By Lexi McFarlane, Times Chronicle
An agreement between the Town of Osoyoos and the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) surrounding fire protection and firefighting services has been extended for another five-year term.
The agreement, first reached in 2002, sees the Town offer its fire protection from the Osoyoos Fire Rescue to the OIB in exchange for monetary capital contributions.
The OIB is one of two entities outside of Town limits to which Osoyoos offers its fire protection services, along with the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS).
Generally, the agreements are supposed to be renewed every five years; however, the previous term of agreement renewal expired at the end of December 2025.
Nicolette Keith, the Town’s Director of Financial Services, explained that it was a minor delay to have it be brought to Council six months past due, and that the OIB had indicated their intent to renew it back in September.
“We did receive an intent to renew in September by the Band,” Keith said. “This is just the official signing of the agreement, if it so chooses to go forward.”
The terms remain largely unchanged from previous agreements, and have all been met by the OIB before the report was put together. The term length of the new extension would expire on December 1, 2030.
One concern that was raised by Councillor Jim King pertained to the 43 new affordable housing units built on the OIB lands, and whether or not those would impact fire preparedness on the Town’s part.
“With the new development on their (land), do you find this new agreement okay to support the OIB?” King asked.
Everett Cooke, the Town’s fire chief, confirmed that the new development was taken into consideration, and that the Town’s fire protection services are capable of incorporating those into their strategies.
“The agreement that’s provided is based on assessed value of course, but for us, it’s based on risk,” Cooke said. “Everything we do at the Osoyoos Fire Rescue Department for all of our clients is prepare for worst-case scenario.
“With the additional growth that has occurred on the East Bench, over by the Band, we have been a part of that, being able to visit the facility, preparing for it, and… we are taking steps so that in the future, we are prepared for it.”
The agreement was unanimously approved by Council, and will receive the signatures of Mayor Sue McKortoff, and Marg Coulson, the Town’s CAO.
