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Columbia Basin Trust

Columbia Basin Trust

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The Columbia Basin Trust was founded in 1995 by the government of British Columbia in answer to the request by the people of the Columbia Basin to allow them to have a share of the financial benefits created by the Columbia River Treaty.

The Columbia River Treaty

The story began in the late 1940s and early 1950s when the governments of Canada and the US looked for ways to increase the supply of power to both countries. The result was that in 1964, the Columbia River Treaty was signed, enabling the creation of 4 dams in the Basin to generate hydro-electric power. This was done with neither the agreement nor the input of the residents and they were left without any ability to benefit financially from the treaty.

In 1990, the Columbia Basin residents asked the BC government for a share of the benefits and to create an organization to oversee these funds. Five years later, the Columbia Basin Trust was established and the government endowed it with $276 million to invest in regional hydroelectric projects and $45 million to invest otherwise.

The Mandate

The Trust is mandated under the Columbia Basin Trust Act to:

•    manage our assets for the ongoing economic, environmental and social benefit of the region, without relieving governments of any obligations in the region
•    include the people of the Basin in planning for the management of the assets
•    work with others to coordinate activities related to the purpose of the Trust.

Some of the ways in which it can and does accomplish this are:
•    providing resources
•    offering experienced counsel and support
•    making financial investment

The Columbia Basin Trust earns money by investing in power projects, Basin businesses and market securities which generate a predictable, sustainable and appreciating income.

In the East Kootenay, the CBT has offices at:

  • 512 8th Ave N, Golden, BC V0A 1H0
  • 828 Baker St, Cranbrook, BC V1C 1A2

To learn more about the CBT, visit the website at: http://ourtrust.org

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