John Rustad has called on Premier David Eby to "immediately pause" negotiations between British Columbia and First Nations until the Supreme Court provides clarification regarding a ruling that could put private property rights in jeopardy.The BC Conservative leader urged the premier to take things slow given that while the Cowichan decision "indicates that Aboriginal title may coexist with, and potentially supersede, fee-simple private ownership," the court did not make it clear whether that applied to privately held land."That uncertainty is already having profound impacts," Rustad wrote in a letter to Eby. "Richmond homeowners were recently notified by their mayor that properties in the city may be subject to Aboriginal title claims. Residents are looking for clear information and reassurance.".He accused the premier of having "dismissed these warnings," noting that during the leaders' debate in 2024, Eby said "nothing could be further from the truth" when asked about threats to private property."What British Columbians were told could never happen is now unfolding before their eyes," Rustad continued. "Your decision to advance DRIPA without first securing constitutional clarity has created legal and social instability. Investor confidence has been shaken, and public trust is eroding. This moment requires caution, not acceleration."On August 26, Rustad penned a letter to Attorney General Sean Fraser asking the federal government to refer the matter to the Supreme Court. He asked Eby to add his name to the request, and "provide a public assurance and apology to the residents of Richmond and to British Columbians whose property rights are now in doubt.""This situation demands prudence and leadership," Rustad declared. "I am asking you to act accordingly, as is your duty as the Premier of the Province of British Columbia.".The initial claim was filed by a coalition of First Nations in 2019 in an attempt to regain control over ancestral territory along the Fraser River that is currently owned by the federal Crown, BC government, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Richmond, and private entities.In the Supreme Court ruling, Justice Barbara Young granted title to a portion of the land in question. "In my view, aboriginal title currently lies beyond the land title system in British Columbia and the Land Titles Act does not apply to it," Young wrote. "It therefore cannot be said that a registered owner's title under the LTA is conclusive evidence that the registered owner is indefeasibly entitled to that land as against aboriginal title holders and claimants."
