OTTAWA — NDP leadership contender Avi Lewis dismisses concerns over conflicts between Aboriginal title and private property rights in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, even though he owns two residences in the region.

Lewis Addresses Supreme Court Decision

Lewis states that the B.C. Supreme Court’s August 2025 ruling, which recognizes the Cowichan Nation’s title claims over 3.25 square kilometres of land in Richmond, B.C., poses no threat to private property owners. The land includes properties held by governments and private individuals. He notes that he has not reviewed the full decision but has studied various analyses.

“The decision itself is very long. I’ve read lots of analysis of it, and my impression is, I think the court went out of its way to say that fee simple ownership is not challenged by the decision,” Lewis explains.

The ruling determines that fee simple ownership and Aboriginal title can coexist, creating potential uncertainty for private landowners who retain title but share claims.

Reconciliation and Political Tensions

Lewis views the decision as a natural step in reconciliation efforts. “The easy part of reconciliation, the performative part, is in the past now. Now it’s going to be about working out title of the land. And this is largely done by governments and nation-to-nation negotiation,” he says.

He attributes any uncertainty about property rights to political rhetoric. “My own personal feeling is that a lot of fear was whipped up, unnecessarily, for political advantage in the conservative movement in British Columbia,” Lewis adds.

Lewis’s Properties in B.C.

Lewis, his wife Naomi Klein—a best-selling author—and their son primarily reside in Vancouver, where both teach at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus. They also own a home in Halfmoon Bay on the Sunshine Coast, accessible only by ferry or floatplane. In 2025, the average price for a single-detached home in the lower Sunshine Coast reached $901,000, per the Greater Vancouver Realtors Association.

Contrasting Views from B.C. Premier

B.C. Premier David Eby takes a different stance, as his government joins the federal government and the City of Richmond in appealing the Cowichan ruling. In December, Eby announced $150 million in loan guarantees for affected private landowners. He criticizes the court for risking the provincial economy and pledges legislative reforms to the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples implementation.

Eby recently faced questions over a new federal agreement recognizing Aboriginal title for the Musqueam First Nation across much of Greater Vancouver, insisting he received no prior briefing.

Lewis declines to comment on the ongoing appeal.