By John Wirth, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News A Landmark August 2025 B.C. Supreme Court ruling (Cowichan Tribes v. Canada) declared Aboriginal title over 1,800 acres of Richmond’s industrial heartland. The Legal Shift: For the first time, the court ruled that Indigenous title and private “fee simple” property coexist. However, Aboriginal title is the “senior interest,” effectively “burdening” existing deeds. The Economic Fallout: Banks are freezing credit. With “clear title” no longer guaranteed, a $35-million loan for a major industrial hub has already been pulled, rendering prime land “unmarketable.” The Historical Context: The crisis traces back to 1859 and the “dishonourable” land-flipping schemes of Colonel Richard Moody, who sold unceded territory he was tasked to protect. The Bottom Line: This isn’t a “takeover” of homes; it’s a reckoning…
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