Toronto 
Photo Credit: Parks Canada
The South Okanagan-Similkameen region contains some of the most biologically diverse and rare ecosystems in Canada and has sustained Syilx/Okanagan communities for thousands of years.
A public consultation on the proposed national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen was launched today. The announcement was made by Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band and Chief Keith Crow of the Lower Similkameen Indian Band.
The South Okanagan-Similkameen is one of the most ecologically diverse regions of Canada, and protecting this area would support the recovery of more than 30 federally-listed species at risk and over 60 provincially-listed species, including American badgers, flammulated owls, yellow-breasted chats, desert night snakes, and western rattlesnakes.
In October 2017, the Governments of Canada, British Columbia and the Syilx/Okanagan Nation announced a renewed relationship to explore the establishment of a new national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen. The proposed national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen will contribute to a network of protected and conserved areas, while helping to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
The area offers a wide range of recreational and tourism opportunities like hiking, camping, bird watching and mountain biking.
The shrub steppe ecosystem found in the interior of British Columbia, including the South Okanagan-Similkameen, is recognized as one of the country’s most endangered natural systems. These rare pockets of semi-arid desert are the only occurrence of this ecosystem in Canada; they form the northern tip of North America’s Great Basin Desert.
Between December 10, 2018 and February 28, 2019, Parks Canada invites Canadians to discuss the proposed national park reserve in the South Okanagan – Similkameen.
Canadians are invited to share their views and ideas on the proposed boundary for the national park reserve and provide their input on key aspects for consideration in the management of the lands. Public input will be gathered online, through a consultation website, until February 28, 2019.
In spring 2019, once feedback has been collected and reviewed, a “What we Heard” report will be prepared and shared with the public. The report will include a summary and analysis of the results of the consultation, which will inform future recommendations regarding the proposed national park reserve.
The goal is to have an agreement on a boundary for the proposed national park reserve and an approach to the management of the land by summer 2019. Once agreed on, the formal establishment of a national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen can begin.