OPINION B.C.’s First Nations land deals threaten the economic foundations of the province TEGAN HILL, JASON CLEMENS AND JOHN BUDRESKI SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL Golfers walk on the first hole at Country Meadows Golf Course, which falls within the boundaries of a Cowichan Nation Aboriginal title claim, in Richmond, B.C., in August, 2025. Tegan Hill and Jason Clemens are economists with Fraser Institute, and John Budreski is the executive chairman of EnWave Corp. and a semi-

A 450-member residents association on the Sunshine Coast has asked the BC Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of DRIPA and on whether the Province can hand statutory decision-making power over private property to bodies the electorate cannot hold to account. The full Notice of Civil Claim is attached.

Columbia and Windermere Valley Property Owners Society President's Update June 23, 2026. Good evening, everyone, and thank you for your continued support of the Columbia and Windermere Valley Property Owners Society (“CWVPOS” or the “Society”). Since our incorporation on February 12, 2026, our Society has continued to grow in both membership and influence. We were established to provide a strong, organized voice for property owners throughout the Columbia Valley, with a parti

UPDATE / INVITE FOR MEMBERS AND DONORS TO CWVPOS TOWN HALL The Society has had a busy month, with the website launch, communications with the BC and Federal Governments, and the recent addition of two new Board members. I’d like to welcome Rick Brost of the Akiskinook Community and Peter McClinton of the Baltac Community to the Society’s board. The Website has been popular with almost 800 visits in the first two weeks. Almost 80 individuals have joined our membership,

NEWS RELEASE May 20, 2026 INVERMERE, B.C. — ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation (AFN) is continuing to advance a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to water stewardship on ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa, including Columbia Lake and Lake Windermere. As a witness to the serious consequences of unchecked demands and pollution on the health of the lakes and associated biota, AFN is tackling the issue head on with a holistic approach grounded in environmental science, regional collaboration and AFN’s l

Proposed Vessel Operation Restrictions on Lake Windermere and Columbia Lake

Doug Kay, President of CWVPOS, was interviewed live by CBC Radio Kelowna in early April. He was able to clearly state our concerns regarding lack of consultation ...

On April 14, 2026, the Society filed a formal Freedom of Information request with the BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship seeking all records related to the ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation's June 23, 2025 letter calling for a moratorium on development around Lake Windermere and Columbia Lake.

On March 6, 2026, the Columbia and Windermere Valley Property Owners Society wrote to BC Minister Randene Neill requesting transparent decision-making in response to ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation's call for an immediate moratorium on development around Lake Windermere and Columbia Lake.

Jason Clemens and Tegan Hill examine how the BC government's bilateral land-use agreements with Indigenous groups — negotiated largely without public scrutiny — are fundamentally altering private property rights across British Columbia, even as Premier Eby publicly criticizes court decisions that produce similar outcomes.

ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation writes to BC's Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship requesting the immediate suspension of all new and proposed development on the shorelines of Lake Windermere and Columbia Lake, citing irreparable harm to their Aboriginal rights and the need for an Indigenous-led lake stewardship plan.

The BC Supreme Court granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the Tretheway Beach Society from dredging Windermere Lake, finding sufficient evidence of irreparable harm to the ʔAkisq̓nuk First Nation's aboriginal rights, pending judicial review of the Environmental Appeal Board's Stay Dismissal Decision.