October 2024
"The youth won": Reflections on the landmark Mathur v Ontario victory
Background
In 2019, seven brave young people -- Sophia, Zoe, Shaelyn, Shelby, Alex, Madison, and Beze -- sued the Ontario government on the grounds that weak provincial climate policy violates the youths' Charter rights. The national For Our Kids network has been invested in the success of this case since the start. In fact, For Our Kids Toronto served as intervenors in the case, sharing a parent/ caregiver perspective on the government's responsibility to protect the wellbeing of our children through strong climate policy.
Over the last five years, the Ford government has tried hard to get the case thrown out. But despite these efforts, last week, the Ontario Court of Appeals sided on behalf of the youth, confirming that Ontario must conduct its climate response in accordance with high standards of the Charter.
This is a huge victory with tremendous implications for climate litigation across Canada and around the world.
Simply put, these youth are heroes. They have dedicated 5 years of their young lives to demanding action and accountability from some of the most powerful institutions in Canada. And they’re winning.
But they’re not alone in this fight. With legal representation from Ecojustice and Stockwoods - plus intervenor support from organizations like Indigenous Climate Action, Canadian Physicians for the Environment, and For Our Kids - it is clear that there’s an entire movement standing behind these young people.
Since the decision, the youth have been generously sharing their insights with media outlets across the country (see the Media section below for links). But what has this experience meant for the adults who have been doing work behind the scenes? We asked some folks for reflections and here is what they said.
Reactions
Vanessa Brown | Member, For Our Kids Toronto
Alison Bruni | Member, For Our Kids Toronto
Meaghan Daniel | Barrister and Solicitor; FOK Toronto’s lawyer
Wyanne Sandler | National network director, For Our Kids
Resources
Ecojustice has an incredible collection of resources related to the case and its developments.
Media articles
- Canadian Press/ The Globe And Mail: Ontario’s top court orders new hearing for youth-led climate change case
- Toronto Star: ‘This is a David vs Goliath fight:’ Ontario court allows appeal in landmark youth-led climate case
- CBC: Ontario's top court orders new hearing in youth climate case
- Reuters:Canadian climate lawsuit by young people could sway global cases
- CBC Here and Now: Young activists celebrate landmark victory in climate lawsuit against the Ontario government
- French - La Presse Canadienne : La Cour d’appel de l’Ontario ordonne une nouvelle audience
FOK blog posts
These posts (in chronological order) track the supportive and creative ways the For Our Kids network has shown up on behalf of the youth plaintiffs.
- Parents apply to intervene in Ontario youth-led climate lawsuit
- For Our Kids intervenes in landmark climate lawsuit led by Ontario youth
- For Our Kids says thank you to the seven youth involved in historic climate lawsuit
- Update: For Our Kids intervention in the Ontario youth-led climate lawsuit
- Parents heading back to court to support youth in historic climate lawsuit
Stay updated
Be sure to follow For Our Kids on social media and subscribe to our newsletters to stay informed as the case develops.