RICHMOND, British Columbia—Harry Hogler has a deep attachment to his land. He grew up a farmer, and when he founded a golf course here 30 years ago, his favorite part was moving dirt around what had once been a peat bog.
In October, Hogler received the shock of a lifetime: He is going to have to share ownership of his land.
British Columbia’s Supreme Court had ruled that a group of indigenous tribes, the Cowichan Nation, has a “senior and prior” right to private land on a roughly 730-acre tract in Richmond, including his Country Meadows Golf Course.
The court order could leave private property in 95% of British Columbia vulnerable to claims from indigenous groups that have been seeking to reclaim ownership of land taken from them scores of years ago, said government officials and property lawyers.
