Keith Wilson, K.C.
LAWYER | SPEAKER | INNOVATOR
Keith Wilson is a prominent Alberta litigator who deals with cases involving land, the environment, oil and gas, water, compensation, and constitutional law.
Keith has appeared before all Alberta courts and key regulatory tribunals including the Alberta Energy Regulator, Alberta Utilities Commission, Alberta Surface Rights Board, Alberta Environmental Appeals Board, municipal boards and others.
Keith has represented industry associations, participated on government legislative review initiatives, been a keynote speaker at many conferences, and is regularly interviewed by the news media on current legal topics.
Keith is also a leader in the adoption of legal technology and the founder of Veritas Litigation Support which makes digital visual aids and drone technology available to lawyers and expert witnesses.
MEDIA
Covid-19 Charter Litigation
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Alberta Tackling Old Wells and Environmental Liability
CTV W5 | Alberta’s Dirty Legacy (Video)
CBC News | Alberta farmers file what may be first class-action lawsuit over unpaid oil leases (Article)
Financial Post | Alberta to overhaul orphan wells clean-up rules in effort to 'pay down the mortgage' on soaring environment liabilities (Article)
Globe and Mail | Alberta government overhauls oil well liability system to fix decades-old issue of inactive sites (Article)
Government of Alberta | Clear rules advance cleanup of oil and gas wells (Press Release)
Alberta's Growing Orphan Well Problem
BNN Bloomberg | Alberta auditor general launches probe into orphan wells problem (Video)
The Western Producer | Alta. farmers feel heat as oil sector struggles (Article)
Calgary Herald | Varcoe: Province set to review growing oilpatch liability issues (Article)
Calgary Sun | Kenneth Green: Alberta's abandoned wells need tending (Article)
Supreme Court of Canada Redwater Ruling
2017 to 2019 -- Legacy and Abandoned Oil Wells Liabilities and Environmental Impacts
BNN Bloomberg | Orphan well cleanup wait could come at huge cost to Alberta landowners (Video)
Global News | 16x9: When the Oil Stops (Video)
Global News | When the oil stops: 16×9 takes a closer look at old wells in Canada (Video/Article)
CBC News | Albertans may face $8B bill for orphan wells unless rules change, lawyer says (Article)
CBC News | Lexin Resources forced to shut down (Interview)
Alberta Institute of Agrologists 2018 Plenary Speech (Video)
Alberta Institute of Agrologists 2018 Plenary Q&A (Video)
The Globe and Mail | How Large Oil Companies Shed Millions From Their Books (Video)
BNN Bloomberg | Supreme Court decision on orphan wells good for landowners, taxpayers (Video)
Calgary Herald | Varcoe: A wise court decision on orphan wells, but now province must act (Article)
The Tyee | Alberta’s Mega Oil and Gas Liability Crisis, Explained (Article)
Pumpjacks, like this one near Calgary, are used to pump crude oil out of the ground after a well has been drilled. Thousands of oil wells have been abandoned across Alberta without proper remediation. (Todd Korol/Reuters)
Lonni Saken is pictured by a contaminated source of water on her farm near Edson, Alta., on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. An Alberta energy company has been ordered to transport water to a family dairy farm where the ground water has been contaminated by chemicals from a nearby gas plant. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson)
2012 to 2014 -- Farm Families Health Impacts from Peace River Heavy Oil Emissions
Calgary Herald | Baytex settles lawsuit by buying four farms (Article)
Globe and Mail | Baytex likely headed to court over emissions (Article)
Edmonton Journal | Former neighbours tell Baytex hearing health problems drove them away (Article)
CBC | Keith Wilson on CBC Alberta@Noon (Interview)
CTV News | Lawyer asks court to shut down oilsands plant releasing harmful odours (Article)
Edmonton Journal | Two studies back family’s concerns with energy company (Article)
Global News | Regulator accepts recommendations for Peace River area oil operations (Video/Article)
2016/17 -- Edson Dairy Farm Water Wells Contaminated by Gas Plant Sulfolane
680 News | Alberta dairy farm settles with energy company over chemical contaminant (Article)
CBC | Farm contaminated by gas industry, family seeks compensation (Article)
Global News | Regulator steps in after farm’s land contaminated (Video)
These tall storage tanks in the Peace River area hold a mix of oil and sand that is heated to separate the two. The bitumen can then be shipped to an upgrader.
2009 – 2012 Property Rights and Government Land Bills
Globe and Mail | Cutting-edge land-use law fuels property rights debate in Alberta (Article)
The Tyee | Does Keith Wilson Look Like a Revolutionary to You? (Article)
2009 Swine Flu Human Transmutation Case H1N1
National Post | Hog farmer destroys herd quarantined for swine flu (Article)
Financial Post | No need to kill Alberta pig herd with swine flu: officials (Article)
Calgary Herald | Hog farmer destroys herd quarantined for swine flu (Article)
Calgary Herald | Farmer wants herd culled, H1N1 Swine Flu (Article)
Five-year-old Paul Van Ginkel, (L) Arnold Van Ginkel (2nd L) and wife Alida (R) holding 11-month-old Daniel by the their hog buildings on their farm near Bentley, Alberta, May 11, 2009. (WALTER TYCHNOWICZ/CANWEST NEWS SERVICE)
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Alberta Regulatory Forum, “Impact of Redwater on Landowners”, Calgary, June
Chair, Legal Education Society of Alberta, Annual Legal Technology Conference, Edmonton, May
Chair, Legal Education Society of Alberta, Everything Law Firms Need to Know About the Cloud, Edmonton, May
Canadian Bar Association, Environment Subsection Meeting, “Impact of the Redwater Decision on Private Landowners”, Edmonton, April
University of Alberta, Faculty of Law: Guest Lecturer Water Law, “Water Law and the Use of Demonstrative Evidence Aids”, Prof. David Percy, March
Alberta Institute of Agrologists 14th Annual Conference (Education Seminar re Water Law, Surface Rights, and Environmental Law), Banff, March
University of Alberta, Faculty of Law: Guest Lecturer, Oil & Gas Law, “Surface Rights and O&G Regulatory Processes”, Prof. David Percy, February
2019
2018
Alberta Expropriation Association 31st Annual Fall Conference, “Better Demonstrative Evidence”, Banff, October
Legal Education Society of Alberta, Annual Legal Technology Conference, “Pitch re Legal Innovation Award for Veritas Digital Demonstrative Evidence Aids”, Calgary, May
Alberta Institute of Agrologists 14th Annual Conference, “The Social Contract between Government, Industry, and Landowners is Broken: What can be done to fix it”, (Keynote Plenary), Banff, March
University of Alberta, Faculty of Law: Guest Lecturer, Water Law, “Water Law and the Use of Demonstrative Evidence Aids”, Prof. David Percy, March
Action Surface Rights Association, Annual Meeting, “Orphan Wells and Landowner Liabilities” (Keynote), Taber, March
Alberta Surface Rights Federation Annual Meeting, “Surface Rights, the Environment, and Oil Wells”, Camrose, February
University of Alberta, Faculty of Law’s Innovation Conference, “Innovation in the Practice of Law”, Edmonton, January
2017
Canadian Bar Association, Joint Alberta and British Columbia Annual Conference, Veritas Litigation Support Demonstration, Las Vegas, November
Legal Education Society of Alberta, Annual Legal Technology Conference, Digital Demonstrative Evidence Aids, Edmonton, May
Alberta Institute of Agrologists 13th Annual Banff Conference, “Why Treating Landowners Fairly is Important”, March
Appraisal Institute of Canada - Alberta, Banff Alberta, Modern Digital Tools to Assist in Appraisal Reports, March
Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen, Annual Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Current Issues in Surface Rights from a Landowner Perspective, September
2016
Alberta Expropriation Association 29th Annual Fall Conference, “Use of Demonstrative Digital Evidence”, Banff, October
Alberta Association of Surface Land Agents, Edmonton, September
Unmanned Systems Canada 2016 National Conference, “Drones, Hollywood, and the Law”, Edmonton, September
Canadian Bar Association, Environment Subsection Meeting, “Use of Drones and Visual Technologies in Environmental Cases”, March
2015
University of Alberta, Faculty of Law: Guest Lecturer, Sustainability Law, “Participation in AER Regulatory Processes”
2014
Canadian Property Rights Conference, Calgary
Alberta Expropriation Association 27th Annual Fall Conference,” Urban Well Site Compensation”, Banff
Alberta Energy Regulatory Forum, “Responsible Energy Development Act One Year Later”, Calgary
2013
2012
Alberta Association of Planners, Edmonton
Surface Rights Federation, “Re Lemke Action”, Trochu
2011
Insight 7th Annual Water and Land Management Summit, “Impacts of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act”, Calgary
Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen Annual Conference, “Surface Rights: An Alberta Perspective”, Quebec City
Public Information meetings throughout Alberta regarding property rights and government land bills for the Alberta’s Landowners Council
2008
Western Canadian Dairy Seminar, “Right to Farm Laws”, Red Deer
Freehold Mineral Owners Association – “Freehold Leases”, Fort Saskatchewan
Alberta Milk Dairy Annual Conference, “Due Diligence and Environmental Management Systems”, Red Deer
2005
Alberta Institute of Agrologists, “Professional Liability in Context”, Edmonton
2004
Banff Pork Seminar, “Increasing Exposure of Food Producers to Liability”, Banff
Alberta Beef Industry Conference, “Post BSE Action Plan”, Red Deer
Civitas Conference, “Conservation and Property Rights”, Vancouver
Legal Education Society of Alberta -- Rural Property Seminar, Red Deer
Energy Regulatory Forum, Responsible Energy Development Act, “A Landowners’ Counsel’s Perspective”, Calgary
Canadian Property Rights Conference, Ottawa
2010
Pine Lake Surface Rights Association Annual Meeting, “Surface Rights and Compensation”, Trochu
Public Information meetings throughout Alberta regarding property rights and government land bills for the Alberta’s Landowners Council
Freehold Mineral Owners Association Annual Meeting, “Property Rights in Freehold Minerals”, Red Deer
2009
Legal Education Society of Alberta, “Surface Rights, Expropriations and New Provincial Legislation”, 4th Farm and Ranch Law Institute, Edmonton
Alberta Expropriation Association 22nd Annual Fall Conference, “Impact of Conoco v. Lemay”, Banff
Alberta Pork Annual Conference, “Regulatory Polices on the Horizon”, Edmonton
2007
Legal Education Society of Alberta, “Getting Fair Compensation and Other Important Points to Negotiate”, 3rd Farm and Ranch Law Institute, Edmonton
Alberta Expropriation Association Annual Conference, “Improving Your Surface Rights Experience”, Canmore
Alberta Agri-Business Network Forum, “Regulatory and Environmental Issues”, Red Deer
2006
Legal Education Society of Alberta, “The interface between the farmer/rancher and the county residential development”, 3rd Farm and Ranch Law Institute, Calgary
Alberta Pork Annual Meeting and Conference, “Emerging Areas of Increased Regulation in Food Production”, Calgary
2003
Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Seminar, “Legal Liability Explained”, Lethbridge
2001
Banff Pork Seminar, “Farm Worker Health and Safety”, Banff
Alberta Cattle Feeders Association Annual Convention, “New Regulatory Approval Processes”, Calgary
Early Career Presentations
Alberta Irrigation Projects Association
Alberta Beef Industry Conference
Alberta Cattle Feeders Association Annual Conference, Red Deer/Banff
Banff Pork Congress
International Livestock Investigators Conference, Calgary
Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association
Regional Surface Rights Groups
Agricultural Service Boards
CONTACT:
Wilson Law Office
Suite 195, 3-11 Bellerose Drive
St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
T8N 5C9
