Virginia (Ginnie) Mathers
Virginia’s practice includes advocacy, negotiations, and strategic advice with respect to Indigenous governance, inherent, Aboriginal, and Treaty rights, natural resource management, and relationships between Indigenous and Crown governments. Passionate about advancing the economic and cultural wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples and communities through the recognition and implementation of their rights and Title, Virginia’s negotiation practice includes reconciliation agreements and modern treaty agreements, as well as accommodation and consent-based agreements with Crown governments and industry. Her experience includes working for the Tahltan Nation on the development and implementation of the first ever consent-based decision-making agreements under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
Virginia regularly provides support to Indigenous governments in relation to proposed resource development, where her approach includes developing strategies for implementing free, prior, and informed consent, integrating Indigenous law, knowledge, and values into assessments, working with experts and knowledge holders, and negotiating with Crown governments and industry representatives on matters relating to shared and consent-based decision-making, consultation, and accommodation. Virginia particularly enjoys getting to work with clients in their Territories and is grateful for the opportunity to work for and learn from Indigenous governments and people.
Profile
Virginia was called to the bar in British Columbia in 2011 and in Alberta in 2018. She joined Mandell Pinder in 2016.
Judicial Law Clerk, B.C. Supreme Court (2009-2010)
LL.B., University of Victoria (2009)
B.A. (Honours), University of British Columbia (2004)
Counsel to Indigenous governments in numerous regulatory proceedings and related litigation, including for the Northern Gateway Pipelines Project and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. She regularly represents clients in relation to applications for oil and gas projects, forestry, mining, infrastructure projects, and marine shipping projects.
Represents Indigenous groups in reconciliation and Treaty negotiations with the Crown, and assists with the implementation of those agreements.
Member, Law Society of B.C.
Member, Law Society of Alberta
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Coach for the Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot.