The national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen is moving ahead.
On Tuesday, the federal and provincial governments and the Okanagan Nation signed a memorandum of understanding outlining the next steps and providing a framework for collaborating at the at Nk鈥橫ip Desert at 1000 Rancher Creek in Osoyoos.
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Catherine McKenna, minister of environment and climate change who is also the minister responsible for Parks Canada, gave the park a two-year timeline with further consultations with both the Lower Similkameen Indian Band and the Osoyoos Indian Band happening as the next steps.
Catherine McKenna, minister of environment and climate change, announced that the national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen will go ahead. A memorandum of understanding signed between federal and provincial govts and Okanagan Nation is happening soon.
鈥� Robin Grant (@robingreporter)
鈥淔or generation, people have lived, ranched, worked and hiked, biked and camped in the South Okanagan and Similkameen Valley; and Indigenous People鈥檚 have lived on the land and stewarded it since time immemorial. I want to extend special thanks to the Lower Similkameen Indian Band and the Osoyoos Indian Band, the government of B.C. and the community as we move forward establishing this national park reserve together. The region is an ecological wonder, a haven for wildlife and species at risk and a natural legacy we can preserve for our kids and grandkids so they too can experience the joy of spending time in nature.鈥�
The working boundaries of the proposed park were also outlined on July 2. The park area is 273 square kilometres of natural and cultural landscapes in the Mt. Kobau, Spotted Lake and Kipoola areas of the South Okanagan-Similkameen area, including B.C. Parks鈥� South Okanagan Grasslands Protected Area.
Chief Keith Crow of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band said he is looking forward to moving on with establishing the park in a way that works for the First Nations.
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鈥淭he Smelqmix people have always protected the land. We view this process as a way to work with our partners to implement culturally informed management practices. We look forward to working closely with all our neighbour.鈥�
鈥淚 want to say lim 鈥榣impt (thank you) to the negotiating team, comprised of representatives from the Osoyoos Indian Band, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band and the provincial and federal governments who hand many meetings and spent hundreds of hours developing an innovative memorandum of understanding that sets the framework for future negotiation,鈥� said chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band, who added this is a chance to take the needed measures to protect an important habitat.
The federal and provincial government and the Okanagan Nation sign a memorandum understanding outlining the next steps and providing a framework for collaboration on the national park.
鈥� Robin Grant (@robingreporter)
But not everyone was happy with the development. While MP Richard Cannings called it a good day that has been long in the process, Oliver resident Jesse Norton interrupted the presentation saying he couldn鈥檛 keep quiet.
Norton later said the announcement is really hard to swallow because people have been trying to oppose the park for years. He doesn鈥檛 think the government has listened to stakeholders in the region.
鈥淵ou can see this clearly has nothing to do with conservation and preservation but more about political issues. I鈥檓 all for reconciliation but I think you can see it has a lot to do with other things,鈥� he said after the announcement.
After Norton interrupted, Chief Louie told him his interrupting the process was 鈥渆mbarrassing.鈥�
According to the press release, the park will protect a rare ecosystem, contribute to conservation and enjoyment of nature, help save species at risk, strengthen biodiversity, advance reconciliation with Indigenous people鈥檚 and preserve opportunities for Syilx and Okanagan Nation cultural practices to continue.
