Penticton Indian Band-Summerland council set historic first

JOHN MOORHOUSE Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Penticton Herald:

SUMMERLAND -- It may have been an informal “get to know you” session, but it was definitely a first. For the first time in their 100-plus year history as neighbours, members of Summerland council and the Penticton Indian Band council held a joint meeting Monday at Municipal Hall. Penticton band Chief Jonathan Kruger said the importance of the meeting wasn‘t lost on either council. “I think this is going to be a first step to start communicating,” he said. “I‘m hoping down the road that we‘ll develop a protocol similar to the City of Penticton and the Penticton Indian Band.” That agreement, signed in 2004, outlines a commitment to regional co-operation and communication over issues of joint concern. Mayor Janice Perrino echoed Kruger‘s hopes that the talks will eventually lead to a Summerland protocol agreement. “We‘re not sure what it will look like. A lot of our (council) members are new and haven‘t a clue as to what has been done to date,” she said. “We want to work together, so we‘re hoping a protocol agreement can come to fruition at some point.”

Perrino described Monday‘s session as similar to having friends that you don‘t really know that well, over for dinner. “With Jonathan being the new chief, it‘s just so important for our communities to know what each other is doing and have an understanding,” she said.
The Penticton Indian Band has voiced recent concerns over the proposed Summerland Hills Golf Resort. Kruger noted the band is continuing talks with the provincial government over the use of Crown lands for the development. “I think we‘re at the next stage now, where we‘re going to have to talk to the proponents and the (municipal) government here,” he said. “It‘s something that we‘re learning as we go along, and so I see us talking more in the future about it.” Approximately half of the proposed 417-hectare golf resort would be on Crown land and the other half would include 120 hectares of municipal land plus land owned by the developers. Summerland council last year extended the deadline for the resort developers to purchase the municipal-owned lands until Dec. 31, 2009. Monday‘s meeting had no scheduled agenda and no minutes were taken. Some band council members were unable to attend due to personal matters or other commitments.