Partnership Background
The Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) is a Syilx/Okanagan First Nation community located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The City of Vernon is a neighbouring municipality within the same valley. Prior to the formal partnership, the two communities met annually through a “Community to Community” (C2C) forum and built a foundation of dialogue.
They participated in Phase II of the Community Economic Development Initiative (CEDI) from 2017 to 2020.
Key Milestones and Collaborative Community Economic Development Initiatives
Relationship Accord
The Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Vernon formalized their collaboration through the signing of a Relationship Accord on October 13, 2018, held on the shores of Okanagan Lake. The ceremony was attended by council members from both communities, Elders, regional dignitaries, and community members. The event featured words of encouragement from Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the planting of a red oak tree, cultural performances by Okanagan Indian Band dancers, and a round dance to conclude the celebration.
The Accord established a shared commitment to relationship-building, collaboration, and economic development in Syilx/Okanagan Territory. It reflected the growing trust built through Community-to-Community (C2C) forums and early CEDI engagement and became the partnership’s foundational guiding document.
During their participation in the CEDI program, the Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Vernon advanced several joint community economic development initiatives that strengthened their relationship, supported shared planning, and created space for cultural learning. Their work focused on areas of mutual interest including land use planning, tourism, cultural education, and governance. The initiatives below highlight the major areas of collaboration developed between 2017 and 2020.
1. Joint Waterfront Strategic Planning
The partnership prioritized collaborative planning for the shared waterfront area along Okanagan Lake, including Kin Beach, Sandy Beach and Lakeshore Road. This work began during CEDI Workshop 2, where elected leaders and staff discussed the long history and cultural significance of the waterfront and identified the need for a unified approach to development, stewardship and access. Following the workshop, a Waterfront Sub-Committee was formed to draft a Joint Strategic Plan that reflected community priorities, cultural values and long-term economic potential.
Through several meetings in 2018 and 2019, the sub-committee prepared a draft plan that included shared objectives related to environmental protection, tourism, cultural interpretation, and infrastructure coordination. Both Councils were engaged at key points to provide direction, discuss complex governance issues and confirm next steps. The Waterfront Strategic Plan became a central component of the 2020–2025 Joint Strategic Plan approved by both Councils.
2. Joint Cultural Tourism Development
Building from shared goals identified during CEDI Workshop 3, the partners explored opportunities for cultural tourism that honour Syilx history and enhance visitor experiences in the region. The partnership reviewed potential collaborative initiatives such as trail wayfinding, interpretive signage, park enhancements and cultural programming. This work led to the establishment of a Joint Cultural Tourism Sub-Committee, which brought together staff, Elders, working group champions and tourism representatives.
Through this process, the partners prioritized renaming and cultural education at the shared waterfront, the development of new signage for culturally significant Syilx places within the City of Vernon, and the creation of an OKIB educational pamphlet for use at tourism centres and public facilities. Engagement with Elders and community members helped ensure that cultural interpretation was accurate, meaningful and reflective of territorial stewardship values. The partnership also laid the groundwork for an OKIB tourism strategy that would align with broader regional tourism plans.
3. Joint Governance and Information Sharing Tools
Recognizing the importance of understanding each other’s governance models, the partners co-developed tools to support ongoing communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing. Early in the CEDI process, the Working Group created a First Nation–Municipal Governance and Jurisdiction document to help both communities understand each other’s authorities, responsibilities and decision-making processes. This living document supported council-to-council learning and became an important reference point throughout the partnership.
The Working Group met monthly throughout the program, providing a consistent mechanism for relationship building, coordination of joint work and information sharing on community priorities, planning issues and emerging opportunities. Annual council-to-council engagements created space for leadership-level dialogue on progress, challenges and direction for upcoming work. Toward the end of the CEDI program, the Working Group refined its Terms of Reference to reflect long-term collaboration after graduation and identified administrative supports needed to continue the relationship.
4. Strategic Planning and Long-Term Collaboration
The final year of the partnership focused on bringing together the outcomes of previous workshops, sub-committee work and council discussions into a comprehensive Joint Strategic Plan for 2020–2025. Developed during CEDI Workshop 5 in December 2019, the plan reaffirmed the shared vision of the partnership, outlined the strategic objectives for the next five years and identified the human and financial resources required to support joint work moving forward.
The plan also incorporated updated annual work planning, a collaborative budget for the CEDI Capacity Building Grant and actions to support ongoing engagement with regional partners such as the Regional District of North Okanagan. During this period, OKIB accepted an invitation to sit as a non-voting member at the RDNO table, enhancing regional collaboration and strengthening the role of the partnership in wider decision-making.
During the CEDI program, the Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Vernon hosted one major community-facing event that celebrated their growing relationship. On October 13, 2018, the two communities held a public ceremony on the shores of Okanagan Lake to mark the signing of their Relationship Accord. The event included both councils, Elders, regional dignitaries and community members, and featured cultural performances, the planting of a red oak tree, gifting between the Chief and Mayor, and a round dance to close the gathering. This celebration created an opportunity for both communities to witness and honour the commitment made through the Accord and strengthened the foundation for continued collaboration.
In the Media
Quotes
“I am pleased to participate in this important initiative with Mayor Akbal Mund and his council. We recognize by working together on economic development initiatives in our traditional territory, we will have the opportunity to identify some challenges and create strategies to overcome them. The result of these efforts will strengthen our relationship and the regional economy.”
“I am confident that our common goals for local economic development will foster benefits that will extend to many other aspects of community building. The CEDI program is giving us the framework to work together to achieve strong local results.”