Patience in a Time of Urgency: Sadie Vipond Has Waited 7 Years for Trial
April 8, 2026
By Emily Miller
Sadie Vipond, youth plaintiff in La Rose v. His Majesty the King.
As Sadie Vipond sits on the bank of the Bow River, she recounts the 2013 flooding that occurred when she was 8 years old. “The magnitude of this flood was partially caused due to climate change making extreme weather events more damaging.” Her family had to evacuate, unsure if they’d ever see their home again. “That really scared me and made me feel anxious for the future. It led me to notice environmental impacts happening around me.”
After enduring these climate harms, Sadie took action. At 13 years old, she joined 15 other youth and filed the lawsuit now known as La Rose v. His Majesty the King. The youth are supported by Our Children’s Trust and West Coast Environmental Law, and represented by Arvay Finlay LLP.
In the lawsuit, Sadie and her fellow youth plaintiffs claim that the federal government of Canada is contributing to dangerous climate change. The case argues that the youth are already being harmed by climate change and the federal government is violating their rights to life, liberty and security of the person under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The lawsuit asks the Federal Court of Canada to declare that the government’s conduct violates the young plaintiffs’ Charter Rights and order the government to prepare and implement a climate recovery plan to reduce Canada’s GHG emissions and decarbonize Canada’s energy system in line with what scientists say is necessary to stabilize the climate system and protect the rights of youth. Specifically, this requires Canada getting off of fossil fuels as quickly as possible and ensuring significant greenhouse gas emission reductions aligned with reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to 350 ppm by the end of the century (currently, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are around 427 ppm).
Patience in a Time of Urgency
Sadie and her fellow youth plaintiffs were patient through several years of hearings, appeals, and motions to dismiss filed by the defendants. Finally, on December 13, 2023, three justices from Canada’s Federal Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the youth deserve a trial. A year later, the dates were set for an eight-week trial in Vancouver, beginning on October 26, 2026.
“When I heard that we had a trial date, I was so excited. I've been in this case for almost 7 years. It's been really long, and we've had lots of ups and downs,” Sadie says. “But it can honestly be frustrating sometimes, because when I'm looking at the world and seeing how fast climate change is accelerating, it feels vital to me that we work fast.”
La Rose v. His Majesty the King climate rally in Canada. Photo courtesy of Robin Loznak.
Open Hearts
Sadie realized urgent action was needed for climate change when she heard those in power talking about the issues facing her generation with so much apathy. “I think for humanity to work towards fixing this issue, people need to care and open up their hearts. The climate crisis can only be solved with collaboration.”
Sadie believes youth need to be included in the climate change conversation because decisions made today will carry into the future.
“If policy and decision makers are only thinking about themselves and their timeline, there’s nothing to hold them accountable to ensure the world is able to remain sustainable in the long term, to ensure the health and safety of Canadian youth such as myself.”
“I think it can be incredibly difficult for a young person to look at all that's wrong with the world and believe that they can make a difference. But I really believe that it's true. Even simple things can make a difference, and the difficulty is realizing that.”
Beyond the case, Sadie is involved in climate change courses and often engages in conversation with her peers over this issue. “I'm honestly comforted by the fact that I'm surrounded by other young people, other students that care about this issue like me. Humanity really needs to be united on this issue, and to open their hearts to the people and creatures who are affected.”
Anticipating Trial
“For trial, I’m most excited to see our lawyers in action,” Sadie says in anticipation of the October 26th trial date. “They're so smart and have been laboring to get this case on the floor. We've been in the planning stage for this case for a while now, so it's going to be super interesting and exciting to see this all come together.”
In her own words, Sadie explained what the La Rose case means to her: “It’s arguing that climate change is a problem for the present, that government actions that exacerbate the problem of climate change are affecting youth now, and that this isn't a problem for the future.”