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Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre opens in Cranbrook

April 23, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New home for KNC Clinic and will be a hub for Indigenous health services in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa

ʔa·kisk̓aqǂiʔit / Cranbrook, B.C.:

The Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre will celebrate its grand opening on May 8, marking a major step forward in the delivery of culturally safe health care in ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa.

Located in downtown Cranbrook at 32 9th Avenue South, the new centre will be a hub for health and wellness services for Ktunaxa members, their families and other Indigenous individuals who are living in ɁamakɁis Ktunaxa.

A public Grand Opening Open House will be held May 8, 2025, from 11 am to 1 pm.

“This centre reflects the Ktunaxa Nation’s long-standing commitment to improving health outcomes for our people,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chairperson. “It represents not just a new building, but a new approach to care—one that respects Indigenous perspectives, emphasizes community wellness, and strengthens partnerships.”

The centre houses the Ktunaxa Nation Health Clinic (which was formerly located in the Ktunaxa Nation Council Government Building).

It will connect people to a range of services through the Ktunaxa Nation Council and partners like Interior Health.

The centre uses a “circle of care” model that brings together a range of health professionals to support clients’ physical and mental well-being.

This team includes Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Outreach Licensed Practical Nurses, Foot Care Nurses, Counsellors, Mental Health and Addictions Support Workers, Social Workers, and Physiotherapists. Clients also have access to specialist providers, including an Internal Medicine Physician and a Psychiatrist.

Health centre professionals will provide outreach in nearby East Kootenay communities to help individuals and families navigate the health care system and connect with services.

The Ktunaxa Regional Health Centre has been supported through partnerships with the First Nations Health Authority, Interior Health, East Kootenay Primary Care Network, and with support from Indigenous Services Canada, Elk Valley Resources (formerly Teck Coal), Canfor, and other community collaborators.

Additional quotes and partner acknowledgements will be shared at the May 8 Open House.

The kinq̓uq̓anki Restoration Project, Columbia Lake East Side

April 17, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ktunaxa Nation partners with Nature Conservancy of Canada to restore important grasslands

Columbia Lake, B.C.: Work has begun on a five-year project to restore the grasslands of Columbia Lake—Lot 48 Conservation Area on the east side of Columbia Lake. Crews have started thinning trees in preparation for a low intensity burn treatment in 2026.

This project can be referred to by its Ktunaxa name: kinq̓uq̓anki. The word (pronounced kin-kook-an-key) was identified through many conversations with ʔakisq̓nuk elders, the Traditional Knowledge and Language Advisory Committee and the Lands Advisory Working Group, and has been historically used to describe Armstrong’s Range.

Collaboration

The Ktunaxa Nation Council, ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) are collaborating on the ecosystem restoration project on the conservation lands, which are held and managed by NCC. This restoration project has substantial funding support from Columbia Basin Trust.

“This work brings traditional Ktunaxa burning practices back to the landscape,” said Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxa Nation Council Chair. “The east side of Columbia Lake has always been important to us, so it’s a good place to collaborate on projects like this.”

Ecosystem restoration

For thousands of years, Ktunaxa ʔakⱡsmaknik (people) used seasonal, low-intensity ʔa·kinq̓uku (fires) in the Rocky Mountain Trench to maintain healthy grassland vegetation and wildlife populations.

The ecosystem was ‘fire-maintained,’ with fire sweeping through every 10 to 15 years. After burning practices were banned in the 1890s by the colonial government, many areas (like Lot 48) started to become ingrown with trees, creating unhealthy, suppressed forest stands and reducing grassland habitat.

Alfred Joseph, an elder of ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation, recalls when the east side of Columbia Lake. Kinq̓uq̓anki, was a vital part of community life. “I remember when you could gallop a horse through these lands. It’s time to restore that balance, for the sake of the grasslands and future generations.”

The steps involved

Thinning operations are being led by local contractors, including Seven Feathers Contracting, which is owned and staffed by ʔakisq̓nuk First Nation members.

Ktunaxa ʔa·knusti (land guardians) have established fire effects plots, and will revisit them after the burn (which is planned for spring, 2026), then every year until 2029.

Guided by an ecosystem restoration plan developed in collaboration with fire ecologist and burn boss Colleen Ross, the process will rejuvenate native grasses, create better grazing habitat, and reduce wildfire risks.

“We are excited to see the continuation of this important restoration work,” said Richard Klafki, Nature Conservancy of Canada program director. “Since conserving Lot 48 in 2011, we have been working towards this type of partnership with the Ktunaxa Nation to bring managed fire back to the landscape.”

“This project demonstrates the Ktunaxa Nation’s commitment to protecting our ancestral lands,” Teneese said. “But it also serves as a template for future restoration work, including potential efforts within the adjacent Columbia Lake Provincial Park. We are glad to be working with such dedicated partners.”

More information here.

 

From Clinic to Ktunaxa Nation Regional Health Centre

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Clinic Operations Update – April 2025

Our clinic is still open and providing regular services.

We’ve made a small change to how we book appointments:
All in-person appointments are now grouped together to improve flow.

You can still:

• Call the clinic as usual.
  Please leave a message if you can’t get through and we will return your call.

👩‍⚕️ Nurse Practitioner (NP) Appointments

• Phone appointments continue as usual
• In-person NP visits are grouped and will happen in the old clinic space until April 17.

Thank you for your continued patience and support!
📞 If you have any questions, please give us a call. 250-420-2700

The new Ktunaxa Regional Health Centre will be opening to clients on April 22, 2025.

The grand opening and open house will be on May 8, from 11 am to 1 pm.

Address is 32 9^th Ave. South.

ʔa·kuk̓pǂuǂaǂ (Juniper) Harvest, 2025