Federal Court of Appeal Overturns Williams Lake Specific Claims Decision
Press Release
Lots of interest in yesterday’s decision so I thought I’d post it asap (see below).
In sum, the Federal Court of Appeal concluded that whether or not the federal government was liable to the Band for the colony having not set aside the village site, Canada had remedied any possible breach by later acquiring other lands for the Band.
The Court set aside the decision of the Tribunal and then took the highly unusual step of deciding the matter itself. On the basis of its own review of the historical record it dismissed the claim, concluding that no other outcome was possible.
Canada v. Williams Lake Indian Band, 2016 FCA 63
Bruce McIvor, lawyer and historian, is principal of First Peoples Law Corporation.
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