Background on Client 

•A group of property owners who live in the coastal City of Halifax, NS have been experiencing increasingly severe weather and are now at a severe risk of flooding caused by rising ocean levels. In addition to rising insurance premiums, they are also having to pay increased taxes in order to pay for the cost of building a sea wall and the costs of fixing damages to infrastructure caused by the increasingly severe storms. The severe weather is also impacting local businesses as tourists are driven away by the rising fears of hurricanes hitting the area. 

•Despite suffering tangible damages as a result of climate change, it is unlikely that such a claim will be based on their Charter rights. This is because, it is not yet clear whether the Charter provides for social and economic rights. Courts have generally been reluctant to find the existence of such rights. 

•As a result, it is recommended to choose a different client with a higher likelihood of success in such a case.