Many people in the North Shuswap have been frustrated with our system of governance (CSRD) for many years. I remember shortly after I moved out here in 2004, chatting with community leaders about the Regional District and its challenges. Over the years there have been various attempts to bring the North Shu population together and demand a look at how we’re governed and what other choices there may be. This culminated in 2017 with a formal, private study, done on whether Scotch Creek, by itself, would be a viable incorporated municipality. The study said yes.

We took that study, and a petition of over 300 signed pages, to the CSRD and the Province, but couldn’t make any headway. A number of things got in our way including some staff at the CSRD, and the local Director at the time, not feeling this was a good idea. The province agreed to provide some funds for a Local Issues Assessment Study and provided wording that restricted that study to options which included the CSRD as the continued governance option. Well with a number of back and forths with the province about that, and Covid, that study didn’t happen until 2023 when it was begun in June, this year. The Dragon Fire put a hold on that study and it will now begin again in January.

There is currently a new petition to have the CSRD and Province look at a broader North Shuswap encompassing incorporation. This will likely be a tougher nut to crack but I know, based on our experiences with both the CSRD and the Province during Dragon Fire, that many in the community want to look at that. 2023/24 petition to support an incorporation review. Or use this QR code to download

Here are a few links with information about what we might expect should we achieve incorporation.

My FB notes regarding posts on incorporation

South Shuswap Incorporation list of pro’s for each option (Incorporation vs CSRD)

South Shuswap Incorporation Information report

North Shuswap Incorporation facebook page

North Shuswap 2023 Property Tax Request