New paint for economic canvas

Penticton band & city usher in new era of cooperation

Robert Greno used to work for the City of Penticton, but is now the general manager for the Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation (PIBDC). He’s quietly confident, but excited by the new cooperation blooming between the City and the Band. He says it’s like a painting, “The canvas is great, but the brush and paint to work with is essential.”

If there truly is a rapprochement between the Penticton Indian Band and the City of Penticton it is surely because of the leadership of two men: Mayor Dan Ashton and Chief Jonathan Kruger.

While the federal and provincial governments bog down in negotiations about making peace with First Nations people who have never had a treaty, the City and Band are crafting agreements that cut across a wide swath of topics, something that has eluded them in the past.

According to Ashton, “What we are is very keen on mutual cooperation. The goal is to develop the quality of life here.”

Kruger’s take is, “We’re doing this because we are open for business and we’re serious.” It’s well because both communities has something that the other really needs.

The city is hemmed in by mountains on east, lakes north and south. Acknowledges Ashton, “We don’t have the land.”

The Penticton Indian Band has a huge land base, bigger than all of Penticton, but with few points of access, poor infrastructure, and a youthful population without enough opportunity.

Kruger says, “Our population is really high with young people. They really want full time positions.”

He adds, “We’re going to need help. What does this region and city need?”
If the partnership seems like a natural, the reason for the stronger relationship is summed up in five more words from Kruger, “We’ve separated business from politics.”

The business case, now underway, will trade infrastructure assistance for new opportunities to expand the economic base of the region, providing jobs for many.

What the band lands require is fire protection, water, sewage, electricity, lighting and better road access. If the details can be worked out with the city, the path is open for new development.

As Penticton’s Economic Development officer, David Arsenault says, “We certainly have models – look at the Osoyoos Band and Westbank First Nations.”

Development Land

The success of both those Bands is not only well known locally, but has attracted attention across the country.

Osoyoos, without a large population, has invested in a range of businesses, many heavily involved in tourism, and lately high end tourism, but there have been industrial and construction developments as well.

The Westbank Band has encouraged the development of resorts, housing and the huge commercial developments seen along Highway 97.

Those developments on Band lands are so successful that they are contributing to the hollowing out of West Kelowna’s downtown section. Asked if the same thing could happen in Penticton, Arsenault responds, “I’m not worried about it.”

The reason? He notes, “We’ve already got most of the big boxes, the Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, the Rona, over here.”

The Mayor says, “It’s been part of the behind-the-scenes discussion: are we gong to dilute the commercial base? In my opinion the land in the City of Penticton will be good as the band develops it customers will flow back and forth. I have a retail background don’t forget. Your competition is your best customer.”

Most important is that both sides want the development of PIB land to benefit everybody. Ashton believes, “The band wants the benefits to help the whole area.”

So does Arsenault, “We all benefit from having increased economic activity.”
The Band hasn’t yet finalized exactly what it will do. Kruger says the PIB is putting together an Official Community Plan of its own, one that Band members will vote on. He expects it will pass easily, saying, “I think we have that support.”

Along with homes and commercial buildings, industrial development is part of the proposal for some 1,500 acres of land.

That need is critical as Arsenault understates, “We have a bit of a shortage for industrial development.”

For those afraid of smokestacks, Kruger, Greno, Ashton and Arsenault chorus that it will be industry with a strong, green focus.

Hatchery & going Green

The first project, says Greno, already underway is a new fish hatchery. “The hatchery is the first LEED structure on the reserve.” Funding is coming from Washington State, as part of the Columbia River treaty.

Kruger says for five years they have been working to re-establish sockeye salmon in Skaha Lake. Until now the juvenile salmon have been coming from a hatchery in the Shuswap, says Kruger, which is getting close to the end of its life span.

With the new emphasis on re-establishing these fish in the Okanagan it made sense to put up the new building closer to where they’ll be needed.

Geoff Greenwell is with the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s business development unit. He describes the hatchery complex. “The building will have four floors and over 33,000 sq. ft. of interior space. The ground floor is dedicated to a Sockeye rearing hatchery, which will have the capacity to produce up to 8 million sockeye annually.

These juvenile salmon will be released into the local lake and river systems to help reintroduce the species into water systems that have been affected by dams and other environmental restraints that have caused a steady depletion of the native species in the Okanagan over the last 100 years. The upper three floors of the building will contain laboratory spaces and general administration offices as well as boardrooms and a library/archive facility.”

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This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.