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Regulatory Approvals, Environmental Assessment, and Permitting
We understand what is necessary to create positive and productive relationships and create the right conditions for regulatory approval success.
Overview
Falkirk has helped companies and organizations across Canada, and in other jurisdictions globally, to navigate their projects through EAs, permitting processes and political realities, successfully moving them into their next phase of development with understanding, alignment, and strong support.
EA and Permitting management have been a core service of Falkirk since the company started. Our founding partners and senior staff have decades of experience in this area, acting as the Owner’s Representative. Falkirk recognizes the uncertainty associated with the current regulatory affairs space. Navigating new and largely untested regulatory processes and expectations, circumventing the impacts of industry wide staffing shortages, identifying collaborative and meaningful solutions to address evolving Indigenous engagement practices and commitments, and minimizing future risk for our clients are topics that are front and centre in our work. Our approach is highly successful in large part due to our strong relationships with regulatory agencies, including but not limited to the Environmental Assessment Office, Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI) and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV). We have a proven track record of success in delivery of provincial and federal environmental assessment processes and are currently working on several environmental assessment and Mines Act/Environmental Management Act related approvals for other clients.
Another key element to Falkirk’s EA and permitting approach is a strong focus on Indigenous engagement, as early in the approvals process as possible. As accomplished professionals in building positive relationships between companies in the resource sector and Indigenous groups throughout British Columbia, we understand what is necessary to create positive and productive relationships and create the right conditions for success. All members of the Falkirk team have significant experience in this area, and we closely align our permitting and technical work with consultation and engagement activities with Indigenous communities.
Highlights
Falikirk is leading the first major project through British Columbia’s new Environmental Assessment Act
Falkirk is currently leading the Environmental Assessment process for Osisko Development Corporations Cariboo Gold Project located in Central British Columbia. A close collaboration with the Lhtako Dene, Xatśūll and Williams Lake First Nations. The Cariboo Gold Project is anticipated to be the first major project in the province to receive an Environmental Assessment Certificate under the new BC Environmental Assessment Act.
Find more about the project here:
Supporting the Citxw Nlaka'pamux
Assembly (CNA)
Falkirk combines their knowledge and leadership in regulatory review processes and their expertise in Indigenous engagement to reduce risk and ensure meaningful outcomes for both Project Owner’s and Indigenous groups. Falkirk is currently supporting the Citxw Nlaka'pamux Assembly (CNA) to ensure Indigenous knowledge and perspectives are incorporated directly into the Teck Highland Valley Copper 2040 Project’s environmental assessment.
For more information about the CNA, please visit the following:
Insight 1
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Insight 2
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Insight 3
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“EA and Permitting management have been a core service of Falkirk since the company started.”
Services
key elements to Falkirk’s EA and Permitting approach are highlighted below:
- Full environmental assessment process management (Federal, Provincial, and Territorial), including regulatory and Indigenous engagement, as well as Project permitting, licences, and regulatory affairs for all stages of the development cycle from exploration and assessment to design, operations, and ultimate closure;
- Full project approvals strategy design and implementation, budget control, consultation/qualified professional selection (engineering, biophysical and human environment), and outcomes management;
- Early and meaningful engagement with regulatory agency representatives and other technical advisory committee/mine review committee members to develop targeted and project-specific applications (based on clear and focused Application Information Requirements/Information Requirements Tables);
- Coordination and management of engineering inputs into approvals applications and documentation;
- Oversight of baseline biophysical and socio-economic studies;
- Regular communication and reporting to the senior management/executive teams of our clients in relation to approvals strategy and schedule; and
- Thoughtful development of approvals application materials that are technically sound, well written and focused on required information, for minimizing application review delays and protracted issues resolution processes.
Project Team
Jennifer is the president of Falkirk and brings nearly 25 years’ experience encompassing environmental impact assessment, permitting coordination, and environmental management planning.

Michael is a founding partner of Falkirk and is an accomplished professional with 25 years of experience working at senior leadership levels in the natural resources sector within BC, across Canada and internationally.

Max Brownhill is the operations leads, a founding partner of Falkirk and a senior professional with 24 years of experience providing environmental leadership for mining, oil and gas, infrastructure, and transportation projects.

Natalie Tashe is a Professional Agrologist trained in project management and brings over 20 years’ experience in terrestrial environmental assessments throughout Western and Northern Canada in leading both Provincial and Federal environmental impact assessments, permitting applications, and environmental design and compliance for existing mine operations.

Scott is a seasoned senior executive with almost 28 years of experience in private and public sectors, working as a regulator, consultant and proponent. Scott has had decision-making, oversight or project management roles on dozens of environmental assessments across all sectors in BC, over the past 13 years. His most recent role has been serving in the capacity of Associate Vice President, Regulatory Affairs with the BC Transportation Investment Corporation.

Shawneen Walker is a professional biologist, registered in both British Columbia and Alberta, and has over 20 years of experience in consulting and education. She specializes in facilitating environmental assessment certificates, permits, licenses and approvals by coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing communication between the proponents, regulatory agencies and stakeholders.

Nicole is an environmental biologist with over 18 years combined experience in terrestrial ecosystem, vegetation, and wildlife ecology. She specializes in ecosystem mapping, vegetation, and wetland baseline assessments, environmental effects assessments, and mitigation and management plans.

Fauzi is an environmental coordinator and project manager within Falkirk’s Regulatory and Project Permitting group. Specializing in the areas of environmental assessment and major project permitting, Fauzi spent the last five years with Hemmera in Quebec working in the natural resource sector.

Claudia is a bilingual (English/Spanish) environmental professional with extensive experience leading the environmental assessment, permitting and scientific analysis of projects linked to mining, natural resources, solid waste, and research throughout the Americas.

Ms. Arnold is a regional expert on mine permitting and compliance in the southern region of the United States with over 30 years of mining experience. Her most recent project was the successful completion of a 12-year permitting process for a large open pit mining project near Tucson, Arizona.












Claudia Castro
Senior Project Manager and Environmental Scientist

Nicole Tennant
Environmental Scientist

Fauzi Nisha
Environmental Coordinator and Project Manager

Katherine Arnold
Mine Permitting and Compliance Expert

Project Profiles
Cariboo Gold Project
Client — Osisko Development Corporation (ODV)
As the Owner’s representative, Falkirk is currently leading the Environmental Assessment Process under the new British Columbia Provincial Environmental Assessment Act. The Cariboo Gold Project is anticipated to be the first project to receive an Environmental Assessment Certificate under this Act.
Red Mountain Underground Gold Project
Client — IDM Mining Ltd.
As the Owner’s representative, Falkirk was responsible for all scoping, scheduling, budgeting, liaison, submission, and finalization of the Environmental Assessment documentation required under the BC Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Falkirk was responsible for the development of all exploration and operational permits (provincial and federal) and directed consultant deliverables including baseline studies, design, modelling, permitting.
Exploration Notice of Work Technical Reviews
Client — Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation (EMLI)
Falkirk was retained by the province to complete technical reviews of notice of work exploration program applications located in the NW region of BC. EMLI was facing a significant backlog created by a lack of internal resources and staff overturn. A team of Falkirk employees reviewed each application to ensure completeness, that risks were identified, and appropriate mitigations presented, as well as identified conflicts with other tenure holders in the area through direct engagement. A decision package was then passed along to a statutory decision maker for endorsement of final permits.
Scottie Gold Project
Client — Scottie Gold Ltd.
Falkirk is currently the Lead Consultant for project management, regulatory approvals, environmental compliance, and study coordination for the delivery of baseline results to support the project.