B.C. to appeal landmark Aboriginal title ruling over land in Metro Vancouver

By Canadian Press on August 11, 2025.

British Columbia’s attorney general says the government will appeal a landmark Aboriginal title ruling that grants a claim by the Cowichan Nation over land on the Fraser River in Metro Vancouver.

Niki Sharma says the government strongly disagrees with last week’s B.C. Supreme Court decision granting fishing rights and Aboriginal title over the parcel of land on Lulu Island in Richmond, B.C.

Sharma says the ruling could have “significant unintended consequences” over private property rights in B.C. and it must be reconsidered by a higher court.

She says in a statement that the government is committed to protecting and upholding private property rights, “while advancing the critical work of reconciliation.”

Sharma says the case is an example of why the province prefers to resolve land claims through negotiation, rather than risking “considerable uncertainty” through court decisions.

The ruling says land titles issued by the Canadian and B.C. governments to others “are defective and invalid” as they infringe on the Cowichan Nation’s Aboriginal title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2025.

Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press