Discussions are moving forward on a possible national park reserve in the South Okanagan, but one essential player is missing from the discussions – Parks Canada.
It is to the credit of provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak that she appears to be making a sincere effort to bridge the wide gap between park supporters and park opponents.
Last week she was in the area to meet with chiefs of local First Nations, whose support is essential for any successful agreement.
The Intentions Paper released in August 2015 and the subsequent consultation appear, on balance, to have been fair.
There were some missteps when MLA Linda Larson, a staunch park opponent, sought to establish a stacked committee to vet the public feedback, but to her credit, Larson then opted not to proceed with the committee and she stepped back from the process.
The recent release of about 5,000 pages of public comments makes it clear that although a significant majority favours a national park reserve, there is also a very sizeable minority who are strongly opposed.
It won’t be possible for Polak to satisfy everyone and indeed she may end up satisfying no one. Both sides are going to need to bend a bit to find a solution.
The biggest flaw in the Intentions Paper is the omission of the south slope of Mount Kobau from a proposed national park reserve. This world-class mountain landscape and stargazing location would be the jewel in the crown of any national park.
But park supporters may have to accept that the balance of Area 2, the area closest to Cawston and Oliver, will have to remain under provincial control with less protection.
From a biological perspective, it breaks the continuity of animal migration. But from a political perspective, Cawston and Oliver are where the strongest opposition to the park is located.
Many of the fears about a national park are unfounded. It’s simply not true that properties will be expropriated against owners’ will or that local people will be shut out.
But we think Parks Canada needs to prove its good intentions to local residents. The best way it can do that is by starting with a more modest park and by returning to discussions.
Documents obtained by the Osoyoos Times through Access to Information now make it clear that in 2011, Parks Canada was making substantial progress in addressing concerns of First Nations and ranchers.
But since the beginning of 2012, Parks Canada has effectively been muzzled – unable to comment or offer new information that might address the concerns. The provincial government shut down any discussion.
Nor has Parks Canada been able to offer its expertise on the geographic boundaries that would provide the best management of endangered habitats, while allowing ranching and recreation to continue in less sensitive areas.
It is positive that Polak is in discussions with local First Nations and we hope those relations are improving.
But it must be remembered that under the Section 91(24) of the Constitution of Canada, it is the federal government, and not the provinces, that are responsible for negotiations with First Nations.
Before a national park reserve can proceed, there are many details that need to be worked out and there must be further negotiations with First Nations, as well as with stakeholder groups.
Now is the time to bring Parks Canada back to the table, both to provide expertise and to address concerns of local residents.
