NDP leadership contender Avi Lewis expresses no concern over tensions between Aboriginal title and private property rights in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, even as he owns two residences there.
Lewis’s Properties in B.C.
Lewis, his wife Naomi Klein, and their son primarily reside in Vancouver, where both parents teach at the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus. The family also keeps 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 Greater Vancouver Realtors Association data.
The B.C. Supreme Court Ruling
A August 2025 B.C. Supreme Court decision recognizes the Cowichan Nation’s Aboriginal title over 3.25 square kilometres in Richmond, B.C., encompassing lands owned by governments and private individuals. The ruling states that fee simple ownership and Aboriginal title can coexist, creating potential uncertainty for private landowners who retain title but share claims.
Lewis Addresses the Decision
Lewis states the ruling poses no threat to private property. He admits not reading the full decision but notes, “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.”
He views the outcome as part of ongoing 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,” Lewis explains.
Lewis attributes property rights fears to political tactics, saying, “My own personal feeling is that a lot of fear was whipped up, unnecessarily, for political advantage in the conservative movement in British Columbia.” He declines to comment on the joint appeal of the ruling.
Premier Eby’s Response
B.C. Premier David Eby, whose government appeals the decision alongside federal authorities and the City of Richmond, announced $150 million in loan guarantees in December for affected private landowners. Eby criticizes the court for risking the provincial economy and pledges legislative reforms to the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples implementation.
This week, Eby faced questions over a new federal agreement recognizing Musqueam First Nation title across much of Greater Vancouver, stating he received no prior briefing.
