Talk to the province in Jaffray on Wednesday, November 14

Residents will have another chance to talk to the province about the future of the Columbia River Treaty this month.

The Columbia River Treaty (CRT) Local Governments’ Committee encourages Basin residents to attend the consultation workshop in Jaffray on Wednesday, November 14. Workshops are also being held in Creston, Nakusp, Nelson, Trail, Revelstoke, Golden and Valemount.

These workshops are the next step in the province’s commitment to consult with the residents of the Columbia Basin to ensure their concerns are heard in the Provincial Review of the 1964 CRT between Canada and the U.S. Residents will learn about the initial results of the studies being done for the Provincial Review and can provide the Province with feedback on the impact of CRT scenarios in the future and how those scenarios could affect local interests.

“The province has completed a number of important studies, including a report summarizing the available information about the socio-economic benefits and impacts of the CRT and analyses of the potential impacts of CRT scenarios on Basin interests. It is essential that Basin residents understand this information and express their views,” says Deb Kozak, CRT Local Governments’ Committee Chair and Councillor, City of Nelson.

The Jaffray session begins at 6 p.m. with an open house providing background information until 6:30 p.m., when presentations and discussions begin. It is expected the evening will conclude about 9 p.m.

You can join the workshop in Trail online on November 28. To find out more about the Community and Live Stream events visit: www.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty/events/2012-11.

These consultation workshops are free and registration is not required for the community events. Register for the online workshop at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/rivertreaty.

“It is important that residents attend these provincial consultation workshops to provide their input on the new information the Province has compiled,” says Electoral Area A Director Mike Sosnowski, Regional District of East Kootenay, a member of the CRT Local Governments’ Committee.

The CRT Local Governments’ Committee includes representatives of regional districts from across the Canadian Columbia Basin. With the support of Columbia Basin Trust (CBT), the Committee is working to help Basin residents and local governments engage in decisions about the future of the CRT.