Home / Environment / Indigenous Group Wins Landmark Claim to Riverfront in Metro Vancouver
Indigenous Group Wins Landmark Claim to Riverfront in Metro Vancouver
9 Aug
Summary
- Cowichan Nation awarded aboriginal title to riverbank in Richmond, BC
- 863-page ruling declares government, city interests in area as "defective and invalid"
- Landmark judgment comes after years-long legal trial
Last month, an Indigenous group in British Columbia achieved a major victory in a years-long legal battle, winning claim to hundreds of acres of riverfront land in metropolitan Vancouver. According to a landmark 863-page ruling published on July 9, 2025, the Cowichan Nation has been awarded aboriginal title to a section of the Fraser River shoreline located within the city of Richmond.
The judge presiding over the case has declared that the interests of the government of Canada and the city of Richmond in this coveted riverbank area, outlined in black on an attached map, are "defective and invalid." This ruling represents the culmination of a protracted legal trial that the Cowichan people have been pursuing for over a decade, asserting their ancestral rights and connection to this land.
The Cowichan's victory in this case is expected to have significant implications, not only for the specific area in question but also for the broader recognition of Indigenous land claims across British Columbia and Canada. This landmark judgment underscores the ongoing efforts of First Nations communities to reclaim their traditional territories and the growing acknowledgment of their inherent rights by the Canadian legal system.
