The Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) and District of Lake Country are being recognized for their work to protect the North Aberdeen Plateau, a critical source of drinking water for communities across the North and Central Okanagan.
The North Aberdeen Plateau Wildfire and Watershed Resilience Initiative received the Presidents Committee Choice Award at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Community Excellence Awards ceremony on September 15 in Vancouver.
UBCM’s Community Excellence Awards recognize local governments and member First Nations whose projects and programs have gone above and beyond in meeting the purposes of local government in B.C. The Presidents Committee Choice Award recognizes an outstanding, unique or special project selected from submissions across all award categories.
Located within the unceded territory of the syilx Okanagan people, the North Aberdeen Plateau is a primary water source for Lake Country and Greater Vernon. The watershed also supports important ecological and cultural values.
Work on the Plateau brings together wildfire mitigation with a broader, long-term approach to watershed resilience. A multi-year, multi-phase wildfire mitigation project, supported by $15 million from the Province of B.C., is being advanced alongside efforts focused on watershed health, source water protection and cultural values.
In 2025, OKIB, RDNO and Lake Country endorsed the North Aberdeen Plateau Guidance Plan, establishing a shared framework for drinking water protection, cultural and ecological stewardship and climate resilience. The plan reflects syilx values and responsibilities and provides a structure for coordinated decision-making among the partners.
Through the initiative, the partners are advancing watershed and wildfire resilience planning, along with joint monitoring and reporting to guide action over the long term.
This landscape-level approach recognizes that wildfire, drought and changing forest conditions can affect water quality and reliability downstream, requiring partners to work together across jurisdictional boundaries.
The Presidents Committee Choice Award recognizes the collaborative approach taken by OKIB, RDNO and Lake Country to protect the North Aberdeen Plateau and the water, cultural and ecological values it supports.
Quotes
OKIB Chief Dan Wilson: "This work is the result of people coming together with an understanding that wildfire, water and the land cannot be looked at as separate issues. The North Aberdeen Plateau is important to our people and to communities throughout the region. Protecting it requires all of us to think beyond our own jurisdictions and take responsibility for the land and water we share. This recognition speaks to the importance of that work and the partnerships that made it possible."
RDNO Greater Vernon Advisory Committee, Director Victor Cumming: "The North Aberdeen Plateau Wildfire and Watershed Resilience Initiative is an outstanding example of regional collaboration delivering real benefits for our communities. By working together, the District of Lake Country, the Okanagan Indian Band, and the RDNO have advanced a project that improves wildfire preparedness, enhances watershed health, and helps safeguard the people and places we all value. This provincial recognition highlights the importance of investing in resilience today to protect our region tomorrow. We are honoured to be part of a partnership that is setting a positive example for communities across British Columbia."
Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland: "We have always known that protecting the North Aberdeen Plateau and the water our communities rely on is something we need to do together. I am incredibly proud of the work that Lake Country, OKIB and RDNO have done to bring different perspectives and expertise to the table and build a long-term approach to protecting this important watershed. This award is a wonderful recognition of that work and the strong partnership we have built along the way."
More information
- North Aberdeen Plateau Guidance Plan
- Wildfire-prevention project will keep Okanagan communities safe, protect water supply
Media Contact:
Zoë Callaghan
Communications Lead
District of Lake Country
[email protected]