Published 5:00 am Thursday, November 13, 2025 By Chief (y̓ilmixʷm) Robert Louie, Westbank First Nation, and Councillor Tricia Brett, District of Lake Country Co-Chairs, Okanagan–Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table

For the Okanagan Syilx peoples, water — sisiwɬkʷ — is sacred. It connects us to the land, to each other, and to all living beings. For generations, our communities have lived by the responsibility to protect water — not just for ourselves, but for those yet to come.

Today, that responsibility is no longer ours alone. We are proud to stand together — First Nations and local governments, side by side — in a new kind of partnership that reflects the urgency of our time and the strength of our shared commitment to this place we all call home.

Across the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds — more than 10,000 square kilometres of lakes, rivers, creeks and aquifers — we are working together to reimagine how water is cared for, governed, and shared.

At the heart of this effort is the Okanagan–Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table, a joint body that brings together leadership from Okanagan Syilx communities and 17 municipalities and regional districts. Through a historic Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2024, we have formalized our relationship, committing to co-create solutions for the long-term health of our watersheds, lands, and communities.

This is co-leadership — rooted in trust, mutual respect, and the recognition that our future is bound together.

Our valley is growing rapidly. Our sunny climate and stunning landscapes draw new residents, tourists, and investment every year. But that growth has come at a cost. Natural shorelines are disappearing. Creeks are degraded. Blue-green algae and arsenic are showing up in places they never should. Water demand from agriculture, industry, and new housing is increasing while snowpacks decline and summer heat intensifies.

None of us can tackle these issues alone. Not one government. Not one Nation. Not one community.

Together, we are developing a 250-year Watershed Responsibility Plan — a visionary commitment to ensure that decisions we make today protect and restore water for the next seven generations. That kind of long-term thinking is rare in government. But it’s essential. Because in the face of growing challenges — from drought and wildfire to contamination and shoreline loss — short-term fixes won’t be enough.

That’s why this partnership matters so deeply. We are not just aligning our visions — we are weaving together our knowledge systems, our values, and our responsibilities. Okanagan Syilx science and stewardship principles — carried through Elders and Knowledge Keepers — are informing land use planning, water monitoring, restoration priorities, and education. Local governments bring experience in infrastructure, community engagement, data collection, and policy implementation. Together, we are building something far stronger than the sum of its parts.

Already, this collaboration is changing the way decisions are made — from how creeks are restored, to how development is assessed, to how communities are engaged. We are working together to: •

Safeguard headwaters and source water to support the well-being of communities and the ecosystems that depend on them Restore fish-bearing creeks and riparian habitats;

• Protect culturally significant water sites;

• Develop long-term watershed data systems;

• Educate youth and community members about water stewardship grounded in Okanagan Syilx values.

These steps are real. They are happening now. But to meet the scale of the challenge ahead, we need Provincial and Federal governments to step forward as constructive partners — bringing the resources and policy support required to match the ambition of this regional effort.

The Okanagan–Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table is showing what’s possible when we work in true partnership — not out of obligation, but out of shared purpose. We’re not asking provincial or federal governments to lead this work. We’re inviting them to support it — and to recognize that some of the most powerful, practical, and hopeful solutions are already being built here, on the ground, by communities working together.

Water is life. And it is under threat. But with respect, humility, and partnership, we can meet this moment. We can build a future where water is clean, protected, and honoured — for all our relations, and for all our children.