Katrine Conroy, Minister Responsible for the Columbia River Treaty, has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of State’s recent comments about the progress of negotiations toward a modernized treaty: 

The Province and four Treaty 8 First Nations – Fort Nelson, Saulteau, Halfway River and Doig River First Nations – have reached consensus on a collaborative approach to land and resource planning, and to advance regional solutions to benefit everyone living in northeastern B.C. and Treaty 8 territory.

Twelve First Nations communities throughout British Columbia will receive $7.1 million to develop alternative-energy projects and advance energy efficiency through the Province’s Community Energy Diesel Reduction (CEDR) program, a CleanBC initiative.

Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, has released the following statement marking Holodomor Memorial Day:

With global inflation still driving costs up, families and small businesses in B.C. will get a one-time cost-of-living credit on their BC Hydro bill this fall, and a new BC Affordability Credit in January.

The Government of B.C. is bringing forward changes that will further advance the production and use of hydrogen, generating economic opportunities, reducing emissions and supporting the transition to clean energy.

A First Nation-led clean-power generation project for British Columbia’s Northwest will provide a significant economic boost and good jobs for people in the area, as well as ongoing revenue from clean energy sold to the Yukon.

The 14th round of negotiations toward a modernized Columbia River Treaty took place in Spokane, Wash., Oct. 4-5, 2022. Following those discussions, Canadian and American representatives joined Columbia Basin Indigenous Nations and U.S. Columbia Basin Tribes for an Ecosystem and Indigenous and Tribal Cultural Values workshop.