Canadian Press NewsAlert: Top court grants land title to B.C. First Nation

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Chief Roger William, of the Xeni Gwet\'in First Nation, checks his iPhone while holding a traditional drum during a news conference in Vancouver, B.C., after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Tsilhqot\'in First Nation, granting it land title to 438,000-hectares of land on Thursday June 26, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

OTTAWA – A historic decision by the Supreme Court of Canada has restored a ruling that granted a broad declaration of land title to a British Columbia First Nation.

The unanimous 8-0 decision will essentially make it easier for First Nations to establish title over a broad tracts of land that were regularly used for hunting, fishing and other activities.

The ruling is the Supreme Court’s first on aboriginal title and will apply wherever there are unresolved land claims.

But the top court also ruled title is not absolute and economic development can still go ahead on land where title is established as long as one of two conditions is met.

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