When the B.C. government tried to get talks going on renewing the Columbia River Treaty as it reached its 50th anniversary in 2014, the Barack Obama administration didn香蕉视频直播檛 seem interested.

Now the Donald Trump administration is starting discussions, adding the cross-border flood control and hydroelectric agreement to a group of increasingly hostile actions on trade and relations with Canada.

Kootenay West MLA Katrine Conroy is representing B.C. in the talks between Canada and the U.S., with public meetings underway this week to gauge public expectations in the region that saw valleys flooded and communities abandoned to construct the Duncan, Mica and Keenleyside dams.

Then-energy minister Bill Bennett announced in 2014 that B.C. was extending the treaty another 10 years, then told a conference in Spokane that the U.S. should pay more for the electricity and flood control that comes at the expense of fertile B.C. valleys.

Conroy acknowledges that the U.S. side tends to believe it香蕉视频直播檚 paying too much, with an annual share of half of the electricity value generated downstream. She inherits a deal that did not concern itself with salmon runs, wiped out by a U.S. dam in the 1930s, or the effect the dams would have on the Kootenay fruit growing industry to produce a stable water supply for U.S. fruit and other farming.

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香蕉视频直播淚t is one of the best international water agreements in the world,香蕉视频直播� Conroy said in a legislature debate on the treaty in April. 香蕉视频直播淲hen it comes to just power and power generation and flood control, it was ahead of its time in 1964. But thank goodness things have changed, because in 1964, they also didn香蕉视频直播檛 consult with anyone in the basin.香蕉视频直播�

Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok questioned Conroy on B.C. and Canada香蕉视频直播檚 position going into discussions, and issues such as samon restoration that have arisen since the treaty was struck.

香蕉视频直播淭he Americans need our water for their agriculture, their wine, their apples and all those sorts of things, and for navigation and shipping,香蕉视频直播� Clovechok said. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 recreational real estate involved here. There are a lot of reservoirs, which very, very wealthy Americans have very large houses around, which they香蕉视频直播檙e concerned about and certainly are lobbying their government, and also industrial water supplies.香蕉视频直播�

Clovechok said it香蕉视频直播檚 obvious that the U.S. 香蕉视频直播渘egotiates from the State Department, not from the governor香蕉视频直播檚 office.香蕉视频直播�

Conroy declined to comment on Clovechok香蕉视频直播檚 q uestion about whether B.C. is prepared to reduce any downstream benefits from the treaty, except to say that B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 objective is to get 香蕉视频直播渆quitable or better benefits.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 think we did many, many years ago, and I think it香蕉视频直播檚 our turn,香蕉视频直播� she said.