B.C., Ottawa extend funding agreement for Tsilhqot’in child and family services

The Canadian flag flies over the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The British Columbia and federal governments have extended a funding agreement with the Tsilhqot’in Nation to support its jurisdiction over child and family services.

A statement from Indigenous Services Canada says an initial one-year deal announced in May, soon after the nation in B.C.’s central Interior enacted its own children and families law, has been extended to span five years.

The department says the nation will use the time and funding to establish “more robust mechanisms for self-governance, accountability, dispute resolution, prevention programs and cultural continuity” related to children and families.

It says the latest deal will see Ottawa provide more than $18.8 million per year, adjusted for inflation, while the province will provide just over $766,000 annually.

Indigenous Services says the federal government will also provide $132 million in funding for infrastructure needs related to child and family programming across the six communities that comprise the broader Tsilhqot’in Nation.

Francis Laceese, tribal vice-chief for the Tsilhqot’in National Government, says the extension marks a “new era” that celebrates Tsilhqot’in law and the nation’s own model of care for its children stemming from its culture and values.

“We are living our traditional teachings and our human rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” Laceese says in a statement.

“We are a healing nation and today we are proud to stand with our partners celebrating this tripartite agreement – this is healing for our people, and most importantly our children and future generations.”

The funding builds on $35.2 million Ottawa has provided this year for the initial phase of the transition to Tsilhqot’in jurisdiction, while B.C. provided $766,000.

The agreements follow federal legislation passed in 2020 recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-government, including control over child and family services.

B.C. passed a similar law in 2022, making it the first province to “expressly recognize” the right to self-government among Indigenous communities, Indigenous Services Canada says in the statement issued Saturday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2025.