Peter Carl Pickfield

PETER PICKFIELD has practised exclusively in the areas of environmental, municipal and planning law since being called to the Bar in 1986. He was certified as specialist in environmental law by the Law Society of Ontario, and has held this certification from 1996-2025. In 1990, he obtained his Master of Law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Mr. Pickfield appears regularly as lead counsel on hearings before the Ontario Land Tribunal (formerly the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal and Environmental Review Tribunal) and Joint Boards. He holds the position of Adjunct Professor at both the University of Guelph and Waterloo, where he lectures on environmental and planning law.

Mr. Pickfield was a co-author of Environmental Approvals in Canada, a national reporting service on environmental law. Most recently, Peter co-authored a text book on environmental law and policy, An Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy in Canada, Third Edition (Emond-Montgomery Press, 2020).

Mr. Pickfield has extensive experience in assisting municipalities, private landowners, community groups and government agencies in addressing a range of municipal, planning and environmental matters including source water protection, land/groundwater contamination issues, environmental and land use approvals, and expropriations. He is an experienced negotiator and has successfully negotiated a number of major settlements and development/site plan agreements for clients on land development, servicing/utility projects.

Peter has also taken training as a mediator and is available to conduct mediations in Environmental, Planning and Municipal law cases.

Highlighted below are summaries of the environmental law cases and areas of environmental law study that Mr. Pickfield has been involved in over the past 35 years.