US EditionEby plans $150 million in loan guarantees for Cowichan land owners
The B.C. government aims to secure financing for private landowners after a court ruling on Aboriginal title threatened mortgage access, covering $154 million in loans.
- Dec. 12, 2025 — British Columbia Premier David Eby announced the government plans to offer more than $150 million in loan guarantees to private owners in the Cowichan Aboriginal title area.
- In August, the B.C. Supreme Court found the Cowichan Tribes have Aboriginal title and said some Crown, city and private titles are defective, prompting lenders to deny Montrose Properties $35 million financing.
- The proposed fund would include $100 million in guaranteed financing for Montrose Properties and $54 million for private homeowners and smaller owners in the Cowichan area.
- Eby warned the final cost could rise but the guarantee might be `zero` since provincial lenders have not changed lending policies, adding `But it is vital that these homeowners and these business owners are able to access financing as normal`.
- B.C. and other defendants say they will appeal the ruling while Montrose seeks to reopen the case, and officials warn additional commercial activity could increase financial exposure.
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Bowen Island Undercurrent
Coast ReporterB.C. government plans $150M in loan guarantees for landowners in Cowichan title area
Premier David Eby says the final amount could be significantly larger because current plans do not yet account for significant "additional commercial activity" in the 300-hectare title area in Richmond.
Eby plans $150 million in loan guarantees for Cowichan land owners
British Columbia Premier David Eby said his government plans to offer private owners of land in the Cowichan Aboriginal title area more than $150 million in loan guarantees, amid fears about the impact of the landmark ruling on their financing.
BC Premier Pledges $154 Million in Loan Guarantees for Landowners Impacted by Cowichan Aboriginal Ruling
B.C. Premier David Eby says his government will give $154 million in loan guarantees to private landowners impacted by the Cowichan aboriginal title ruling. The Aug. 7 B.C. Supreme Court decision by Justice Barbara Young granted the Cowichan Nation aboriginal title to around 750 acres of land in Richmond, B.C., citing their historical village and fishing grounds in the area. Young held that municipal and Crown land titles in the area held by the…
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