In a June 16 letter to community members, Chief Clint Williams and chief negotiator Roy Francis said that Sliammon, Canada and BC had reached a ‘negotiator’s understanding’.
“The understanding means that the chief negotiators are now taking the final agreement back to their respective parties recommending ratification,” the letter said.
A ceremony for initialing the final document is expected to take place in September. Once that occurs, a community-wide vote will be held in Sliammon on whether or not the final agreement should be accepted.
“The Sliammon treaty team is now shifting focus away from negotiations,” Williams and Francis wrote. “The focus is now on explaining the content of the final agreement to the community.”
They said “a very generous period of time” will be set aside for information sessions to prepare the community for a final vote.
“The Sliammon final agreement is the end result of 14 years of commitment, investment and hard work,” they said.