By Sonal Gupta, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called it “regrettable” that fee‑simple property rights are not enshrined in the Constitution, insisting that “property rights are human rights” and that Canada needs stronger protections to underpin a “thriving property‑owning democracy.”

Poilievre’s comments, delivered in Richmond, BC last week, come as anxiety is rising in the Vancouver suburb over the interplay between property ownership and Indigenous rights. A 2025 court ruling on Cowichan land title has sparked fears that homeowners could lose their land — fears that experts say are unfounded and unprecedented — and has reignited a long‑running debate over whether Canada could adopt a constitutional property‑rights clause like that written into the US Constitution.