By Wolfgang Depner Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad says “Indigenous rights and private property rights cannot coexist” and called on the Supreme Court of Canada to resolve the conflict as soon as possible. Rustad’s comments came Thursday after a B.C. Supreme Court judge determined last month that the Cowichan Tribes have the right to 7 1/2 square kilometres of land in Richmond, ruling that land titles granted by government were invalid. The nation had not sought to have the titles of privately held properties declared invalid. But the court said the Crown’s granting of private property ownership rights “unjustifiably infringe” on Cowichan Aboriginal title and needs to be resolved through negotiation, litigation, purchase or the properties would remain under Cowichan title lands. The City of Richmond, the province…
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