Meeting #1: December 13, 2023, in Osoyoos
The inaugural CLI Okanagan meeting was convened by the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) on December 13, 2023, at Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, BC. Leaders from Syilx communities, municipalities, and regional districts gathered to address water governance challenges, setting the groundwork for Phase 2: Building the Foundation for Reconciliation of the CLI process in this site.They shared the Syilx Four Food Chiefs story, symbolizing leadership and collaboration rooted in traditional knowledge. Leaders reflected on which food chief aligned with their leadership style, fostering deeper connections amongst diverse leadership qualities. Later discussions focused on climate change, development pressures, invasive species, and governance complexities. Finally, leaders identified priorities for future meetings, emphasizing trust-building and unified strategies to tackle Okanagan water challenges.
Meeting #2: April 24, 2024, in Vernon
The second CLI Okanagan meeting, held on April 24, 2024, in Vernon, BC, brought together leaders from Syilx communities, municipal governments, and regional districts to advance collaborative water governance in the Okanagan. Leaders discussed the urgency of addressing climate challenges, wildfire impacts and water resource management in cooperation with each other. Syilx Knowledge Keeper, caylx (Richard Armstrong), shared teachings on the cultural and ecological significance of water as a living relative and the role of ceremony in fostering stewardship. Discussions focused on water jurisdiction and collaboration frameworks, with Deborah Curran from the Environmental Law Centre presenting insights on Indigenous and municipal legal orders. Leaders identified shared priorities such as invasive species management and watershed protection, reaching consensus to develop a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to formalize commitments and agreeing to reconvene in September to continue these efforts.
Meeting #3: September 10-11, 2024, in Kelowna
The third CLI Okanagan meeting took place on September 11, 2024, in Westbank/West Kelowna, gathering 26 elected leaders from Syilx communities, municipalities, and regional districts to advance collaborative water governance. The meeting began with a water ceremony led by Syilx Knowledge Keeper, caylx (Richard Armstrong), highlighting the cultural and ecological significance of water as a living relative. Leaders concretized Phase 3: Formalizing a Commitment to Work Together of the CLI process and reached consensus of the final draft of the MoA during this meeting, bring the Table one step closer to formalizing a government-to-government Leadership Table to address shared priorities for protecting and restoring siwɬkw in the Okanagan and Similkameen Watersheds now and for future generations. Finally, with the groundwork established and the foundations for relationships and reconciliation in place, Leaders initiated planning for Terms of Reference to guide governance and operations for the Leadership Table, with Leaders agreeing to reconvene in Penticton on November 15, 2024, for the formal MoA signing.
Meeting #4: November 15, 2024 in Penticton
The fourth CLI Okanagan meeting and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signing ceremony on November 15, 2024, in Penticton, BC, marked a historic milestone in collaborative water governance for the Okanagan and Similkameen watersheds. Hosted by Chief Greg Gabriel of the Penticton Indian Band and Mayor Julius Bloomfield of Penticton, the event brought together Syilx leaders, municipal representatives, and regional officials. Grounded in Syilx traditions, it featured a water blessing by Knowledge Keeper, caylx (Richard Armstrong) and a welcome song by Outma students. Leaders officially signed the MoA, establishing the Okanagan Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table to address shared water challenges guided by respect and partnership. Leader reflections, a video presentation, and discussions on next steps concluded the event, with plans to reconvene in 2025, entering Phase 4: Moving from Ideas to Action of the CLI process.
Meeting #5: April 24, 2025, in Lake Country, BC
The fifth CLI Okanagan meeting took place on April 24, 2025, in Lake Country, BC and brought together Syilx leaders, municipal representatives, and regional officials for the first time since the signing of the MoA. The leaders formally adopted the Terms of Reference (ToR) which establishes a governance framework for the Okanagan Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table by delineating membership roles and responsibilities, operational protocols, decision-making processes, consensus-building methodologies and the code of conduct. At this meeting, Deborah Curran, Executive Director of the Environmental Law Centre, presented real-world examples of long-term planning initiatives and collaboration between Indigenous Nations and municipal governments in BC, setting the stage for the Leaders to discuss water priorities that would contribute to Phase 4: Moving from Ideas to Action of the CLI process. Shortly after this meeting, the first two Co-Chairs of the Table were selected to be Chief Robert Louie of Westbank First Nation and Councillor Tricia Brett of the District of Lake Country
Meeting #6: November 21, 2025 in Cawston, BC
The sixth full-day CLI Okanagan meeting took place on November 21, 2025, hosted by the Lower Similkameen Indian Band in Cawston BC, and focused on building on the foundation of the MoA and the ToR by establishing Working Groups to identify issues and bring recommendations to future CLT meetings. The meeting opened with a prayer from Elder Rob Edwards, followed by a lesson from language teacher Tiana Louis on how to introduce oneself in nsyilxcən.
The Syilx leaders, municipal representatives, regional officials and meeting observers took a moment to honour CLT members Councillor Keith Thom of District of Peachland and Councillor Mike Allison of Upper Similkameen Indian Band who have passed since the last meeting. The meeting also included a presentation from Oliver Brandes, Co-Director of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, which focused on the rapid transformations happening in water law and governance. As a result of this meeting, two working groups were established: the Policy and Governance Working Group and the Water and Ecosystems Working Group. Each working group will consist of 6 to 8 CLT members, with equal representation from Syilx and local governments across the region. CIER facilitated an activity in which the CLT identified the top shared priorities for each working group, with groups set to report back to the CLT at future meetings. Additionally, Mayor Ruth Hoyte, District of Coldstream, signed the MOA during this meeting, bringing the total number of signatories to 31.
Meeting #7: February 20, 2026 in Coldstream, BC
The seventh full-day CLI Okanagan meeting took place on February 20th, 2026, in Coldstream, BC. The meeting was opened with a prayer from Elder Virginia Gregoire. The meeting began with progress reports from the Governance and Ecosystem working groups on the development of their Terms of Reference (ToR). There was also a panel discussion focused on relevant watershed case studies including: Ashnola Protection and Restoration, the Northern Aberdeen Plateau Initiative, Syilx Forestry Standards, International Joint Commission Watershed Boards, and the Okanagan Salmon Re-Introduction. Following the panel, the CLT discussed the next steps for advancing the 250-year Watershed Responsibility Plan and reviewed the proposed communications plan to receive recommendations from the CLT members. The meeting concluded with an update from the CLT’s Co-Chairs on the CLT budget and funding grants, CLT continuity, the next CLT meeting, a summer workplan, the upcoming Syilx Water and Climate Forum in Kelowna, and the CLT Water Award nominations. An important action item from this meeting was for the Leaders to get the CLT on their standing committee lists to ensure continuity of the CLT despite municipal elections coming in the Fall of 2026. This meeting was the first CLT meeting that CIER did not facilitate, marking the full transition of the Coordinating Team (ONA and OCCP) into lead owners and facilitators.
