Parks Canada agrees to consistent meetings with local government regarding contentious South Okanagan national park

Photo: Parks Canada

At its first meeting with Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen board members since December, Parks Canada did not have much new information to share regarding a proposed national park in the South Okanagan, other than a promise to provide future updates quarterly or bi-annually. 

Sarah Boyle, Parks Canada point person for the long-discussed and often-contentious reserve, told the board at Thursday's meeting that the main focus currently are local First Nations, negotiating with bands within the proposed boundary.

Issues include plans for employment, training, contracting, dispute resolution, sustainable tourism and cooperative management.

Only once those are ironed out will the work turn to land management and access, a hot-button topic for many in the region who use the land for grazing their herds, hunting and recreation. 

"We’re dealing with a lot of big issues, these things take some time, I know everybody is anxious for things to move forward but we need to take the time to do it right,” Boyle said.

Along with BC Provincial Parks representative Keith Baric, Boyle said they will be welcoming board directors and municipal leaders from the region at future round tables and meetings, and are happy to continue appearing virtually at board meetings two to four times a year for an update "or when there is significant new information to share." 

Director Rick Knodel of rural Oliver was not opposed to continued appearances at RDOS meetings, but stressed the importance that directors whose constituents actually live within or near the park have their voices heard prominently. 

"Those who are directly affected by it, we can easily get drowned out,” Knodel said “We don’t want to enter into the pro or anti-park argument, that’s not part of our format, it’s making sure our [constituents are heard]."

Knodel also brought some concerns forward that he hopes will be discussed further at future meetings with Boyle. He expressed interest in learning more about wildfire reporting and response plans in the park, grazing rights issues and potential expropriation of scores of mineral clams in the region. 

"The trust issue is kind of like the scorpion and the frog, I’m not about to have the scorpion on my back until we’ve settled the trust issue with expropriation,” Knodel said. 

Boyle said Parks Canada is in the midst of a mineral evaluation process and looking to hire a third party to carry that out, and will hopefully have more information n the next few months. 

Director George Bush of Cawston took the opportunity to reiterate a long-held grievance with the proposed park.

"My major concern is probably the loss of food solvency for our area. Way I look at it, 100 per cent of this land is food producing land whether it’s grazing our hunting. So eventually it’s going to be a loss for our area, it’s a big concern," he said. 

Mayor Sue McKortoff of Osoyoos said some in her town have concerns about a part of the working boundary that includes municipal land earmarked for local development, but that overall, she is thrilled with the progress over the past 18 years since the idea of the reserve was first floated. 

"I’m a strong proponent of the national park, always have been, and I think you’ve done and amazing job so far of listening to people’s concerns.”

A memorandum of understanding between the Government of Canada, the Government of British Columbia, and the syilx/Okanagan Nation was signed in July 2019.

Photo: Parks Canada

Working boundary of the proposed South Okanagan national park reserve.