The Province of British Columbia and The Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement Effective Date
On April 1, 2011, a treaty was implemented between Canada, the Province of British Columbia and the five Maa-nulth First Nations. This is the first modern treaty to be concluded on Vancouver Island, home to more than 50 First Nations. It is also the first multi-nation Treaty concluded under the BC Treaty Commission process. Implementation of the treaty caps more than 15 years of negotiations and is a significant achievement in the B.C. treaty process.

The Maa-nulth Final Agreement will provide a capital transfer of $73.1 million, annual resource revenue payments averaging $1.2 million for 25 years and a land transfer totalling approximately 24,551 hectares to the five First Nations.

The Province of British Columbia was represented by Stikeman Elliott LLP with a team that included Richard Jackson, Bruce Woolley, QC, and Natalie Marach. Stikeman Elliott advised on The Maa-nulth First Nations Final Agreement, the implementation of the Tsawwassen First Nations Final Agreement, the Sliammon First Nations and the In-SHUCK-ch First Nations Final Agreements, on all land, land title and closing matters, and acted as escrow agent for all parties involved. The firm also acted in connection with the $500 million Nisga'a treaty, the first modern-day aboriginal land claim treaty in Canada involving the transfer of approximately 2,000 square kilometres of land in northern British Columbia.