B.C. Premier David Eby says his government will give $154 million in loan guarantees to private landowners impacted by the Cowichan aboriginal title ruling.
The Aug. 7 B.C. Supreme Court decision by Justice Barbara Young granted the Cowichan Nation aboriginal title to around 750 acres of land in Richmond, B.C., citing their historical village and fishing grounds in the area.
Young held that municipal and Crown land titles in the area held by the City of Richmond, federal government, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority were “invalid” because aboriginal title had not been lawfully extinguished, and issued a suspended sentence giving 18 months for the affected land to be transferred….