Editor:
I attended last week’s public meeting where John Rustad of the BC Conservatives and the local candidate presented. There were issues raised around land claims that needed clarification thus I’m penning this letter. Mr. Rustad mentioned the Haida Nation lands claim recently signed with the colonial government and he brought up the issue of “below ground land rights,” which the Haida were granted across their territory, including on private lands.
He’s opposed to the Haida having this right where it applies to private property and stated that the B.C. government (the Crown) should have retained that “right.” And went on to say to the audience can you imagine if there was a First Nation land claim across the Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver that could result in the loss of billions of dollars of potential resource dollars. Everyone in the audience reacted like “whoa” that’s outrageous.
I had to wonder how many people actually knew what below ground land rights are. Across the province people have legal title to their property and to excavate a basement, but they do not have the rights to minerals that may exist underneath the surface –– “the Crown” owns those minerals should they ever be identified.
Begs the question, why shouldn’t the Haida Nation and other First Nations, have mineral rights, that historically the Crown gave to themselves without permission of First Nations at the time of colonialism? It’s highly unlikely that resources, like natural gas are going to found in our backyards so it’s a moot point, so intentionally used by Rustad as a wedge issue.
My take away from Mr. Rustad’s position is that he wants to get the province “back” making as much money as possible, and comes across like a lobbyist for the mining and timber industry. As a result, First Nation’s rights and environmental regulations would be severely compromised under a B.C. Conservative government. Let’s not go back.
Ross Muirhead
