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CALGARY – The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) is combining new educational resources with growing litigation efforts to become the leading source of expertise and advocacy on property rights in Canada.

Today, the CCF launches On Solid Ground: Your Property Rights, an initiative including a new True/False guide, available here, and the latest free online course, Property Rights in Canada, available here.

These resources examine how property rights are protected in Canada and how government affects what Canadians own and how they can use it. They address common misconceptions, from squatter’s rights to intellectual property to police access to private property.

Christine Van Geyn, Interim Executive Director for the CCF, said many Canadians are unaware of the property rights they already have under the law.

“Most Canadians do not think about their property rights until something they own is threatened,” said Van Geyn. “We want Canadians to understand that they do have rights, even if they aren’t spelled out in the Charter, and to know that the CCF will fight to defend them.”

That work is already underway in court. This year, the CCF is supporting Ontario property owners Christine and Daniel Reio, whose land has been left unusable while they face costs that could exceed $1 million for a government mandated archaeological investigation after ancient human remains were found during renovations.

The CCF is also intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada in a firearms case this November concerning Canadians who may not know whether property they own is prohibited but could face criminal consequences for getting it wrong.

Alexander Surgenor, Counsel for the CCF, said Canadians need a clearer understanding of their property rights as governments increasingly test the limits of those protections.

“Canadians may be surprised by how many familiar ideas about property rights are not quite right,” said Surgenor. “We tend to think that if something belongs to us, our rights are self-evident. But governments have an increasing appetite for pushing the limits of what they can regulate, restrict, or take, which makes understanding those rights critical in 2026.”