Opinion: Aboriginal title cases should take into account the taxpayer money paid to First Nations – National Post
Apr 24, 2026
The $1.3 billion paid to the Cowichan Tribes over the last quarter century should be considered compensation for any lost lands
In August 2025, after one of the longest trials in Canadian history, Justice Barbara Young of the British Columbia Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling declaring that the Cowichan Tribes hold “Aboriginal title” to 800 acres of land in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond.
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The 800 acres includes government land and 150 “fee simple” properties, the most common form of residential land ownership in Canada. In other words, people’s homes and businesses.
