Eby questioned over whether he knew about Musqueam agreement

An agreement with the federal government granting Aboriginal rights and title over much of Greater Vancouver was in the spotlight at the B.C. legislature.

Questions are intensifying over who in the B.C. government knew about a landmark federal agreement recognizing Musqueam title — and when — after Premier David Eby said he was not briefed before the deal was announced.

The issue surfaced in the legislature Tuesday when Opposition Leader Trevor Halford pressed the premier, asking when he first learned about the agreement signed by the federal government and the Musqueam Indian Band. The deal, unveiled in late February, formally recognizes Musqueam Aboriginal rights, including title, across their traditional territory.

Eby told said Monday he had received no warning and no briefing on the contents of the agreement. Speaking again Tuesday, he stood firmly by that statement.

“To be absolutely clear, (I) received no briefings about the content of this agreement, no heads up from the federal government,” he said.

However, federal Crown–Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty offered a different account. In an interview with CTV News, Alty said Ottawa did brief the province ahead of the announcement.

“The federal government did brief the provincial government — it was a number of weeks ago,” she said, adding she could not speak to how that information was handled internally within the B.C. government.

Alty stressed the federal government kept the province informed throughout the process, and said the agreements are meant to guide shared decision‑making on fisheries, marine areas and territorial waters.

“These agreements are about co‑managing and really sitting down again at the table to discuss how we can move forward together,” she said.

The Feb. 20 signing brought forward three major agreements:

• A Rights Recognition Agreement, acknowledging Musqueam Aboriginal rights and title and creating a framework for implementing those rights.
• A Stewardship and Marine Management Agreement, establishing collaborative working groups to guide shared decision‑making on waters and resources.
• A Fisheries Agreement, supporting joint fisheries management and providing funding for implementation, vessels and gear.

Ottawa says the agreements represent a significant step toward reconciliation and honour commitments to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

But the announcement has stirred public concern — particularly around whether private property could be affected. Alty called that fear the result of misinformation.

“No private property is impacted. Private property is not on the table, private property is not being discussed, and it’s clearly written in the agreement,” she said.

Wendy John, Musqueam’s chief negotiator for rights and title, echoed that reassurance.

“No one ever said we’re going to go after a fee simple land. That is something that’s just a nonstarter,” she said.

John added that some of the confusion may stem from conflating this agreement with the recent Cowichan court decision, saying the legal landscape has created “an uncomfortable place for Musqueam.”

She also emphasized that the process has been open throughout.

“It was never done in secret. There’s no secrecy about this at all. It was announced. It was said, this is what we’re doing.”