Our History
In the early 1990s, residents, local officials and representatives from regional districts and tribal councils joined together to successfully negotiate with the Province for a share of the Treaty revenues and to secure benefits for the people of the Basin. In July 1995, the Columbia Basin Trust Act was passed into BC Government legislation.
The Trust was created in 1995 to support efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being in the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin—the region most affected by the Columbia River Treaty.
During the creation of the Columbia River Treaty Basin residents weren’t adequately consulted for their views, concerns or solutions. In the early 1990s, residents, local officials and representatives from regional districts and tribal councils joined together to coordinate efforts, forming the Columbia River Treaty Committee.
Reflecting the desires of the people of the Basin, the committee approached the Province of BC and successfully negotiated:
- that funds be allocated to the region, representing a fair share of the ongoing benefits being realized outside of the Basin as a result of the Columbia River Treaty.
- that a regional organization, governed by a board of Basin residents, be created to manage those funds.
A binding agreement was established resulting in the Province providing:
-
$ 150million to finance power project construction
-
$ 26million in expansion rights at two dams
-
$ 45million, which the Trust used as an endowment
-
$ 2million per year from 1995 to 2010 for operational expenses
Watch the video From Treaty to Trust that explains the origins of Columbia Basin Trust and its purpose.
We honour those who saw an opportunity to create this unique, regional organization that would support the efforts by the people of the Basin to create a legacy of social, economic and environmental well-being in the region most affected by the Treaty.
No one could have imagined all that was possible. Thank you to those who persevered towards the idea, the dream, and participated in meetings, conversations and symposia, and to those who represented and honoured the desires of all Basin residents to create a new future through Columbia Basin Trust.
Learn more about the first 25 years of the Trust in this free book: Columbia Basin Trust: A Story of People, Power and a Region United.
