250 years is apparently not enough time to prove land ownership

Mr. Viehbeck said he was 'stunned and upset' when the province suddenly asserted a claim on the island. It had been on the market for some time and has obviously been in private ownership for about 250 years.
'I'm very surprised to hear this . . . because we have all the legal documents outlining ownership over the generations.'

It's one thing to claim eminent domain for public purposes, it's another to claim that someone doesn't own the land at all.