By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Progress on a new Columbia River Treaty that has been under negotiation for a number of years has come to a screeching halt as the tangle of US President Donald Trump’s tangential policy whims appears to have caught up with the treaty.
BC’s Energy and Climate solutions Minister, Adrian Dix announced Tuesday (Mar. 11) that the US has paused negotiations with Canada on an amended 61 year-old Columbia River Treaty. According to Dix’s office the US administration said it is conducting “a broad review of its international engagement.”
An agreement-in-principle (AIP) was reached between Canada and the US in July 2024 with both sides pushing for a conclusion before the November election in the US.
Comments by Trump during the Los Angeles fires in which he said he would divert water from Canada to California by turning on a “very large [mythical] faucet” along with his ongoing attacks on Canadian sovereignty don’t appear to bode well for the AIP.
The Treaty has historically been a non-partisan issue, with negotiations continuing through multiple administrations and governments on both sides of the border.
A cornerstone of the Canadian negotiation delegation – which includes Canada, BC and the Ktunaxa, Secwepemc and Syilx Okanagan Nation – maintained that a modernized Treaty would have to meet BC Indigenous and Columbia Basin community objectives (as well as US needs) in a “fair and balanced way”.
The Columbia River Basin.
On Tuesday, March 25 Dix will be hosting a virtual information session to provide an update about the status of the Columbia River Treaty modernization process and answer questions in light of new developments from the US.
Dix will be joined by Brittny Anderson, MLA for Kootenay Central, and Steve Morissette, MLA for Kootenay Monashee. BC’s lead on the Canadian Columbia River Treaty negotiation delegation will also be on hand to answer questions.
The session will take place from 6-7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Zoom and a recording will be available afterward. Questions can be sent in advance by Tuesday, March 18, 2025, to [email protected].
Members of the public are encouraged to continue sharing comments and questions about the treaty and the AIP by emailing: [email protected]
