Question Period Note: Responding to Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg title claim in downtown Ottawa and Western Quebec

N.A.

• We respect Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg’s decision to pursue resolution of their claim through the courts.
• Canada is committed to working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to support Nation-to-Nation relationships and advance reconciliation.
• We recognize there is more work to be done in advancing the nation-to-nation relationship and reconciliation with Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg.
• As this matter is before the courts, we cannot comment further.

Ottawa Area Litigation:
In 2016, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (KZA), on behalf of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation (AAN), filed litigation in the Ontario Superior Court against Canada and Ontario, seeking a declaration of Aboriginal title to lands or a portion of lands in Ottawa that includes the Parliament buildings, the Supreme Court of Canada, Library and Archives Canada, the Canadian War Museum and LeBreton Flats, as well as Victoria, Chaudière and Albert Islands.
The litigation had been in abeyance while KZA was in discussions with CIRNAC at a Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self Determination (RIRSD) table from 2017 to October 2022. Following what KZA viewed to be a lack of progress at the table, the Plaintiffs filed an amended Statement of Claim in June 2024, adding an additional parcel of land in downtown Ottawa to their title claim on behalf of the AAN, and alleging inadequate consultation on title transfers made after 2016. The Plaintiffs seek an accounting of revenues and disgorgement of profits derived by Canada and its agent, NCC, as well as equitable compensation for breaches of the duty to consult.
Western Quebec Litigation:
On October 27, 2025, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (KZA) filed litigation in the Superior Court of Quebec against Canada, Québec, Hydro-Québec and National Capital Commission seeking a declaration of Aboriginal title to part of its territory in the Gatineau region. They claim title to an area that includes the Gatineau Park, some islands in the Ottawa and Gatineau Rivers, including Kettle island, lands situated in the City of Gatineau, including the lands of the Canadian Museum of History, as well as the lands occupied by the Baskatong Reservoir, the Montagne du Diable Regional Park, the Bras-Coupé-Désert Controlled Zone (CZ), the Pontiac CZ and the Réserve Faunique de Papineau Labelle. They notably allege that Canada gave full management control of the Gatineau Park lands to the National Capital Commission (NCC), without KZA’s consent. They claim compensation in the amount of 5 billions dollars, sauf à parfaire, for loss of lands, loss of opportunity, loss of culture, loss of profit and to restore the honour of the Crown. The defendants have to file their responses by November 11, 2025.

If pressed on concerns of private landholders
• The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining legal clarity and stability in land ownership while respecting Aboriginal rights and title, and the Court process.