1. Keith Culver, Professor UBCO in Kelowna and Dr. Gerry Karr, president of the Okanagan Similkameen Healthy Living Coalition spoke to directors today appealing for $50 thousand to set up an information and research hub in Kelowna that would utilize students to collect data on health status in the region.
The RDOS has already budgeted $15,000.

2. A spokesman for the Department of Indian Affairs spoke briefly by telephone to Regional District directors on policy changes coming on First Nation bands being allowed to expand reserves and purchase land off reserves and how that might affect other stakeholders – business and municipalities. There was limited comment or questioning during the session. No changes to this policy have been made since 2001.

3. A committee has now been struck to look into ways of unifying policies, pay structures etc. for rural fire departments. The committee will be chaired by Penticton Councillor Andrew Jakubeit and have 9 other members including directors: George Bush, Manfred Bauer, Chair Pendergraft, Bruce Holquist, Brad Hope, Tom Siddon, Angelique Wood, Allan Patton and Karla Kozakevich.

4. Zoe Kirk of Bear Aware gave an annual report indicating that the programme was made aware of 245 concerns with black bears, 180 with deer, 42 with cougars and 14 with coyotes all with the confines of the regional district with the most concerns in the Summerland area.