 So I think without further ado, I'm going to welcome the Honorable Katrina Conroy up to start our evening off again. Thank you. Thank you, Brooke. I've got a really long speech here. I don't know if I can say it all. I want to thank Natalie for getting us started in the right way tonight and I too want to recognize the indigenous nations on whose traditional territory we are gathered. And to tell you how important it is for me to be here tonight and how glad I am that it's on tonight because the house isn't sitting because yesterday was a stat holiday. So I could be here tonight because as minister responsible for as we like to say in Victoria, all things Columbia, this is really near and dear to my heart and I'm really glad that I could be here for one of these, these nights when we, the people of the, of the basin are able to share how they feel about it. And I also, I do want to recognize Sylvan and you'll see him shortly on the screen as our negotiator from global affairs Canada, and all the work that he's been doing but I also want to recognize a couple of guests that are here from our US consulate Adam Huntman and Jeff Reed are here they're in the back of the room that's my way. They're from the US consulate in Vancouver and it's really nice that they made it up here for this. I just think the very fact that that we're all here talking about the treaty shows how different things are than they were when the treaty was originally signed in the 60s. Because in that time there was no discussion with anybody it was just signed so it's really important that we have these opportunities to meet this is our second round of discussions with people from the basin. So it's for me it feels it's it's so important that we're all here. And I do, like Kathy is going to talk later but I just want to acknowledge the incredible work she's done as our BC negotiator she's the head of the BC team they have. They are very much part of the whole process with Sylvan and, and it's an incredible team and and also to welcome Nathan one of the other negotiators from the indigenous communities that have been added to the table and it's. I think that we can't really move forward, unless we acknowledge the mistakes that happened over 50 years ago. So for us it's an opportunity to make sure we're listening because we know as I said in the 60s that you know the government wasn't listening. And it's really important all of us to know that not only is the. Are we hearing what you say, but that the people that are at the table negotiating are here, and they take your concerns to the table. You know we did lose quite a bit and in when the original treaty was signed up here. We lost a lot of economic opportunities we lost and as reservoirs were flooded. I still like to point out to our friends from the Okanagan that we had some of the most fertile land in the province that was flooded. And now that I know the Okanagan takes that that kudos but I mean we did have incredibly prosperous land that was gone. When you think of it there was nearly 200 square miles of land that was flooded that was lost and the social disruption in our region like over 2000 people lost their homes lost some people lost their communities and it's you know when you think back on that and it was just taken for granted and the government of the day said this is what's going to happen and and you have no say in it. Indigenous communities lost so much as well and and sites were destroyed. So today we you know we need to look at what's happening today with the you know the rising and falling of reservoir levels as a result of the treaties, and we need to ensure that we're talking about the, you know the ecosystems they you know agriculture and the forestry, the recreation and the culture that continues to be impacted. You know as a basin resident I've lived most of my life here and and I'm grateful to see that changes for the better are coming around in my lifetime and as minister I'm incredibly proud of the fact that government is doing things differently. Today we listen we engage and and these community meetings are one example of how we're doing that. And it's a process that's continued from the former government started this I'm happy to say that that we're proud to continue to build on the work that was done by the former government. In 2012 and 2013 those discussions were started around the basin of what was going to happen with with the treaty. And last year when the negotiations started. So we again said that we needed to have these discussions and had a series of 12 negotiations around the basin or discussions discussions not negotiations. Kathy would get upset with me if I said people could come to the negotiations their secret, but so we hosted meetings all across the base and last fall, and they were well attended with lots of input. And this year we are again or they're doing the same thing we've already held seven and now there's five more to be held. I think that it's really important that people have an opportunity to to talk about the negotiations, although what actually happens at the table is confidential I think anybody that's been involved in negotiations recognizes that. And but it's important to hear what the issues are so that those issues can be brought to the table. But we also if you can't, I'm telling this to the people that apparently out there and in social media land or somewhere out there watching apparently. We also have quarterly e-newsletters that people can access to keep people informed about the negotiations but also about other things related to the treaty. And we have online you can phone in you can contact people so I'm sure Brooks going to tell everybody how to do that yet she's not in her head good after it's over. You know there's even a Twitter account so if we're going to tweet out what's happening with the treaty. We've also got lots of input from local government and Linda Warley and this is her her region where's Linda where you're sitting Linda way at the back there she is. So Linda's going to speak after about the local government committee and I know there's some representatives here tonight about the local government committee and they've been a real strong voice for constituents throughout the entire base and representing local government. We also have another committee called the Columbia Basin Regional Advisory Committee but we just call it Seabrack because ministries love acronyms all the time. So that also it's made up of experts as well as lay people from across the region and they get together and and I know that Linda's going to talk a little bit about Seabrack as well and there's some members here tonight. Because it's really important for us for as a ministry that we are hearing those those voices that we're hearing what's what's happening and and it's something that should have been done half a century ago. In this process one of the things that we hear from time we continually have heard from the time that I became minister responsible and when I was the critic responsible for since 2005 when I was first elected I've always been the critic responsible. We've always heard loud and clear that in any modernized version of the treaty that we have to address ecosystems and we agree with that. And I think that that's what's really important is what you'll hear tonight as Natalie has said Natalie and Nathan Matthew will talk about ecosystems from the indigenous perspective and it is so important to hear that for everyone. Also, I think that it's important to acknowledge the role of the indigenous nations that are at the table because they as well as everyone else had absolutely no say what happened many many years ago and and I want to thank the the federal government for agreeing that that the nations the three nations from our base and should be involved in the negotiations. It was an incredibly important step and and I think it demonstrates Canada's and BC's commitment to the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous people and something that the collaboration you know it started in 2018 actually where representatives of the three first nations were at the table, talking with the negotiators about what from their perspective what the issues were and, and I think now that they are actually at the table even strengthens those positions and it strengthens our position as a government where we just introduced legislation to implement the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples here in BC. And I think it's really important to acknowledge the collaborative spirit and inclusiveness that's needed today and throughout the basin. One of the other things last year that we heard that we still need to acknowledge and recognize what was lost with the with our treaty dams. And I think in that spirit we're making great headway that people from the basin continue to remind us and at the same time know we need to move forward. The provinces Columbia River treaty team is working on a heritage project to acknowledge losses as well as projects that address concerns around agriculture. The Creston Valley Dyches the fish passages at Duncan Dam and recreation around the Kimbasket reservoir, and I believe you'll hear more about these projects later on tonight. So, in a few days I'm actually I'm going to be speaking in Seattle at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region 2019 Economic Leadership Forum. And it's really valuable for me to be able to go and share BC's perspective on the treaty with American state legislatures. And in the case of this upcoming Penware Forum I'm especially glad to hear that they're having me speak about what the BC government has been has been doing to engage with people throughout the basin. And I think I take that as a compliment not only to the government but to the federal government and to the team we have working on this, but also to all the basin residents who have insisted that your voices be heard because I think that's critically important. And in the past governments will ignore voices if they don't clamor and voices in the basin have said we want to be heard and so they need to be heard and and we need that input and that insight, or the process just wouldn't work. So, I want to end by thanking everybody for coming tonight I know it's you know, sometimes tough to get out but I think it's really important that you're here that your voices are heard and I know there's lots of ways that you can write down your issues to and Brooks probably going to tell you all about that too. And the fact that it's live streaming and it's on YouTube and people from across the basin can can make sure if they can't make it to the meetings that they can be heard. And I just think that it's it's really important that you're all here and I appreciate that the fact that you that this is important enough for everybody that you want to make sure that your voices are heard. The only thing I want to start doing more of is is bringing these discussions to classrooms and to high schools and even elementary schools because every time I go and talk I was at a grade five class recently and ended up. I went to talk to one grade five class and the teacher said well the few more classes want to meet with you ended up talking to six classes. And everyone that I talked to about the treaty, the kids immediately lit up and went oh my goodness yeah and I said this is about your future. And to me that's what the Columbia River Treaty is about it's a generational treaty. It's not about what's going to be good for those of us in the room when I look around the room. It is but this treaty is going to be good for our kids and grandkids and their kids because when the treaty was signed in the 60s, I was four. And here I am at 62 and it's affecting us it's affected me all those years and so it's going to affect those kids for years to come. And so I think this is something that's going to take some time to negotiate we got to make sure we do it right. And we got to think of those generations to come when we're doing those negotiations. So thank you everybody for coming tonight.