Rob Shaw: Eby opens door to financial compensation as Cowichan decision reverberates |
The B.C. government will step in to backstop private owners in Richmond who face financial challenges after a landmark court ruling on Aboriginal title.
Premier David Eby made the pledge at a Chamber of Commerce speech this week. It’s the first time he’s indicated the province will step into the dispute with direct assistance to residents.
“We are preparing work to be able to offer a guarantee to affected homeowners and business owners in a specific area named by the court so that they can continue to access necessary financing,” he said.
“People's homes and businesses are not bargaining chips. ... We will protect private property owners.”
More than 150 private properties—ranging from homes to farms and industrial sites—fall under the recent BC Supreme Court ruling that declared Aboriginal title for the Cowichan Nation over 800 acres in south Richmond.
The court did not invalidate any private titles, but it did declare Aboriginal title superior to the fee-simple land title system that underpins land ownership rights in the province. Since then, residents have expressed concern about how the........