Aboriginal Title And The Future Of Private Land

 

A court ruling can change more than a headline, it can change how safe you feel about the basics: owning property and trusting the people who handle your money. We walk through a remarkable British Columbia Aboriginal title dispute connected to lands in Richmond and the Cowichan Tribes, where a private property owner tried to jump back into years of litigation after the trial decision raised alarms about fee simple ownership. When a judgment hints that Aboriginal title could affect private land, the stakes are not abstract. Think mortgages, resale value, and whether ownership still means you can sell without someone else’s consent.

From there, we step back and ask a bigger question about the role of courts in Canada. When legal interpretations create sweeping policy consequences, what does judicial modesty or judicial restraint look like in practice? We talk about why public confidence matters and why sudden shifts can create uncertainty that spreads far beyond a single case.

Then we pivot to employment law and personal finance with a wrongful dismissal fight involving an Investors Group advisor. We break down the difference between an employee, an independent contractor, and a dependent contractor, and why that classification decides whether notice is owed. We also unpack after acquired cause and how misconduct discovered after a firing can still justify termination. Along the way, we connect the case to a hard truth about financial advice in Canada: if you are not paying directly, commissions on mutual funds and investment products may be shaping the recommendation.

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Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan is live on CFAX 1070 every Thursday at 12:30 p.m. It’s also available on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.