The Province of B.C.’s Columbia River Treaty team is hosting a virtual information session on Dec. 19, 2024, to share updates and answer questions about efforts underway to modernize the treaty.

The 90-minute virtual information session will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. (Pacific time)/7-8:30 p.m. (Mountain time). The session will summarize key elements about the agreement-in-principle (AIP) reached between Canada and the United States in July 2024, and next steps in the process to bring a modernized treaty into force. Members of the Canadian Columbia River Treaty negotiation delegation will be present to provide information about progress toward treaty modernization and answer questions.

To register for the session, visit: https://ca01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yzPf-_50S568a93JsqbQ2g

The session is the latest step in an engagement process that began in the summer. The AIP reached by Canada and the U.S. provided a road map for the Canadian and American negotiation teams to move forward on drafting the renewed treaty and for B.C. to engage with the Columbia River Basin residents on the AIP and next steps. Since then, B.C. hosted an initial virtual information session in September 2024 and posted extensive materials on the B.C. Columbia River Treaty website to explain the AIP, which reflects the interests heard from Basin communities over more than a decade of engagement. Community meetings are being planned for early in the new year.

An online survey was also launched for people to share feedback about the AIP in order to inform next steps in the modernization process. The survey and guidelines for written feedback can be found on the B.C. Columbia River Treaty website here: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty/agreement-in-principle/

Members of the public are encouraged to continue sharing feedback, comments and questions about the treaty and the AIP through the online survey or by emailing: columbiarivertreaty@gov.bc.ca