What We Do
Treaty Negotiations
After the Canadian Negotiating Team was appointed in 2018, the Committee’s activities ramped up extensively as follows:
In 2018 and 2019 the Committee assisted the BC CRT Team to host two series of community meetings across the Basin to update information about CRT related issues and community concerns. See 2018 Community Meeting Summary Report and 2019 Community Meeting Summary Report.
In 2019 we updated and refined our 2013 recommendations based on current information on the issues from our research and what we heard from Basin residents at the 2018 community meetings and invited feedback during the 2019 community meetings. Updated recommendations were released at the beginning of 2021 - See Our Recommendations.
We strive to be in contact quarterly with representatives of the regional Indigenous Nations whom we recognize and support as active observers in the CRT negotiating process.
We worked with the CRT Negotiating Team to establish a Columbia River Treaty Negotiations Team - Local Governments Committee Communications and Engagement Protocol. Based on this Protocol, the Committee receives verbal updates after each negotiating session. The Protocol also states that the Negotiations Team will seek input from the Committee to consider the LGC Treaty Recommendations in the negotiations and advice from the Committee will be sought if negotiating outcomes appear not to be consistent with the Committee’s recommendations, including specific desired outcomes if these are defined by the Committee.
It is recognized that the current Treaty governance structure requires updating to meet the expectations of this era for representation of Indigenous Nations and involvement of residents and local governments. The Committee has created a Task Group of Committee members to research this topic in depth to bring ideas back to the full Committee for decisions. The Committee looks forward to providing input to the Negotiating Team to ensure the views of Basin residents and local governments are included in future Treaty governance mechanisms.
We continue to attend and make presentations at U.S. Pacific Northwest events and meet with U.S. local government representatives to educate U.S. citizens about the impacts of the CRT in B.C.
Domestic Issues
We compile, track and communicate regularly with the BC CRT Team on community specific issues and potential solutions and advocate for actions as needed.
In 2019 we initiated discussions with BC Hydro about how to improve regional communications and engagement with Basin residents and local governments.
Now that our recommendations are updated, the Committee is refocusing on potential solutions to the complex regional and sub-regional domestic issues.
Oriented New Members
After the municipal elections in 2018, seven new Committee members were appointed, and a new Chair and Vice Chair were selected. An extensive orientation process was implemented to support the new members to fully engage in the complex topics being considered in the negotiations and the ongoing domestic issues.
2018 to date
Spring drawdown in Kookanusa Reservoir
Image: Winter -Spring Drawdown in Kinbasket Reservoir, near Valemount