisioned a Canada where everyone has equitable access to clean air, safe drinking water, healthy food, affordable housing, quality healthcare, and healthy natural environments regardless of their race, income, geography, immigration status, or background. Many described environmental justice as requiring more than the absence of pollution; it means ensuring everyone can live, work, learn, and raise their families in environments that actively support health and wellbeing.

Participants also envisioned a future where environmental pollution is identified and remediated before it causes long-term harm, where communities receive timely healthcare and support for environmental health impacts, where people have access to participate in community programming and where future generations no longer face disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards. Several described clean air, clean water, and healthy environments as fundamental rights that should be meaningfully protected for everyone.

Healthy, connected, and climate-resilient communities

Participants envisioned communities designed to promote health, resilience, and environmental sustainability. Many described neighbourhoods with abundant parks, tree canopy, green spaces, biodiversity, walkable streets, connected cycling infrastructure, reliable public transit, and opportunities for people to spend time in nature regardless of where they live.

Several also hoped governments would expand environmental programming in schools and communities while increasing opportunities for environmental education, restoration, stewardship, educational nature walks, volunteering, and community data collection. Participants envisioned neighbourhoods that are better prepared for climate change through investments in resilient infrastructure while ensuring climate adaptation efforts prioritize communities facing the greatest risks.

Participants also described healthier communities as those that reduce dependence on private vehicles while expanding access to public transit and renewable energy. Some envisioned greater support for household solar energy alongside transportation systems that reduce emissions while preserving accessibility for emergency services and people with mobility needs.

Indigenous leadership, reconciliation, and environmental stewardship

Participants consistently envisioned a future where Indigenous rights, title, sovereignty, and Indigenous Knowledge are fully respected within environmental governance. Many emphasized that Indigenous Nations should have meaningful authority over decisions affecting their lands, waters, and communities, with consultation occurring early, transparently, and throughout decision-making processes.

Participants also envisioned governments supporting Indigenous-led stewardship, restoration, revitalization, and nature-based solutions, and providing appropriate equity for any extractive projects on their land, while protecting lands and waters from harmful extraction and contamination. Several emphasized that reconciliation should be reflected through action rather than symbolism by respecting Indigenous rights, investing in Indigenous leadership, and supporting long-term restoration of lands, waters, ecosystems, and communities affected by environmental injustice.

Inclusive participation and equitable opportunities

Participants envisioned environmental decision-making that meaningfully reflects the experiences of Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, racialized communities, women, and other historically underrepresented groups. Rather than limiting participation to formal consultation, participants hoped affected communities would have genuine influence over environmental decisions while having equitable access to environmental education, leadership opportunities, employment, and participation in the green economy.

Several participants specifically emphasized that newcomers should be welcomed as contributors to climate action, food sovereignty, energy sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and community wellbeing from the time they arrive in Canada rather than waiting until they become eligible to vote or obtain citizenship. Participants envisioned environmental justice as ensuring that everyone can participate in shaping healthier communities regardless of their immigration status or political representation.

Accountable governments, responsible industry, and public investment that serves communities

Participants envisioned governments that consistently prioritize environmental protection, public health, reconciliation, and community wellbeing alongside economic development. They hoped governments, corporations, and employers would be held meaningfully accountable for environmental harms through stronger regulation, transparent decision-making, and effective enforcement, while ensuring environmental strategies include measurable actions, regular evaluation, and clear public accountability.

Several participants also emphasized that public investments should prioritize improving people’s lives and environments over resource-intensive developments that provide limited public benefit. One participant specifically opposed resource-hungry AI data centres, arguing that billions of dollars would be better invested in improving housing, healthcare, healthy communities, and other public priorities rather than benefiting a small number of wealthy technological interests. Others envisioned environmental taxes or similar mechanisms directing revenues toward healthcare, environmental restoration, mitigation, and affected communities while discouraging pollution and environmental degradation.

A fair, healthy, and sustainable future for everyone

Across responses, participants envisioned an environmentally just Canada where the benefits of environmental protection, climate action, and sustainable development are shared equitably rather than concentrated among already privileged communities. They hoped fossil fuels would be replaced by renewable energy, workers would benefit from living-wage employment through a just transition, and communities would have the resources needed to prepare for and respond to climate change.

Participants also envisioned a future where governments continually learn from experience, use evidence to improve environmental policies over time, and remain accountable to the communities most affected by environmental injustice. Ultimately, participants described environmental justice not as a single policy or program, but as an ongoing commitment to ensuring everyone can live in healthy environments, participate meaningfully in environmental decision-making, and share equitably in the opportunities and benefits of a more just, healthy, and sustainable Canada.