00:05:31.080Our special constables are in contact with Toronto police and will be ready to respond accordingly to ensure that our service can continue without disruption.
00:05:39.280However, Pasternak believes the planned protest will violate the criminal code because it intends to obstruct the use of city's infrastructure,
00:05:46.660making it unlawful to assemble for that purpose.
00:05:50.140It is not an activity that is protected by the Charter.
00:05:53.180So, Cosmin, has this been the most disruptive protest movement in Canada's recent times?
00:05:58.460Or where does it stack up compared to other protests?
00:06:01.020Well, it's definitely up there, Jeff, in terms of the sheer scale and spread of these protests.
00:06:07.780They're happening in multiple cities, sometimes at the same time.
00:06:12.000And, you know, whether it's Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, even here in Victoria, BC, every Saturday at 2 p.m., multiple streets, including Government Street, which is like a main causeway in downtown Victoria, are shut down for quite an extended period of time.
00:06:34.520And just to imagine, I don't think this has even been reported on, but the sheer cost of all the police escorts that are involved in that, not to mention all of the time lost from or trying to head to work, people being delayed.
00:06:51.020And yet, you know, when other groups want to have a protest, police and municipalities will even stick them with the bill for the security.
00:07:05.060But in this case, they're allowed to do it freely.
00:07:07.580And actually, it's taxpayers who have to pay these costs.
00:07:10.760So whether this actually is allowed to happen or goes on without a hitch, I think that it's more I think that it's partially the fault of the municipal politicians and the authorities who allow this to happen, because without their consent, without them greenlighting, you know, the shutdown of possibly an entire subway line, it wouldn't happen.
00:07:40.360They have the tools and the measures and the ability to prevent a subway from being shut down just simply based on safety reasons.
00:07:53.060It is perfectly within the law to say, no, you can't shut down city infrastructure because of safety, let alone all of the financial economic consequences of that.
00:08:10.360Conservative Party of BC leader John Rustad is calling on the NDP government to appeal a recent BC Supreme Court decision that would grant Aboriginal title to a vast swath of land in Richmond, jeopardizing private property rights.
00:08:25.920At a Monday afternoon press conference, Rustad said, quote, BC must appeal the Cowichan tribes versus Canada decision to protect homeowners, farmers and small business owners.
00:08:37.600Rustad equated Premier David Eby's, quote, immediate inaction to denying British Columbians that appeal, leaving families, municipalities and businesses in a state of dangerous economic uncertainty.
00:08:52.160Rustad said, quote, Eby laid the groundwork for this mess years ago, and now he's refusing to clean it up.
00:08:58.320Private property rights are the foundation of our democracy.
00:09:02.100You cannot have reconciliation by stripping away rights from one group to give them to another, and you cannot have economic stability without certainty and land ownership, the opposition leader added.
00:09:13.800As previously reported by True North, the BC Supreme Court decision quietly delivered last Thursday, granted Aboriginal title over major Richmond lands, including port facilities, municipal infrastructure and private property.
00:09:27.940The ruling suggests Aboriginal title and fee simple title, private or public ownership should, quote, coexist, a legal overlap, the BC Conservative Party says, quote, threatens investment, mortgages and property security.
00:09:42.340B.C. Conservative MLA and Attorney General critic Steve Kooner said, quote, this comes at the worst possible time, 16,000 jobs lost, record debt collapsing investor confidence and U.S. tariffs hammering our economy.
00:09:58.000So, Jeff, with this court ruling, the BC Supreme Court giving Aboriginal title potentially over these lands, do you think it sets a dangerous precedent that could perhaps undermine land ownership or, as Rustad points out, investor confidence, not only in British Columbia, but across the country?
00:10:21.880Well, yeah, Cosman, the BC Supreme Court's decision could definitely set a dangerous precedent for land ownership and investor confidence.
00:10:28.460The ruling suggestion that Aboriginal title and fee simple title should coexist introduces legal uncertainty, potentially clouding property rights, as BC Conservative Kooner highlights, with concerns about mortgage renewals and constituents fearing 99-year lease-like arrangements, a shift from traditional freehold ownership.
00:10:45.240This overlap could undermine investor confidence, especially given BC's economic challenges, 16,000 jobs lost, record debt and U.S. tariffs incoming, making the timing particularly risky, as Kooner notes, potentially deterring investment and slowing the housing market amid high interest rates.
00:11:02.500The precedent may extend beyond BC, as similar Indigenous title claims, for example, the Haida Nation and other Supreme Court rulings suggest a national trend, where non-freehold arrangements under the Indian Act or First Nations Land Management Act complicate collateral and ownership, echoing concerns about economic instability.
00:11:22.500Critics like Scott McInnes warn of division between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, risking reconciliation if title disputes escalate, while the NDPs in action on an appeal, as Rustad claims, could amplify these effects, leaving other provinces vulnerable to similar legal reinterpretations.
00:11:39.500However, proponents may argue this balances historical injustices through the lack of clear co-existent mechanisms beyond an 18-month negotiation period, fueling fears that private rights could be eroded, potentially impacting Canada-wide property security and economic predictability.
00:11:55.880That's it for today, folks, thanks for tuning in, you can stay on top of new episodes every weekday by subscribing to The Daily Brief on iTunes and Spotify.
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