Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Tk’emlups te Secwepemc unveils historic water reservoir project

Oct 29, 2020 | 5:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — Thursday afternoon (Oct. 29), Tk’emlups te Secwepemc celebrated a historic milestone as they unveiled a completed infrastructure project that also creates a whole new set of economic opportunities for the band.

The project is a new water reservoir that will service 900 acres of previously under-served reserve land with high industrial strength water lines. The project has been in the works for at least three decades and has been passed down from previous chiefs and councils. The North Reservoir, as the facility has been named, will increase fire protection capabilities for TteS as well.

“It means that there’s going to be some potential for economic opportunities, and it’s only going to expand what the opportunity could be,” Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir says. “We know that we’re the highway hub, the rail hub and that a lot of goods and services come right through Kamloops. We are definitely in an area where that could be quite beneficial.”

At the event, several former chiefs and councillors were in attendance, including Manny Jules and Fred Seymour. Both men worked on the project during their time in governance and both were pleased to see the project complete. For Jules, the project represents a huge opportunity for the band.

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“We’re talking about economic justice,” Jules told those gathered for the unveiling. “Economics is what’s going to be paving the future for us on this land. It isn’t just about saying we’re sorry about what happened in the past, it’s about making sure it doesn’t happen again, and it’s about making sure there’s economic reconciliation.”

The project is the first in Canada to be funded primarily through the Development Cost Charge, which collects a fee when projects take place in First Nations land. The band provided nearly $5 million of the funding for this project, with an additional $1.2 million coming from Indigenous Services Canada.

“TteS is the first First Nation in Canada to use their DCC to construct a major project,” Casimir told those gathered. “We are also proud to be celebrating that with all of you here today.”