Robert Hamilton
@roberthamilton.bsky.social
Associate Prof at UCalgary Faculty of Law. Research & teach Indigenous rights, property law, constitutional law, legal theory.
Great piece on the Cowichan title litigation by @arnokopecky.bsky.social Arno does an excellent job of telling some of the stories behind the litigation. macleans.ca/longforms/ri...
A Judge Recognized Aboriginal Title on Private Property. Panic Ensued. - Macleans.ca
How the Cowichan court battle is putting the real meaning of reconciliation to the test
macleans.ca
Almost a year after the Cowichan decision, and we are still getting op-eds about it on an almost weekly basis. This one, arguing against compensation for loss of lands, is from the Winnipeg Sun shorturl.at/TW7ZK
Richmond ruling threatens certainty in property ownership
The recent British Columbia court ruling recognizing Aboriginal title for the Cowichan Tribes in Richmond raises concerns about property rights and legal fairness amid overlapping public and private l...
shorturl.at
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past"
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 4mo agoLeavitt: "Thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander in chief, the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph"
Personal post - some proud of this guy for bringing home the city championship for Western Canada High.
I’ll be interviewed tomorrow morning around 7:30am PST/8:30am MST by Sarah Crosbie on QR 770 Radio in Calgary, about my blunt post below. Should be interesting. Tune in, Calgary.
Brent Toderian@brenttoderian.bsky.social · 5mo agoI’m not a fan of politicians trying to make people angry for votes by claiming there actually IS a “war on cars” (there isn’t — if anything there’s been a war on every OTHER way of getting around since the 1960s). A politician just made the claim on LinkedIn. Here’s the reply I posted. #UrbanTruth
Please help us spread the word far and wide — The Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social is now live! My colleagues @tomflood.bsky.social, @grantennis.bsky.social and I have worked hard to get it here, but this is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more from our launch all week! #UrbanTruth
Urban Truth Collective@urbantruth.bsky.social · 5mo agoOur WEBSITE is LIVE! “The Truth About Cities In An Age Of Disinformation.” Read about WHO we are, WHY we started this, our PLANS to grow, and most importantly, WHAT WE’RE GOING TO BE DOING. We hope you’ll support this work, and help us spread the word! #UrbanTruth www.urbantruthcollective.com
Rubio’s and Vance’s claim is that “Western civilization” is unique to Christians (not even Jews) of continental “heritage,” and that its values are unique to these people. It’s important that we recognize these as universal human values, present in any developed society. And avoid 3 fallacies:
1/ Ken Coates argues that "Canadians say they support reconciliation. Right now, that support appears to come with a caveat: “as long as it doesn’t impact me.”" In short: as the impact of Indigenous rights on individuals has increased, so too has opposition to those claims tinyurl.com/2sv6mm3u
The fraying consensus on the rights of Indigenous peoples: Ken Coates for Inside Policy
With the courts increasingly supporting their claims, Indigenous people are not just asking for a “seat at the table” – they’re calling for a full stake in the game.
tinyurl.com
Two more preventible deaths on our city roads have left me heartbroken for those families. This traffic safety crisis is ours to solve. Every death is preventable. Please slow down. Put away the phone. Watch for pedestrians. No destination is worth a life. Let's make Vision Zero real for Calgary.
A two-year old and a 90 year old are the first two pedestrian deaths in Calgary this year. Important to remember that these tragedies are made much more likely by deliberate design and policy choices as @thewaroncars.bsky.social so effectively remind us. #visionzero www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
'Absolute tragedy': Toddler dies after collision involving Jeep in southwest Calgary | CBC News
Calgary police say a child has died after a collision on Sunday.
cbc.ca
Kent McNeil has an important contribution on the NBCA's Aboriginal title decision, questioning the court's conclusion that a declaration of title is discretionary once a factual finding of title is made: ablawg.ca/2026/02/11/d...
“Declarations of Aboriginal Title Are Not Discretionary”
By: Kent McNeil Case Commented On: JD Irving, Limited et al v Wolastoqey Nations, 2025 NBCA 129 (CanLII); Wolastoqey Nations v New Brunswick and Canada, et al., 2024 NBKB 203 (CanLII) PDF Version:…
ablawg.ca
NEW: A Texas county medical examiner found that Geraldo Lunas Campos was choked to death by a guard while he was held in ICE custody earlier this month. Geraldo is the sixth person to die in ICE detention this year.
Regarding the ongoing signature collection in Alberta for a referendum on separation, @piosmo.bsky.social writes in Le Monde: "The MAGA ecosystem has seized on this political moment – the signature drive is scheduled to continue until early May – in an attempt to destabilize Canada."
US seeks to use Alberta to destabilize Canada
The Trump administration and MAGA circles are closely watching the conservative, oil-rich province, particularly as a separatist movement has launched a campaign to organize an independence referendum...
lemonde.fr
My take on the NBCA's recent decision on Wolastoqey title: ablawg.ca/2026/01/14/t...
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal Weighs in on Aboriginal Title and Private Lands
By: Robert Hamilton Cases Commented On: JD Irving, Limited et al v Wolastoqey Nation, 2025 NBCA 129 CanLII; Wolastoqey Nations v New Brunswick and Canada, et al., 2024 NBKB 203 CanLII. PDF Version:…
ablawg.ca
The penalties effectively cut the judges off from all American funds, goods and credit cards, and prohibit individuals and business in the U.S. from working with them. “We’re treated like pariahs, we are on a list with terrorists and drug dealers,” Ms. Ibáñez said. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/w...
No Amazon, No Gmail: Trump Sanctions Upend the Lives of I.C.C. Judges
nytimes.com
As Alberta completes its first full year without coal in its power supply mix, renewables (wind, solar, and hydro) have reached 22% of total generation and natural gas makes up 78%.
PSA, there is a Billy Strings Tiny Desk www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgqa...
Billy Strings: Tiny Desk Concert
YouTube video by NPR Music
youtube.com
Big case for those following the interpretation of UNDRIP in Canadian courts: www.bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/ca/2... "UNDRIP should be applied as a weighty source for the interpretation of Canadian law in accordance with the presumption of conformity..."
2025 BCCA 430 Gitxaala v. British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner)
bccourts.ca
This is a very helpful piece "Separating Fact from Fiction" in the Cowichan title decision. TL;DR: the "threat" to private property is a being vastly overstated. jfklaw.ca/cowichan-tri...
Cowichan Tribes and Private Property: Separating Fact from Fiction - JFK Law - Canada
Since the BC Supreme Court released Cowichan Tribes v. Canada (Attorney General), 2025 BCSC 1490, in August 2025 declaring that the Quw'utsun (Cowichan)...
jfklaw.ca
This stood out from David King's excellent op-ed on s33: "the current government is ... dispirited — deeply unhappy with its situation and unable to find any path to joy in serving the people of Alberta." The idea of finding joy in public service... calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
Opinion: Notwithstanding clause never meant to be used to benefit the government
Dave King was was there when clause was born in Alberta cabinet. It was never meant to be used for the benefit of the government itself.
calgaryherald.com
When dealing with contentious issues, orgs like @globalnews.ca should take more care than they did here, running an inflammatory headline based on an interview with a single expert. I promise there are experts with different views (that might induce less hysteria) globalnews.ca/news/1151268...
Private ownership is in jeopardy, lawyer says about Cowichan court ruling | Globalnews.ca
The B.C. Supreme Court granted the Cowichan Nation Aboriginal title over nearly six square kilometres of land in Richmond. But the case has created a lot of confusion.
globalnews.ca
New Post: Treaty-Making in Australia and Considerations for Canada ablawg.ca/2025/10/22...…tions-for-canada/
Treaty-Making in Australia and Considerations for Canada
By: Robert Hamilton and Harry Hobbs Matter Commented On: Victoria’s Statewide Treaty and Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 PDF Version: Treaty-Making in Australia and Considerations for Canada Indig…
ablawg.ca
The first state-Indigenous treaty in Australia's history was recently signed. I summarize it here and provide a few (very preliminary) thoughts on whether it may have lessons for agreement-making in Canada. ablawg.ca/2025/10/22/t...
Treaty-Making in Australia and Considerations for Canada
By: Robert Hamilton and Harry Hobbs Matter Commented On: Victoria’s Statewide Treaty and Statewide Treaty Bill 2025 PDF Version: Treaty-Making in Australia and Considerations for Canada Indig…
ablawg.ca
“Now Scientific American has updated and re-released what it calls the “classic graphic” that shows that a human on a bicycle—able to coast, or freewheel, without pedaling—remains the world’s most energy effecient traveler.” @carltonreid.com on the re-release of the iconic graph in @forbes.com.
"Police say there have been more than 300 collisions in the city so far this year involving pedestrians." ... important to remember that this is a choice, not an inevitability. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
2 pedestrians killed in separate collisions in Calgary | CBC News
Calgary police issued a safety warning to drivers after two separate fatal collisions involving pedestrians over the span of about 12 hours in the city’s southeast.
cbc.ca
Can I tell you how indispensable @sprawlcalgary.bsky.social has been in its coverage of the Calgary election. Whether you are following it closely or not. Videos of numerous ward and mayoral forums. And there most valuable service, a campaign primer. www.sprawlcalgary.com/calgary-elec...
Meet the Calgarians running for mayor and council in 2025 | The Sprawl
Follow along with our candidate tracker.
sprawlcalgary.com
