Sarah uses her thorough understanding of evolving issues in environmental and energy law to provide clients with practical, concise advice. She works with clients – both directly and as a member of Davies’ transaction teams – to evaluate environmental and social risks in Canadian and international deals. Mining, renewable energy, Indigenous issues and climate change are significant areas of focus. Sarah is also successful at advocating before administrative tribunals regarding permitting for infrastructure, resource development and manufacturing projects. She is deeply involved in the development and reform of Canadian environmental law and has held many leadership roles in prominent legal and business organizations. Sarah is past chair of the National Environmental, Energy and Resource Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association and the Ontario Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section. She is a Certified Specialist in Environmental Law by the Law Society of Ontario. Select Recognition: Chambers Global; Chambers Canada; Legal 500 Canada; Best Lawyers in Canada’s Toronto Energy Regulatory Law Lawyer of the Year 2023 and 2019 and Toronto Environmental Law Lawyer of the Year in 2024 and 2018.
On February 1, 2019, AltaGas Ltd. sold certain of its Canadian midstream and power assets to affiliates of Birch Hill Equity Partners for $165 million. The sale included selected non-core smaller scale gas midstream and power assets in Canada, as well as AltaGas’s commercial and industrial customer portfolio in Canada, and also included the 43.7 million shares of Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Inc.
On September 25, 2018, Inter Pipeline Ltd. (“Inter Pipeline”) completed its divestiture of the Heartland Petrochemical Complex’s Central Utility Block (“CUB”) to Fengate Capital Management (“Fengate”), a privately held infrastructure and real estate investment firm.
On June 22, 2018, Axium Infrastructure (Axium) and Manulife Financial Corporation (Manulife), through a special-purpose acquisition vehicle Northwestern Hydro Acquisition Co Inc., completed their acquisition of a 35% indirect equity interest in the Northwest British Columbia Hydroelectric Facilities (the Facilities) from AltaGas Ltd. (AltaGas).
On December 8, 2017, Belgium-based Kinepolis Group NV (Kinepolis) completed its acquisition of Landmark Cinemas Canada Limited Partnership (Landmark Cinemas) from TriWest Capital Partners (TriWest) and management shareholders for approximately $123 million.
On December 20, 2017, Axium Infrastructure Inc. (Axium), through a special-purpose acquisition vehicle Axium Infinity Solar LP, and TransCanada Energy Ltd. (TransCanada) completed its acquisition of TransCanada’s Ontario solar portfolio, consisting of eight facilities with a total generating capacity of 105 MW (DC). All eight facilities operate under 20-year power purchase agreements with the Independent Electricity System Operator. The aggregate purchase price was approximately $540 million.
On June 30, 2017, Stelco Inc. (Stelco), formerly U.S. Steel Canada Inc., emerged from Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act (CCAA) proceedings through the implementation of a CCAA plan. This involved the compromise of more than $2 billion of debt and the restructuring of approximately $2 billion of pension and benefit obligations.
On September 1, 2017, adidas AG completed its divestiture of CCM Hockey to a newly formed affiliate of Birch Hill Equity Partners for US$110 million, subject to customary adjustments. CCM Hockey consists of its main operations in Montréal as well as operations in the US, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
On June 19, 2017, Pattern Energy Group Inc. (PEGI), Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Development 1.0), Pattern Energy Group 2 LP (Pattern Development 2.0) and together with Pattern Development 1.0 (Pattern Development), Riverstone Holdings LLC and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) announced a series of strategic initiatives
On March 31, 2017, H2O Power Limited Partnership — a joint venture between the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP) and BluEarth Renewables Inc. — completed a $400-million private placement of fixed-rate senior secured notes due November 30, 2029, to finance the long-term operation of eight hydroelectric generating facilities in Ontario.
On June 30, 2017, Barrick Gold Corp. (Barrick) completed the sale of a 50-per-cent interest in the Veladero mine in San Juan province, Argentina, to Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd. (SDG) for US$960 million. Following the sale, each of Barrick and SDG holds an indirect 50-per-cent interest in Minera Argentina Gold S.R.L., the joint venture company that owns the Veladero mine.
On December 1, 2015, Antofagasta plc (Antofagasta) acquired from Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick) a 50 per cent interest (the Acquisition) in Compañia Minera Zaldívar Limitada (Zaldívar) that holds the Zaldívar copper mine located in northern Chile (the Zaldívar Mine). The resulting joint venture combines the resources and expertise of two global mining leaders to maximize the value of the Zaldívar Mine.
Hydro Ottawa, through its subsidiary, Energy Ottawa Inc., successfully completed its acquisition from Fortis Inc. of 10 run-of-river hydroelectric facilities located in Ontario and New York State.
On June 22, 2015, Big Silver Creek Power Limited Partnership (BSCPLP), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. (Innergex), as borrower, and financial institutions comprising The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife), as agent and lead lender and the Caisse de Dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), as lenders, closed a $197.2 million non-recourse construction and term project financing for the Big Silver Creek run-of-river hydroelectric project. The project, with an aggregate installed capacity of approximately 41 MW, will be located on Crown land approximately 40 km north of Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, and is expected to reach commercial operation by the end of 2016. Electricity generated by the project will be sold under a 40-year electricity purchase agreement with BC Hydro.
The $491.6 million non-recourse construction and term project financing for the Upper Lillooet River and Boulder Creek run-of-river hydroelectric projects was closed.
Spear Street Capital LLC and its affiliates acquired the interests of BlackBerry Limited and its affiliates in the majority of BlackBerry’s real estate holdings in Canada located in Waterloo, Cambridge, Mississauga and Ottawa, Ontario, for approximately $305 million.
