Canada

“We’re going to create space for our animals, we’re going to create space for our winged creatures, our plant life and everything else that flows,” [Westbank First Nation Councillor Jordan Coble] said. “We’re committing to that, right here, right now.”

On Wednesday, the B.C. and federal governments announced $8.3 million to support stewardship of ecological corridors in the province, including a long-standing effort to protect a key wildlife corridor in the Okanagan.

For several years, the B.C. and federal governments have been working with Indigenous Nations and conservation groups towards protecting at least 30 per cent of land and waters by 2030 — a commitment Canada made alongside 196 other countries at the global biodiversity conference in Montreal in 2022.