The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has dismissed a legal challenge brought by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society over the provincial government’s plan to extend the use of coal-fired power plants beyond 2030, ending a case that has moved through the courts for several years.
In its ruling on October 19, the court sided against the applicants, who had sought to halt the planned expansion of coal power. The court said that because no legal violation had yet occurred, the challenge could not proceed. The case had already been dismissed once before, when the Court of King’s Bench rejected the original application in January, prompting the appeal that has now also failed.
Members of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the other applicants said they would consult with their legal counsel to determine their next steps.
Reaction From Estevan
The decision was welcomed by many in southeastern Saskatchewan, a region that relies on coal power and has anticipated the planned expansion at Boundary Dam.
Estevan-Big Muddy MLA Lori Carr said the ruling shows Saskatchewan’s courts are allowing elected legislators to carry out their work without undue interference. She said the decision demonstrates that legislative procedures are functioning as intended, and that when legislators make decisions within their authority, those decisions should stand.
Carr said she hopes the ruling marks the end of the legal dispute, though she acknowledged the applicants could still seek to appeal to the Supreme Court. She said it remains uncertain whether that will happen.
Stakes for Local Workers and Businesses
Carr said the outcome gives workers and businesses in Estevan a clearer sense of the future, allowing them to plan with more certainty. She said legal challenges of this kind introduce uncertainty that she characterized as unnecessary for a region dependent on the coal sector.
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