OSOYOOS TIMES-July 1, 2009

By Paul Everest - Osoyoos Times

The Osoyoos Indian Band and the Town of Osoyoos are working on a boundary adjustment agreement that will transfer roughly 16 hectares of land near 45th Street into the reserve.
The agreement stems from a settlement made between the band and the Canadian government in the late 1990s regarding the John Carmichael Haynes land claim in the area 150 years ago.
As compensation for the loss of more than 1,600 hectares of land in the 19th century due to European settlement in the area, the band was given the ability to purchase properties in the South Okanagan and convert it back to reserve land.
Under the terms of the settlement, the band had a 10-year window— which expired in February, 2008— to make the purchases.
In that span of time, seven lots were purchased in the Osoyoos and Oliver area, said the band’s chief financial officer, Brian Titus.
Four of the lots are in the 45th Street area and the Town and band are finalizing an agreement where the boundary of the reserve would be adjusted to incorporate about 16 hectares in that area which currently fall within the boundaries of the Town and the Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS).
Three of the lots are Town land and one is RDOS land.

Titus said the band and the Town are working together to address road alignment needs in the area as the band is considering the possibility of building a new roadway connecting Hwy. 3 and 45th Street for access to the Nk’Mip Resort.

Jim Zakall, the Town’s financial director, said both sides are working on a “road exchange agreement” to make sure that a proper road network is in place in east Osoyoos before the land transfer is finalized.
Part of the road exchange agreement deals with safety issues that have arisen concerning access from Hwy. 3 to roads in that area, Zakall said.
He added that the Town is not concerned about any lost taxes from the proposed land transfer as the area is currently farmed agricultural land.
The agreement still has to be approved by the band and Osoyoos town council.
Titus said band business dollars were used to purchase the seven lots, not federal money.
Chris Scott, the band’s chief operating officer, said he hopes the agreement between the Town and the band is finalized within the next month or two.
He added that once the local agreement is complete, the band will have to go back to the federal Indian Affairs and Justice departments so an “addition to reserves” process at the federal level can be finished.
news@osoyoostimes.com