Vaughn Palmer: As far back as eight years ago, the court had wrestled with whether to notify private landowners about the implications of a declaration of Aboriginal title

The question that dominated a Richmond public meeting this week on the impact of a recent court decision on Aboriginal title was a simple one: “Why weren’t we told sooner?”

Residents had learned just this month, courtesy of a letter from Mayor Malcolm Brodie, that the B.C. Supreme Court decision recognizing Aboriginal title over hundreds of acres of city land could have a “negative impact” on private land within the area.

They had heard Premier David Eby say that the mayor’s concerns were warranted and that residents were right to be worried — and not just residents of Richmond. “It is a big deal,” said the premier.

Read the article at Vancouver Sun: https://vancouversun.com/news/vaughn-palmer-aboriginal-title-richmond-cowichan-decision