Supreme Court silence leaves questions lingering over Aboriginal title and private property

By Jacqueline St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Manitoulin Expositor CANADA—The Supreme Court of Canada has chosen not to speak. And in that silence, one of the most consequential legal questions facing the country remains unanswered: can Aboriginal title ultimately prevail over privately owned land? On May 28, Canada’s highest court declined to hear an appeal arising from a landmark New Brunswick case involving the Wolastoqey First Nations. The decision leaves standing a ruling from the New Brunswick Court of Appeal, but offers no guidance on an issue that is increasingly f…