Three Okanagan First Nations sign treaty revenue sharing agreements

Three Okanagan First Nations agreements will see shared revenue from the Columbia River Treaty for the next 4 years.

Three separate interim agreements for the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc, and Syilx nations will see each earn 5% of downstream hydropower sales.

Originally ratified in 1964 between the U.S. and Canada, the treaty was meant to provide flood control and generate additional hydropower.

However, the negotiation happened without considering the possible impacts on the nation.

Dams and reservoirs built under the treaty have displaced more than 2,000 residents and flooded 110,000 hectares of Canadian ecosystems.

These agreements come as Canada and the U.S. have been working to modernize the treaty through negotiation since 2018.