VICTORIA, B.C.: Trevor Halford, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition, says British Columbians are once again being left in the dark after a significant federal agreement recognizing Aboriginal rights, including title, was signed between the federal government and the Musqueam Indian Band.
The agreement was announced nearly two weeks ago on February 20, 2026. Yet, we have no communication on how this will impact provincial jurisdiction, municipal authority, or economic development from the Eby NDP. This follows a growing pattern of significant land-use and governance agreements surfacing after the deal has already been struck, with little or no proactive disclosure from the provincial government to the public.
When asked about the agreement, Premier David Eby said he and his government have not been briefed by the federal government even though the agreement was signed nearly two weeks ago.
“Here we go again,” said Halford “A major agreement affecting land-use and governance in the economic heart of British Columbia is signed, and this NDP government says nothing, leaving the public to guess what this means for them.”
The agreement publicly states that it “recognizes that Musqueam has Aboriginal rights including title within their traditional territory” and establishes shared decision-making over marine and fisheries management, with no mention of the role the provincial government.
The Musqueam Indian Band’s traditional territory encompasses virtually all of Metro Vancouver, including Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, New Westminster, parts of Delta and Surrey and other regions.
“In light of the recent Cowichan decision and the government’s own statements about reviewing DRIPA, the silence from this NDP government is unacceptable,” said Scott McInnis, MLA for Columbia River-Revelstoke and Critic for Indigenous Relations. “In absence of clear communication, British Columbians are left to draw their own conclusions about how this will impact them” he added.
McInnis noted that the government previously committed to amending the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) following the Cowichan controversy. Those amendments have not materialized.
“British Columbians were told there would be greater transparency. Instead, we have another significant governance development, and once again, the public learns about it through a federal announcement, not from their Premier.”
McInnis says there are only three possibilities: “There are only three possibilities here. Either the Province knew and chose not to inform British Columbians, they were aware but excluded from the table, or the Eby government has no idea what’s going on in their own backyard. None of these scenarios inspire confidence.”
“If the NDP is aligning provincial governance with these frameworks, British Columbians deserve to know what comes next,” said McInnis. “How does this affect provincial jurisdiction? Municipal planning authority? Infrastructure? Are more agreements coming that the public won’t hear about for days or weeks?”
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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Press Secretary
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948
