Uncategorised

DATE: MAY 21, 2025

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT,

Skeetchestn Indian Band, in accordance with First Nations Tax Commission policies, and Skeetchestn Indian Band Property Taxation Law 2008, proposes to set the following annual tax rates for 2025:

PROPERTY CLASS                                                                                    RATE PER $1,000 OF ASSESSED VALUE

Class 1 – Residential                                                                                         3.49500

Class 2 – Utilities                                                                                              22.15000

Class 6 – Business and Other                                                                             9.95100

Class 9 – Farm                                                                                                  9.12279

Due to increased service costs, the Skeetchestn Indian Band is currently in a $150,000 shortfall in its annual budget for basic community services such as fire protection, garbage pickup, street lighting, as well as wildfire protection and suppression measures, a water system upgrade project, and general capital costs.  These rates will generate an additional $52,000 in revenue which will help offset this budget shortfall.

Signed,

Sukhvinder Chouhan

Chief Financial Officer Skeetchestn Indian Band

Attention Skeetchestn taxpayers. Due to a potential Canada Post strike, your 2025 tax notices may be delayed in being received. We advise contacting the Skeetchestn Finance Department if you have not received your tax notice by June 15th, 2025. We also recommend paying your taxes in person at the Band office, rather than mailing payment through Canada Post. Late payment fees will continue to be charged. Tax announcements can also be found on our website at https://www.skeetchestnnr.ca/

SNR’s Shaun Freeman spoke with Daybreak Kamloops recently to talk about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and its effect on local wildlife populations. You can find that interview at 1:42:53 here on CBC’s website, and read more about CWD below!

Chronic Wasting Disease poses a serious threat to wildlife in British Columbia and more importantly in Skeetchestn. This fatal neurological disease impacts deer, elk, and moose, causing brain degeneration, extreme weight loss, and ultimately death. Left unchecked, CWD could devastate our wildlife populations and disrupt the ecosystems we all depend on.
CWD is caused by prions—infectious, misfolded proteins—that spread through direct animal contact or contaminated environments like hay being transported in from Alberta where it is present. Once established, it is nearly impossible to eliminate, making early detection essential.
You can play a critical role in protecting our wildlife! Hunters are strongly urged to submit the heads of harvested deer for testing. A head collection depot is conveniently located at the Skeetchestn Natural Resources office, 1040 Lemonade Flats Rd, Savona, BC V0K 2J0, just outside the office in the freezer labeled “BC Wildlife Health Program”.
By participating in this vital surveillance effort, you’re contributing to the early detection and management of CWD, helping prevent it from spreading further and safeguarding our wildlife for generations to come. Your actions today will make a difference—submit your samples and join the fight to protect our ungulates!