Opposition Leader John Rustad is calling on the B.C. government to immediately halt “all negotiations” with First Nations until Canada’s top court sorts out whether Aboriginal title supersedes the private property ownership rights of British Columbians.

Rustad outlined the demands Sunday, in the wake of the City of Richmond sending more than 125 letters to property owners affected by the landmark Cowichan Nation title ruling. The letters warned residents and business owners that “the Court has declared aboriginal title to your property which may compromise the status and validity of your ownership.”

Rustad wrote in a letter to Premier David Eby on Sunday: “Your decision to advance DRIPA without first securing constitutional clarity has created legal and social instability.”

The B.C. Conservative leader added: “Investor confidence has been shaken, and public trust is eroding. This moment requires caution, not acceleration.”

Eby’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The BC Supreme Court ruled in August that Aboriginal title for the Cowichan Nation applied to almost 800 acres of land in the City of Richmond that had been used as a traditional fishing village.

The court also found that........

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