Thomas Isaac has been quoted in the article “Ottawa’s Deal with Musqueam First Nation Raises Alarm About Property Rights in Vancouver Area,” published by The Globe and Mail.
Writes Justine Hunter: “The federal government has reached three agreements with the Musqueam First Nation acknowledging the existence of Aboriginal title within a territory that encompasses the western half of the densely populated Lower Mainland, and promising to incorporate the nation’s stewardship over land and resources. Concern over the agreement was raised in the legislature this week after new details emerged…”
While the federal government and the Musqueam maintain the agreements will not affect private property rights, Tom says the agreements are so vague, those assurances ring hollow.
He goes on to note that the agreements do not explicitly provide private landowners assurance that their fee simple titles are secure: “To say Aboriginal title is acknowledged within the territory is obviously a very vague statement, so to say that private property is not affected by the agreement is not accurate,” he said. “What is accurate is that we don’t know if the agreement affects private property, because the agreement doesn’t set out where within the Musqueam-asserted territory that the Musqueam hold title.”
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