B.C. cedes much of Nuchatlitz provincial park to Nuchatlaht First Nation

B.C. cedes much of Nuchatlitz provincial park to Nuchatlaht First Nation

Drone image of the access road construction at Nuchatlitz Park, taken on April 17, 2025

The B.C. government has quietly ceded a large portion of a provincial park off the west coast of Vancouver Island, in response to a precedent-setting court ruling on an Indigenous land claim.

Public access to parts of Nuchatlitz Park is no longer assured, after the B.C. Supreme Court declared last year that the Nuchatlaht , a First Nation with 180 members, has proved Aboriginal title to 1,140 hectares of land on the north end of Nootka Island.

The remnants of the park are not marked, and the province says it is up to visitors to ensure they are not trespassing. Kayakers and recreational boaters are only just learning, throu