B.C. pauses plans to amend Land Act [Video]

The B.C. government has announced it’s pausing plans to amend the Land Act, which governs the use of Crown land, following backlash. The province previously said it was planning to update the Land Act to fulfil constitutional obligations to First Nations and create certainty for the resource sector.

The provincial government says it will not move ahead with proposed amendments to the B.C. Land Act that would have shared decision-making power with First Nations.

“We need a bit more time to help make it work and bring people in,” said Nathan Cullen, minister of water, land and resource stewardship.

“I think there’s real energy within the broader B.C. community to do it.”

The amendments were meant to enable agreements with Indigenous governing bodies to share decision-making over public land and bring the Land Act in line with the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).

DRIPA was …

Tags First Nations Canada, First Nations Culture, First Nations People