Moyie and Columbia Lake communities are taking steps to reduce wildfire risks in their areas and build long-term resilience.
The volunteer fire department in the Moyie Lake area will improve readiness and training, while the Ktunaxa Nation Council and ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation are restoring grassland and cultural values on the east side of Columbia Lake.
Both initiatives received support from the Columbia Basin Trust (CBT).
“While each project responds to local priorities, together they reflect the diverse strategies that Basin communities are using to reduce wildfire risk, preserve ecosystems and protect what matters most,” said the Trust.
You can see more details on the projects below.
Moyie Volunteer Fire Department
The Trust says Moyie recently completed the construction of a new fire hall this spring using donated insulation and volunteer labour.
The Moyie Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) became a registered non-profit and is continuing its wildfire preparedness efforts.
Investment from the Trust helped the department purchase personal protective gear and wildfire equipment such as a water trailer, coveralls, hoses and pumps.
“One of our goals is to purchase locally as much as possible,” said Moyie VFD Administrator Bill Sanderman.
“We’ve sourced most of our equipment through local suppliers in Cranbrook.”
The CBT says 12 members from the department are focused on wildfire training, while the others are taking incident command courses and wilderness first aid.
“Living in the mountains and forest, wildfires are a regular occurrence,” said Sanderman.
“Given ongoing drought conditions and changing weather patterns, it’s important to respond to those small fires before they become major events.”
Sanderman says the community’s passion helped drive the volunteer department to success.
“When we first started as a volunteer fire brigade in 2009, we kept hearing how hard it would be to get volunteers to support us financially and with their time,” said Sanderman.
“What we found was exactly the opposite. The community has supported us one hundred percent.”
Ktunaxa Nation
The Ktunaxa Nation is working on a five-year ecological restoration project at Columbia Lake as part of its kinq̓uq̓anki Stewardship Project.
The 127-hectare area, managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), and the rest of the east side of the lake hold a deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Ktunaxa Nation.
“The east side of Columbia Lake has always been important to us, so it’s a good place to collaborate on meaningful projects like this,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair.
“This work brings traditional Ktunaxa burning practices back to the land.”
The Trust says its partnership with the NCC and Seven Feathers Contracting helped kick off tree thinning work, with plans to perform low-intensity prescribed burns next year.
“This burn will help reintroduce fire’s natural role in maintaining ecological balance and cultural function after over a century of suppression,” said CBT officials.
The project is grounded in the Ktunaxa principle of ʔa·kxamis q̓api qapsin – the interconnection of all living things – and supports biodiversity, regenerates traditional plants and helps protect culturally and archaeologically significant sites from intense wildfires.
“This project demonstrates the Ktunaxa Nation’s commitment to protecting our ancestral and cultural landscapes,” said Teneese.
“But it also serves as a template for future restoration work, including potential efforts within adjacent lands.”
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