Canadians value clean water and a sustainable environment. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers work to verify that businesses and individuals comply with laws and regulations that protect Canada's natural environment.
On March 17, 2023, in the Provincial Court of British Columbia, Keller Foundations Ltd. was ordered to pay a total penalty of $1 million after pleading guilty to one charge laid for violations of subsection 36(3) of the federal Fisheries Act. The charge stemmed from an investigation into the deaths of approximately 85 Cutthroat Trout in Larson Creek in West Vancouver. The fine will be directed to the Government of Canada's Environmental Damages Fund and will support projects that have a positive impact on Canada's natural environment.
On April 30, 2018, Environment and Climate Change Canada environmental enforcement officers were notified of dead fish in Larson Creek. After an investigation, they determined that Keller Foundations Ltd.'s construction activities led to a discharge of concrete leachate into groundwater that flowed into Larson Creek. This resulted in a deposit of a deleterious or harmful substance in a place where it may enter water frequented by fish, a violation of subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act.
As a result of this conviction, the company's name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry. The Registry contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has created a free subscription service to help Canadians stay current with what the Government of Canada is doing to protect our natural environment.
