On an unofficial visit to Revelstoke last Saturday, July 18, Attorney General Niki Sharma connected with Black Press Media to share her remarks on rural B.C. and what legal issues are front of mind for the province.
Sharma, MLA for Vancouver—Hastings, grew up in Sparwood and is no stranger to small-town mountain life somewhere such as Revelstoke.
“Coming to this place, it’s just part of our lifestyle, to connect with these mountain towns,” she said, chatting in the Revelstoke Review office after touring the farmers’ market outside with her family.
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Some major files on Sharma’s desk — as the person responsible for B.C.’s justice system, legal advice to the province, and protection of human rights — currently include pushing the federal government for stronger protections against online harm, and taking OpenAI to court over critical information it withheld leading up to the Tumbler Ridge shooting.
Sharma spoke positively about B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) and “a lot of success stories” she said the legislation has brought so far this decade. However, she described the various “unresolved issues” around Indigenous land title rights and non-Indigenous landowners that have thrown DRIPA into controversy, and sparked more racism toward First Nations.
“I find that really unfortunate,” Sharma said. “I know that British Columbians are better than that.”
She added that the provincial government must take the challenge of land title rights head on. She said B.C. is now working to return the matter to the decision-making table with First Nations after prolonged litigation, to find a compromise for Nations, non-Indigenous landowners and other parties.
“Not sitting with First Nations is just going to drag things back to lengthy litigation,” she said. “We don’t win in the way we want to win in court sometimes, but that’s really the path forward.”
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Sharma is excited for future projects between the BC NDP and federal government, particularly as U.S. President Donald Trump continues imposing tariffs on sectors such as forestry. For MLAs representing rural B.C. who wish to connect with Sharma, she said she has an “open-door policy” to discuss any issues.
“Generally I’ll work with anybody who wants to work with me,” she said.
As well, Sharma was thrilled to see newspapers such as the Review are continuing to serve and inform small rural communities including Revelstoke, at a time when misinformation and disinformation remain increasingly problematic.
“Trusting information and where it comes from is very important to a functioning society,” Sharma said.