Wed. May 17 - Indigenous title not proven for entire Nuchatlaht area claimed

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning !

Just when it looked like temperatures were starting to dip, today we’ll see them ramp up to a scorching (for Victoria) 27C. Because of this heat wave, a ban on fires above 0.5 metres, fireworks, and sky lanterns will be put in place on the Island starting Friday, so if your long weekend plans included a big bonfire, you may need to recalibrate.

EVENTS

Rifflandia unveils star-studded lineup

The city’s biggest music festival dropped its lineup Tuesday morning, with over 40 acts set to hit Victoria at the end of summer. Expanding to six days over two weekends this year, the festival is expected to draw over 60,000 music fans Sept. 7-9 (Electric Avenue) and Sept. 15-17 (The Park).

Headliners include Iggy Pop, Diplo, Chris Lake, Run The Jewels, Herbie Hancock, Paris Hilton, Salt-N-Pepa, Stephen Marley, Marc Rebillet, Mavis Staples, Chet Faker, KALEO, Paul Okenfold, and Chromeo. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, May 18, at 10am.

See the full lineup.

Capital Bulletin

🌤️ Today’s weather: Mainly sunny. High 27C / low 12C.

🌲 Juan de Fuca Marine Trail reopens: The trail fully opens today after extensive upgrades, including the addition of 50 elevated tent platforms.

🚧 Highway upgrade: Pavement resurfacing will begin on Highway 17 and McKenzie between Vanalman to Vernon and Burnside to Douglas.

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NEWS

Nuchatlaht title not proven for entire area claimed, BC Supreme Court rules

Nuchatlaht First Nation intends to return to court to identify the exact locations of Aboriginal title, and to appeal the May 11 ruling by Justice Elliott Myers that found that the Aboriginal title could not be proven for the overall area of Nuchatlaht’s land claim.

While not the outcome it was hoping for, Nuchatlaht First Nation still celebrated the Court’s finding that there are areas within the overall region where the nation can establish claim.

“We need to take this victory and continue fighting for recognition of our rights,” said Nuchatlaht councillor Melissa Jack in a release.

Nuchatlaht’s land title claim, which covers over 20,000 hectares on the northwest of the Island, including parts of Nootka Island, was first made in 2017. The claim asserts that the land has been the traditional territory of the Nuchatlaht First Nation for millennia—and not, as the province has countered, abandoned.

Myers agreed in his ruling that the nation is “the rights holder to the territories of the former Nuchatlaht local groups,” but that the evidence shown in court could not expand the title to include land that was “not sufficiently occupied.”

First land ruling since BC’s Indigenous rights declaration

The ruling was the first made since the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) was adopted by BC, and the decision was the first finding of Aboriginal title in BC’s court.

“With this victory, Nuchatlaht hope to clear a path for others to follow,” said Nuchatlaht Tyee Hawiilth (Chief) Jordan Michael in a release.

Myers stated that the complications of this claim highlight the “peculiar difficulties” that coastal nations face when meeting the current test for Aboriginal title, since the usual determinants of occupation, such as trails, cannot be proven for nations that relied on canoes for coastal transportation. Myers said that it would be up to a higher court to expand the parameters of this test.

By Sarah Madsen

NEWS

Main candidates now set in Langford-Juan de Fuca

BC United announced last week that it will run Metchosin resident Elena Lawson, the co-founder of the Children's Autism Federation of BC, for the vacant Langford-Juan de Fuca provincial seat. Lawson joins the race with Ravi Parmar who, as of last week, is now officially the NDP’s proposed John Horgan replacement, and Camille Currie who is running for the Greens.

Currie was the first candidate announced for this riding last month. She is a Langford personal trainer known for launching a health advocacy campaign to get all BC residents a primary care doctor. She also runs a marine repair business with her husband and previously worked with federal programs and in medical product sales.

Parmar, who was born in Victoria and raised in Langford, is currently the Sooke School District board chair. He became the youngest school trustee in the country when he was elected to SD62, and has served as board chair since 2017. He is also a senior advisor to BC’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Brenda Bailey.

Lawson has experience in both business and government roles. After her son’s autism diagnosis in 2018, she co-founded the Children’s Autism Federation of BC to support families in the autism community. She grew up in Esquimalt and now lives in Metchosin with her family.

The Langford-Juan de Fuca seat became open after Horgan stepped down as MLA on March 31. The riding has predominantly leaned NDP for years, as Horgan represented the riding since 2005.

This will be the last race in the riding, which is set to be split into two in the next election due to the Westshore’s population growth. A split into two ridings, including a new urban Westshore riding, has been recommended by the BC Electoral Committee but would not be in place until the 2024 election.

Capital Picks

🩰 Victoria Academy of Ballet: Vocational Program students will perform excerpts from works including Swan Lake and Giselle at McPherson Playhouse on May 18, 6:30pm. [Tickets]

💧 Talk to Waterworks Irrigation for custom irrigation systems, water features or landscape lighting to enhance your outside living space. Waterworks is offering 20% off new installs this summer. Pre-book today!*

🎫 Golden Ticket Scavenger Hunt: 500 bookmarks have been hidden across Victoria’s 650 Little Free Libraries, with ten containing golden tickets to win Michelle Mulder’s new book Up for Grabs. Claim prizes at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria by Saturday.

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In Other News

🏒 City of Victoria adds $100,000 to Hockey Day in Canada bid
The money is $40,000 above what organizers Victoria Hockey Legacy Society requested from the city in hopes of hosting the event that draws around 10M viewers and could bring all seven Canadian NHL teams to Victoria. [Times Colonist]

⛴️ New CEO addresses BC Ferries concerns
Nicolas Jimenez asked the public to be flexible with their travel plans, while recommending that reservations be booked far in advance. BC Ferries has hired 700 workers, with plans to hire another 100, to combat ferry cancellations. [CHEK]

🔥 Fire ban announced for the Island
Due to this week’s record-breaking heat, category two and three fires will be banned on Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, and Gulf Islands starting on May 18 at noon. This will include bans on fireworks and sky lanterns, but shouldn’t affect small campfires that are usually category one fires when kept under a half metre in width and height. [CTV]

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In Case You Missed It

📰 Monday’s Newsletter: Saanich budget’s property tax increase, mortgage broker denies Ponzi scheme charges, underwater mountain discovered, and more. [May 16]

⚡️ Do you work in tech? Then sign up for Button Inc.’s free twice-monthly newsletter and up your digital communications, user experience, and customer relationships!*

🌸 Jimbo becomes first Canadian Drag Race All-Star: Victoria’s Jimbo was safe on Friday’s season 8 premiere, but won the main challenge in episode 2. [May 12]

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