By Nono Shen A U.S.-based outdoor group has been paddling in British Columbia’s coastal waters for almost 30 years, running sea-kayaking courses and camping along the coast. But an application by the non-profit National Outdoor Leadership School to renew and expand its licence in B.C. has run into choppy waters as residents and First Nations groups object, some citing concern about Canadian sovereignty. BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee said in a statement that it was “unthinkable” to consider “leasing” Crown lands to U.S.-based organizations at a time when Canada was asserting sovereignty amid American political threats. “Leasing our lands to foreign companies for commercial gain — without our free, prior, and informed consent — cannot be justified,” said Teegee in the statement issued by the First…
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