Welcome to the website of the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law. Our Resource Library is housed in the offices of the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) at 130 Spadina Avenue Suite 301, in Toronto, Ontario Canada. CELA, a community legal aid clinic specializing in environmental law has built this collection since 1970. It currently contains 15,000 essential publications on environmental and policy in Ontario, and Canada as well as some international materials. Legal Aid Ontario has provided funding for this collection. It is intended to assist CELA staff, the public, environmental and legal communities to access information and tools to further environmental justice.

This website contains the catalogue of our collection database, including numerous topical research files. The collection reflects the multidisciplinary nature of many environmental issues with a focus on environmental law and policy. Topic areas of particular strength include environmental assessment and land use planning, environmental law, protection of the Great Lakes, pesticides and other toxic substances, international trade and investment issues, environmental health, waste management and water quality and quantity. Our library is also used as a meeting space so we ask that you call (416) 960-2284 to book a time for your visit. Materials can be used in the Resource Library but not signed out. There are photocopy facilities as well as a library computer for public use. Researchers who are unable to visit our library may call and request some materials from the collection or receive advice on other locations where they may be found by contacting Sarah Miller at (416) 960-2284 ext. 213.

Currently, one of the areas of greatest concern to the Canadian public is the protection, safety and sustainability of water. There is also global concern about water shortages. In the aftermath of the Walkerton tragedy in Ontario there are numerous regulatory reforms underway to entrench and strengthen water protection. In order to inform and update the public on these changes, the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law produced fourteen WATER FAQs in January 2004. These Frequently Asked Questions were made possible by a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Canadian Environmental Law Association has generated many of the materials in our shared collection. The most recent of these materials and a wealth of information on environmental issues are available on their website. In 2002 the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law relocated to its new home. In order to make room for new materials and to focus the current collection, early parts of our collection and archival materials have been donated to Wilfrid Laurier University Library and special collections. We are very grateful to Wilfrid Laurier for becoming a repository for these materials that complement their own collection. Over time they can be accessed through their tri-university database at: http://trellis3.tug-libraries.on.ca. In 2003 the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law collaborated on a project to enable the Ontario Environment Network to make their extensive network of environmental groups accessible on-line. This helpful database can be accessed at: www.oen.ca/dir.

The Resource Library for the Environment and the Law is a registered charitable organization. The Revenue Canada Business Registration Number is 88983 2390 RR0001. The Resource Library's existence depends on support from foundations, government agencies, and many individual donors. All donors receive a charitable receipt and our grateful thanks. Please send your donations to the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law, 130 Spadina Avenue, Suite 301, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2L4. Resources for the Environment and the Law would like to thank the Law Foundation of Ontario for their longstanding and generous support. It has enabled the development of this web site. The purpose of The Law Foundation of Ontario is to advance legal knowledge and to facilitate public access to legal services benefiting the people of Ontario. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. With $100 million in annual funding from the province's charitable gaming initiative, the Foundation provides grants to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations in the arts, culture, sports, recreation, environment and social service sectors. The Ontario Trillium Foundation support has helped us put our catalogue on-line, update our computer hard and software and has funded our Water FAQs. The Canadian Environmental Law Association provides a home for the Resource Library and provides funds from their budget for facilities and staffing. CELA Members serve on the Board of Directors of the Resource Library for the Environment and the Law. The Clinic Services Office of Legal Aid Ontario has provided our library with an annual acquisitions budget for our collection since 1978.