Proposed National Park Reserve for South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen.

“In my recent discussions with Bruno Delesalle of Parks Canada, I have been informed that progress has been made. Representatives of the OIB and Lower Similkameen Band are working together with other Southern Bands of the Okanagan Nation to conduct their own feasibility process. – Those talks are going well with the goal being to develop a joint, collaborative vision with Parks Canada.” Alex Atamanenko

Alex Atamanenko, MP   alex.atamanenko@parl.gc.ca

Parks Canada – Bruno.delesalle@pc.gc.ca

Picture and story supplied by Steve Arstad

Keremeos Review

The national park debate is heating up again. Residents of the Lower Similkameen, including local ranchers and representatives of Canadian Helicopters gathered in a pasture off Beck’s Road last Wednesday to express their continuing opposition to the creation of a national park in the region. Approximately 80 people, from many different walks of life, including children, youth, adults and seniors turned out to demonstrate their opposition the park proposal.
“The point was to respond to public comment, press releases and advertising released by members of the pro-park community that indicate that discussions are ongoing and opposition to the park has declined,” stated Grassland Park Review Coalition spokesman Greg Norton. “These statements misrepresent reality, and we wanted to point that out.” Norton feels that opposition to the park is stronger now than it was eight years ago when the proposal first surfaced. “Virtually every tenure holder in the area is opposed to the park. Parks Canada reps may have spoken to individual ranchers in the area, but that doesn’t mean there has been any negotiation, or support,” Norton said, adding that the rhetoric was not coming from Parks Canada, but from corporate environmentalists.

“This is the biggest land use decision in the area since the introduction of the Agricultural Land Reserve in 1972,” Norton continued, “and there has been no real public discussion on it in eight years.”

Keremeos resident Ken Sward, regional president  for the Okanagan region chapter of the BC Wildlife Federation, told the Review that he had recently undertaken discussions with MLA John Slater, but had been unable to receive a definitive answer regarding the region’s national park status. “It’s frustrating for local residents who find it difficult to plan their future as it relates to business ventures because of indecisiveness on the part of the federal and provincial governments,” Sward said.

Attempts to contact local Parks Canada spokesperson Bruno Delesalle failed, but Debbie Clarke, Aboriginal Relations/Community Liaison for South Okanagan – Lower Similkameen Protected Area Establishment Branch responded to queries from the Review regarding Parks Canada’s present position on the park proposal. Clarke answered, “Work is continuing towards concluding an assessment of whether it is feasible to establish a national park reserve in the South Okanagan – Lower Similkameen region. There are no negotiations underway on any aspect of this project. Over the last year, collaborative work with the Southern Bands of the Okanagan First Nation has built shared understandings, and common interest in protecting the land for future generations.