Lawyers say that B.C.’s planned appeal of a Supreme Court decision recognizing the Cowichan Tribes’ Aboriginal title over a Richmond village site is intended to provide further clarification on the initial ruling, which could expose governments to hundreds of millions in compensation and set a precedent far beyond the province.

On Aug. 7, following a 513-day trial held between 2021 and 2023, the BC Supreme Court ruled that traditional Aboriginal title takes precedence over conventional fee simple ownership, determining that land grants issued between 1871 and 1914 unjustifiably infringed on Cowichan territory. The court recognized their title over much of the area, including submerged lands and fishing rights, covering lands held by various governments and private owners. Since Aboriginal

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