Real Estate Company Asks Court to Reopen BC’s Cowichan Aboriginal Title Case, Citing Lack of Consultation

The Law Courts building, which is home to the B.C. Supreme Court and the B.C. Court of Appeal, in Vancouver on Nov. 23, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

A B.C. commercial property company is asking the province’s Supreme Court to reopen the Cowichan case after the court’s decision raised questions about personal property rights versus indigenous title rights.

The decision, released in August, said that the Cowichan Nation has rightful aboriginal title to around 750 acres of land in the City of Richmond. B.C. Justice Barbara Young said the decision was due to the First Nation’s historical use of the land.