Probe MediaLeaders on the Frontier with David Leis: The British Columbia Supreme Court’s ruling in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada has exposed a profound clash in Canadian law. Exploring the implications of that decision, Prof. Bruce Pardy asserts Aboriginal title—a communal, inalienable right—cannot peacefully coexist with individual fee-simple ownership. With hundreds of Richmond, B.C., properties suddenly sitting […]
By Bruce Pardy | Published by the National Post | November 13, 2025 In British Columbia, property rights are in turmoil. The B.C. Supreme Court recently declared that Aboriginal title exists on 800 acres of land in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver. Aboriginal title, said the court, is “senior and prior” to fee simple interests. […]
By Bruce Pardy | Published by the Fraser Institute A judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court recently found that the Cowichan First Nation holds Aboriginal title over 800 acres of government land in Richmond, British Columbia. Wherever Aboriginal title is found to exist, said the court, it’s a “prior and senior right” to fee […]
By Bruce Pardy | Financial Post They say existing property rights will be honoured but give jurisdiction to local Native councils whose law doesn’t recognize them. In April 2024, the B.C. government agreed to recognize and affirm the Haida Nation’s Aboriginal title to the archipelago on Canada’s west coast. In December, Ottawa did likewise. These agreements signal danger, […]
By Clayton DeMaine for Juno News An Angus Reid survey finds 60% of Canadians believe Indigenous people should abide by the same rules as the rest of Canadians, while the other 40% said First Nations communities should be moving towards more independence. The survey follows an argument made days before by law professor, Bruce Pardy, who called […]
By Professor Bruce Pardy | Financial Post A judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court recently found that the Cowichan First Nation holds Aboriginal title over 800 acres of government land in Richmond, B.C. But that’s not all. Wherever Aboriginal title is found to exist, said the court, it is a “prior and senior right” […]
By Bruce Pardy | Published by The Epoch Times In November 2024, a court released seven companies from an aboriginal land claim in New Brunswick. Wolastoqey Nation had filed a legal action seeking a declaration of aboriginal title over more than half the province. The seven companies, named as defendants, own most of the land […]