COURTENAY — Officials with the K’ómoks First Nation and the B.C. and federal governments have signed a draft treaty in a step toward the nation’s self-governance.
K’ómoks Chief Ken Price said it was an “exciting, memorable, and emotional day” for the Island community as it marked another step toward a treaty.
Price said in a statement that many K’ómoks leaders have been part of negotiations over the last 30 years aiming to “build the best treaty possible.”
He said treaties are “the highest form of reconciliation between nations.”
The draft treaty must still be ratified by a vote among K’ómoks members, and Price said the next step is to ensure questions are answered to ensure community members feel they are making an informed decision.
A statement from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said the initialling marks a milestone on the nation’s path to self-governance.
If the 351 registered K’ómoks members vote to ratify the treaty, the B.C. and federal governments would adopt it through legislation, the statement said.
The full ratification process is expected to take three years, with the treaty coming into effect in 2028 at the earliest.
Government officials told reporters in a Friday briefing that the treaty would give K’ómoks all the powers of a local government, as well as jurisdiction for some social services that previously came under the purview of the province.
As part of the treaty, the federal government would make a cash transfer of $56.5 million to the nation, said one official.
B.C. has committed to $20 million in economic-development funding, some of which has already been paid out, another official said at the briefing.
The agreement would also see 3,460 hectares of land become K’ómoks treaty land, with options for the nation to purchase an additional 1,592 hectares of land from the province in the future, according to documents distributed in the briefing.
Sandy Island, Seal Islets, Wildwood Forest, Wood Mountain and Williams Beach lands set to be transferred will remain publicly accessible, the documents said.
The modern treaty framework is more of a “living relationship” similar to those between the federal government and provinces rather than a one-and-done deal, said one senior government official. “Nations have been saying for years they want to be part of this model of co-operative federalism — as they should be.”
The Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations Gary Anandasangaree said the initialling “marks a pivotal step away from centuries of colonial policies.”
“After 30 years of negotiations involving K’ómoks, Canada, and British Columbia, this treaty embodies transformative policy innovations crucial to advancing reconciliation,” he said in the statement. “For Canada, achieving this milestone … represents a significant stride toward genuine nation-to-nation relationships built on mutual respect, partnership, and the full recognition of rights.”
K’ómoks treaty negotiation team member Melissa Quocksister said talks slowed between 2012 and 2019 because of K’ómoks leadership changes, with a new council replacing a council that had been in place for more than 20 years.
Federal and provincial governments were also harder to work with during that time, she said.
“We didn’t feel there was a real commitment from the governments at the time, the Stephen Harper Conservative government and the Liberal government in B.C.,” she said in an interview before the signing.
The nation had signed an agreement to revitalize treaty negotiations in 2019, and chief negotiators reached an agreement in the fall of 2023, according to senior government officials.
K’ómoks is the latest First Nation to sign a draft treaty with the federal and provincial governments, following proposed deals with the Kitselas Nation and the Kitsumkalum Band, part of the Tsimshian First Nation in B.C.’s northwest.
