We are proud to support and collaborate with you, the true climate champions making a difference in the Basin. Your efforts remind us that when we act as a community, our collective impact on the climate is both powerful and transformative.
Basin groups make climate-positive moves
Groups of all sizes are acting now to make the Basin more resilient to climate change while mitigating and adapting…

Doubling down on wetland restoration in yaqan nuɁkiy
The community of yaqan nuɁkiy near Creston is currently restoring wetlands. Wetlands are an integral part of a healthy ecosystem.

Local action, basin impact
This Earth Month, the Trust asked residents of the Basin to send in their tips for energy efficiency, food waste,…

Building wildfire resilience
Communities throughout the Columbia Basin do amazing work advancing the well-being of their spaces and people in the face of…

Curtailing food waste while taking a bite out of climate change
Many organizations have implemented projects to reduce food waste and divert it from the landfill, check out some of these…

Getting energized – smartly
We need healthy food to eat and affordable housing to live in. We need services that help us live our…

Educational wildfire films create new jobs
The Harrop‐Procter Community Co‐operative created four educational films on wildfire risk reduction with the goal of attracting and keeping the…

Salmo Ski Hill: a beacon of affordable winter fun
Recent energy retrofit upgrades at the Salmo Ski Hill lodge and patrol building, breathe new life into original structures from…

Filling bellies and so much more
For more than 15 years, a range of Trust programs have helped organizations recover more food, relocate to better facilities…

Terra Firma Farms keeps growing
Terra Firma Farms in #RevelstokeBC hired seasonal staff with support from our Food Producer Wage Subsidy Program, which provides support…

Burton plants seeds for change
Progress on the community garden and kitchen renovation at the community hall is well underway since Arrow & Slocan Lakes…

Kaslo youth take on wildfire resilience
The Village of Kaslo’s FireSmart committee decided to focused on engaging youth in the community in 2023 by hiring Youth…

Convenient clean up in Lakeview Meadows
Homeowners in the new Lakeview Meadows community in Windermere decided on a mutual goal to improve their resilience to potentially…

Building to address a pressing need
Three communities add new affordable rental housing.

A focus on well-kept, energy-efficient homes
First Nations in the Basin upgrade and add affordable rental housing

Healthy, local, affordable food arrives on Basin tables
Projects across the Basin focus on local food production and access

Building resilience in ecosystems
A range of actions address wildfire risk and improve fish habitat in the Slocan Valley.

Groups take action on climate change
The Trust has implemented a range of programs that help communities become more climate resilient, keeping people and places safe…

A hall becomes more welcoming for seniors
The Wynndel Community Centre is undergoing enhancements to make it sustainable, safer, more accessible and more energy-efficient.

Improving wintering grounds for elk
Five-year project in the upper Kicking Horse Canyon is enhancing 112 hectares so Rocky Mountain elk can better use this…

Blewett farm grows food access
Faced with the challenge of retaining staff for seasonal work, Bent Plow Farm was in search of a solution. The…

New Community Kitchen Cooks up Innovative Programs
With Trust support, Nelson Community Food Centre has increased their capacity to provide access to healthy food in a welcoming,…

Expert Team Leaps into Action to Protect Endangered Leopard Frogs
The Ktunaxa Nation Council partnered with the Government of British Columbia, Columbia Basin Trust, Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society and…

Valemount Program Gets Local Youth Outdoors
Robson Valley Community Services recently launched Valemount Youth Wilderness Initiative, a program that focuses on youth building resiliency and positive…

Kimberley Commercial Kitchen Builds Community
Since opening its doors in 2018, Healthy Kimberley’s Food Recovery Depot has recovered over 315,000 pounds of food, 85% of…

Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi ’it Improves its Wildfire-fighting Capabilities
To mitigate the wildfire risk situation, in spring 2022 Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi ’it hired Wildfire Response Coordinator Brett Uphill. The latest…

Lardeau Versus Wildfire
A community creates a plan to defend itself.

First Nations Generate Solar Energy
Three First Nations in the Columbia Basin are increasing renewable energy generation and sustainability of their affordable rental housing by…

Long-term Benefits to Ecosystems
Large, multi-year projects focus on the environment.

A Commitment to Climate
Basin communities become more climate resilient.

Wetlands Get a Little Help to Stay Wild
A project supports the complex biodiversity of a wildlife corridor.

A Showcase of Food and Creativity
13 farmers’ markets supported to help respond to the demand for local food in 2022.

Food Recovery and Delivery
Cranbrook Food Bank drives food security with efficient upgrades.

Celebrating Salmon and Calling Them Home
Online festival strengthens community and understanding.

Invasive Mussels Successfully Held at Bay
Support for the Invasive Mussel Defence Program keeps BC waters healthy.

A Bustling Jaffray-Baynes Lake Farmers Market
This community hub is getting some bountiful upgrades Baynes Lake is a rural community on the shores of Lake Koocanusa.

All Hands on Deck When it Comes to Preventing Wildfire
Invermere dedicates resources to safeguard the community

The Studio/Stage Door Finds Versatility in its Renovations
Trust support helps open new streams of revenue for Cranbrook Community Theatre

Saving a Tree and Helping the Species That Rely on It
The Nature of Conservancy of Canada restores whitebark pine.

6 Top Tips From Basin Residents To Start Making A Difference
We asked people in the Basin to share their top tips on how they are working to become more climate…

6 Ways to Support Local and Become More Climate Conscious
You shared so many great local producers to keep your shopping local, check out the list!

9 Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
The global carbon footprint per person is centered around three sources: food, home and transport.

Youth Engage in Climate Events
Basin youth learn how to channel their passion into action.

Fire Transforms Slopes—in a Good Way
Prescribed burns renew Slocan Valley landscapes.

Securing Local Food—and the Non-profit That Promotes It
The Revelstoke Local Food Initiative gets support to continue to help get their community growing.

Coming home
“It’s really good to be here.”

Reviving an ecosystem with ancestral techniques
“This work is an important step for ʔaq̓am in protecting the remaining grasslands we have left here,” says ʔaq̓am’s Nasuʔkin…

Growing community abundance
From its new location, the Golden Food Bank continues its essential work of providing food hampers to people in need.

Building homes the thinkBright way
thinkBright Homes hires an apprentice to help build eco-friendly homes.

Modern, Comfortable, Affordable Homes
Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it officially opened 11 new homes and updated 21 existing units, in March 2020.

Breaking New Ground in ʔakisq̓nuk
Partnerships build housing capacity and job opportunities

Building Homes
First Nations communities create affordable, quality housing Leading-edge efforts mean that members of five First Nations communities in the Basin…

Climbers Band Together to Preserve a Popular Spot
Castlegar’s Waterline climbing area remains accessible for generations to come.

Collaborating to Restore a Watershed
The Shuswap Band has started to restore and enhance over five kilometres of Shuswap Creek and its watershed.

Gathering Forces to Provide Food
The Revelstoke food bank ramps up its efforts to meet demands during the pandemic.

Feeding Fernie
Collaborating with community to serve residents during the pandemic Kirk and Linda Green, both majors with the Salvation Army and…

A Creston Farm Supports the Food Supply
With demand on the rise, local growers turn to Trust programs.

Cattle Put to Work to Suppress Fires
Targeted grazing using new technology aims to keep the people of Cranbrook safe. Cattle lumbering across the rolling land, flicking…

Reconnecting and Protecting Grizzlies
For the past 70 years, grizzly bears in the South Selkirk and Purcell mountains have largely been isolated from each…

To Preserve and Enjoy
Partnerships allow purchase of key lands The Basin features innumerable natural and recreational opportunities in many environments: forests, beaches, mountains…

Reviving Wetlands and a Traditional Hunting Ground
Culture, history and ecology take the forefront in yaqan nukiy project A new project is helping the yaqan nukiy—also known…

Feeding Families While Reducing Waste
Creston Valley food recovery projects bring fruit products and skills to people in the Basin When July rolls around, cherries…

Good Food for All
A thriving community where people come together around good food for all.

Upgraded Housing for Lower Kootenay
17 affordable housing units in Creston Valley’s Lower Kootenay Band (yaqan nuʔkiy) community are getting upgrades.

The Spirit of Giving
Food Banks Embody the Spirit of Giving—All Year Round

People, Land and Paddles
The Columbia River is beautiful and impressive—and important for many cultural, ecological and economic reasons. In August 2018, 16 youth…

Safeguarding Against Wildfire
The threat of wildfires is real and present in the Basin, and the City of Fernie is very aware of…

Building a Sustainable Future
The Basin is home to a rich and diverse Indigenous peoples’ history, heritage and cultures. Indigenous peoples and First Nations…

The Three E’s of Going Solar
“We have all this wonderful sun in the Kootenays. Why not make use of it?” So says Lynda McNutt, resident…

Environmental Education Programs Resume In Creston
Environmental education and awareness programs at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area are going to continue under new management. Since…

Affordable Housing for Shuswap Community
For the first time in 30 years, new housing is coming to the Shuswap community

Ɂakisq’nuk to Build New Rec Centre
Members of Ɂakisq’nuk First Nation in Windermere are making a community dream for a recreation centre come to life, and…

Planting the Seeds of Success
By mid-June, vibrant green Simpson and Red Sails lettuce are ready to pick at Cranbrook’s 3 Crows Farm, with Salanova…

Growing Our Wetlands and Grasslands
Our region is known for the grandeur of its mountains, lakes, rivers and forests. Yet wetlands and grasslands are also…

Our Climate is Changing
“When you talk to old-timers, they’ll tell you how the snowbanks used to be higher and winters colder. It’s true—they…
