Community leadership and cultural stewardship support long-term resilience
Communities near Moyie and Columbia Lake are taking action to reduce wildfire risk and build long-term resilience. In the Moyie area, the volunteer fire department is improving readiness with training and equipment. On the east side of Columbia Lake, the Ktunaxa Nation Council and ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation are restoring grasslands and cultural values through wildfire mitigation rooted in traditional stewardship.
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.
Community-led preparedness in Moyie
In spring 2025, the Moyie community completed construction of a new firehall using donated insulation and volunteer skilled labour. Now, the Moyie Volunteer Fire Department (VFD), a registered non-profit, is continuing wildfire preparedness efforts.
With support from Columbia Basin Trust, the department has invested in personal protective gear and wildfire equipment, including a water trailer, coveralls, hoses and pumps.
“One of our goals is to purchase locally as much as possible,” says Moyie VFD Administrator Bill Sanderman. “We’ve sourced most of our equipment through local suppliers in Cranbrook.”
The department, that is activated only when there are no available BC Wildfire Service crews or contract crews are available, is now focusing on training. Twelve members are enrolled in the S100 wildfire training program, while others are taking incident command courses and wilderness first aid. This investment in knowledge not only helps protect Moyie but also contributes to wildfire readiness across the Basin.
“Living in the mountains and forest, wildfires are a regular occurrence,” says Sanderman. “Given ongoing drought conditions and changing weather patterns, it’s important to respond to those small fires before they become major events.”
Preparing volunteers with training that includes incident command promotes safety and helps them understand how their group fits within a coordinated, effective emergency response plan in accordance with BC Wildfire Service requirements. Sanderman credits the community’s shared passion and dedication for driving progress.
“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,” he says. “What we found was exactly the opposite. The community has supported us one hundred percent.”
Ktunaxa Nation restores culturally important grasslands
At Columbia Lake, a five-year ecological restoration project is underway on the Lot 48 Conservation Area as part of the Ktunaxa Nation’s kinq̓uq̓anki Stewardship Project. Managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), the 127-hectare area, along with the rest of the east side of Columbia Lake, holds 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,” says Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair. “This work brings traditional Ktunaxa burning practices back to the land.”
Supported by the Trust and in partnership with the NCC and Seven Feathers Contracting—a local business owned and staffed by ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation members—work has started on thinning trees in preparation for a carefully planned, low-intensity and prescribed fire in 2026. This burn will help reintroduce fire’s natural role in maintaining ecological balance and cultural function after over a century of suppression.
Grounded in the Ktunaxa principle of ʔa·kxamis q̓api qapsin—the interconnection of all living things—the project supports biodiversity, regenerates traditional plants and helps protect culturally and archaeologically significant sites from the impacts of severe wildfire.
“This project demonstrates the Ktunaxa Nation’s commitment to protecting our ancestral and cultural landscapes,” says Teneese. “But it also serves as a template for future restoration work, including potential efforts within adjacent lands.”
Climate-informed planning is central to the approach. Fire modelling and resilience mapping are guiding treatments designed to conserve a key wildfire corridor and protect old growth forest in other areas. Monitoring plots will track the effectiveness of treatments over the next four years, supporting continuous learning and adaptive management.
Working together toward long-term resilience
From grassroots volunteerism in Moyie to culturally led ecological restoration at Columbia Lake, communities across the Basin are preparing for the growing threat of wildfire in ways that reflect their unique strengths and histories. These projects—supported in part by Columbia Basin Trust—demonstrate how knowledge-sharing, local leadership and long-term planning can build a safer, more resilient region for generations to come.
