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Panel 1

REPAIR AND THE ENVIRONMENT

It's not just bills that are piling up form our repair barriers, but waste, resource extraction, and emissions too.

This panel will feature leaders in environmental and sustainability movements, from across the country, and will focus on exploring how repair connects to climate goals, product standards, repairability scoring, and long-term durability.

Graham Reynolds

Associate Professor at UBC's Peter A. Allard School of Law

Bio: Graham J. Reynolds is an Associate Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia, where his work focuses on the relationship between intellectual property and human rights. Graham received his BCL, MPhil, and DPhil degrees from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar and a Trudeau Scholar. The recipient of several teaching prizes, Graham has held visiting positions at the National University of Singapore and the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Abstract: Although a substantial body of work has addressed legislative interventions relating to IP and the right to repair, comparatively little attention has been paid to how judicial decisions in the area of IP might affect the scope and availability of this right. Drawing on several decades of Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence, this presentation suggests that when Canadian courts are called upon to adjudicate disputes involving IP and the right to repair, they are likely to reject arguments favouring expansive conceptions of IP owners’ rights in favour of a more balanced interpretive approach.

Dmytro Yazhuk

Manager, Electronics Recycling Association (Halifax)

Bio: As Manager of the Electronic Recycling Association in Halifax, Dmytro Yazhuk leads initiatives that promote sustainable electronic recycling, device reuse, and environmental responsibility. He works closely with businesses, nonprofits, and local communities to reduce electronic waste, support digital inclusion, and create accessible technology solutions through responsible recycling and refurbishment programs.

Abstract: Dmytro will explore why reuse and repair must play a central role in Canada’s circular economy. While recycling remains important, many electronics still have significant life, value and social benefit before becoming waste. ERA will discuss how barriers such as restricted access to parts, repair information, software tools and reuse pathways often cause usable technology to be prematurely destroyed. The presentation will also examine the role of government in prioritizing reuse, supporting right-to-repair policies, using procurement to drive change, and encouraging collaboration between businesses, repair organizations, nonprofits, environmental groups and policymakers.

DANIEL COUSINS

Repair Café PEI and PEI Tool Library community organizer

Bio: Daniel Cousins is the founder of the PEI Tool Library, Repair Cafe PEI and Fill Up Here. Daniel has spent the last decade working to increase Islanders' access to tools and repair. Currently, Daniel is part of the first cohort of UPEI’s new Master's of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation. In their free time (yes, they do have some), they have been writing a book on climate change.

Abstract: We often think of clean technology in terms of energy. The problem is that all technologies need to strive to be clean technology. It does not matter whether we are talking about solar panels or cell phones; any form of technology must mitigate its environmental impact.

The same is true of all retail goods; far too often, retailers throw out usable inventory due to minor damage or being out of season, most of which can be repaired for less than $5 and with basic repair skills. The right to repair is critical to a healthy environment.

julia madden

Community Active Transportation Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre

Bio: Julia Madden is the Ecology Action Centre’s Community Active Transportation Coordinator on its transportation team. Originally from Winnipeg, she began cycling after moving to Halifax, an experience that informs her work helping community members navigate biking in the city, including through Welcoming Wheels and related community-based active transportation programming locally.

Abstract: Julia will explore how the Ecology Action Centre’s active transportation programs intersect with right to repair principles. Drawing on her work with community cycling initiatives and personal experience with bikes, she will offer a practical, storytelling-based account of repairability, access, and the environmental value of keeping bicycles in use.

julIE-CHRISTINE DENONCOURT

Policy analyst in Source Reduction I Équiterre

Bio: Julie-Christine Denoncourt is Project Manager, Source Reduction at Équiterre. Her work focuses on source reduction and circular economy issues. With graduate training in applied political studies and experience in international climate negotiations, she brings together research, policy, and civic engagement to advance practical environmental action.

Abstract: The presentation will focus on Équiterre's research and advocacy work in recent years at the federal and Quebec levels. The organization has produced three research reports since 2018, focusing on the obsolescence of electronic devices and appliances (2018), access to repairs for these products (2022), and the applicability of a durability index for these devices (2024). Équiterre has also produced several briefs during public consultations with the federal and Quebec governments to urge them to adopt measures that facilitate repair in the country.

A summary of each of these three research projects could be presented, along with the organization's various positions and advocacy efforts (e.g., position on Quebec law). At the end of March 2026, Équiterre also submitted a report to ECCC on the influence of a repairability and durability index on Canadian consumers' purchasing decisions. These results, from a survey commissioned directly by ECCC, will also be presented in May 2026.

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