A Richmond homeowner says his bank has refused to renew his mortgage after his property was included in an area affected by a B.C. Supreme Court ruling recognizing Aboriginal title held by the Cowichan Tribes — a precedent some experts say could reshape private-property rights across Canada.
The August 2025 decision recognized Cowichan title over roughly 732 to 800 acres of land in Richmond’s south and east, including a mix of Crown, city-owned, and privately held properties.
“I’m not giving it (my land) up without a fight,” the landowner said in a video posted to X. “I want to keep what I paid for.”
The court found that Crown-issued fee-simple titles in parts of the area were “defective and invalid” where they overlap with recognized Aboriginal title. The City of Richmond and Province of B.C. have appealed, arguing the decision could unsettle property ownership across the province.
"Do you own your home? Are your private property rights at risk? This is a valid question thanks to David Eby’s NDP who directed the crown not to argue extinguishment of indigenous rights to protect private property rights," wrote BC Conservative Leader John Rustad on X.
Homeowners and businesses in the affected zone now face uncertainty as negotiations begin to reconcile Aboriginal title with existing ownership — a process legal analysts warn could have broad implications for real-estate markets and Canadian property law.
In a court-decision summary, the Cowichan Tribes said in August they were “celebrating a historic victory … it is in their honour and for the well-being of our future generations that the elders, knowledge-holders, and chiefs who have gone before us brought this case forward to recognize our Aboriginal title and fishing rights.”