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Congratulations Magpie River for Your Legal Personhood Status in Canada
“The idea is that the river is living, that it has an existence that doesn’t depend on humans. It’s not a simple resource for humans; it becomes an entity that has a right to live, to evolve naturally, to have its natural cycles.” Pier-Olivier Boudreault
This year, on Feb. 16, the Magpie River was granted legal personhood in a bid to protect it from future threats; in other words, it has been given the same rights as a person by local officials and can sue the government in Canada.
This river is one of the last remaining wild rivers flowing fiercely through rapids, rushing down from the Quebec highlands, winding through mountains and unbroken wilderness, cutting through canyons, making it a world-renowned destination for majestic whitewater rafting.
Magpie River has been granted legal rights for special protection, including the right to flow, to maintain its biodiversity, to keep its potential as a tourism destination, honor its importance to indigenous people, to be protected from Hydro development and the right to take legal action.
