‘One battle after another’ for farmland in Cowichan title ruling: ex-councillor
The B.C. government appeals a ruling recognizing Cowichan Nation's Aboriginal title over Fraser River lands amid concerns about impacts on private property rights, including farmland.
- Following the longest trial in Canadian history, the B.C. Supreme Court on Aug. 7 awarded Aboriginal title and fishing rights to the Cowichan Nation in Richmond, B.C.
- Last week, the court’s ruling declared Crown and city titles to be `defective and invalid`, citing the B.C. government’s duty to negotiate reconciliation of private ownership with Cowichan’s Aboriginal title.
- Second, the court has said that if Aboriginal title is found, First Nations can seek transfer through legal channels.
- On Monday, B.C.’s Attorney General Niki Sharma pledged to appeal, citing `unintended consequences` and raising private property rights concerns.
- Now Vancouver lawyer Thomas Isaac warns, `Sword of Damocles` hangs over property owners, and everyone with property in potential Aboriginal title claim areas needs to pay attention.
8 Articles
8 Articles
'One battle after another' for farmland in Cowichan title ruling: ex-councillor
Former Richmond, B.C., city councillor Harold Steves’ family has been farming in the area since 1877, lending their name to the community of Steveston. The 88-year-old former politician only retired from council three years ago, and few can match his knowledge of the controversies surrounding Richmond’s farmland — the creation of the province’s agricultural land […]
Reconciliation on hold as BC blocks Cowichan land win - The Turtle Island News
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A BC government appeal of a court ruling recognizing aboriginal title to part of the Cowichan Nation’s ancestral land in Richmond will delay reconciliation and prolong generations of harm, the nation’s lead lawyer said. “This land was where the nation lived together, where they harvested together, where they were defended together and where they were literally embed…
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