CBRAC going strong, despite travel restrictions

Although COVID-19 has presented challenges for many groups that traditionally gather in person, the Columbia Basin Regional Advisory Committee (CBRAC) has forged on, continuing its efforts to help inform potential future improvements to the Columbia River Treaty and hydroelectric operations in the Columbia Basin.

CBRAC had been meeting twice a year in various locations throughout the Columbia Basin since it was formed in 2014.  This past spring, the committee was set to meet for the first time in Valemount, B.C., before travel restrictions put a hold on those plans.  Undeterred, the committee has stayed connected, shifting its discussions online.

Since March, the advisory group has come together for six virtual sessions.  Members received updates after each of the most recent rounds of Canada-U.S. Treaty negotiations (Round 9 was held in March and Round 10 in June).  As has been common practice since the transboundary discussions began in 2018, Sylvain Fabi, Canada’s Chief Negotiator for the Treaty, and Kathy Eichenberger, B.C.’s lead negotiator on the Canadian negotiating team, delivered the updates and answered questions.  Sylvain expressed gratitude for still being able to connect with CBRAC as negotiations progress and is looking forward to when he can to return to the Basin and meet with this group again in person.

During other virtual sessions, CBRAC had a chance to provide input into the Province’s public engagement plans for this unique year, and learned about progress being made on some of the community interest projects that the Province is working on, two of which are featured in this newsletter (supporting repairs to the Nakusp Marina and breakwater, and creating aerial imagery products to support ecosystem enhancement).  CBRAC also received a presentation from BC Hydro on its forecast operations and participated in a much-anticipated webinar that described the governance structure for the current Treaty.

Most recently, on Sept. 29, 2020, CBRAC members received an update on the Indigenous Nations-led ecosystem function work that is helping inform Canadian negotiating positions on modernizing the Treaty.  At this session, Indigenous and local scientific experts described studies currently underway, and explained how the results inform the current Treaty negotiations.

Despite being unable to meet in person, CBRAC members have said it is still valuable to connect regularly, especially while the Treaty negotiation process continues.  All materials from CBRAC meetings are available on the Province’s Treaty website.