By Greg Nesteroff
Special to Black Press
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary will seek a new appointee to the Columbia Basin Trust board.
The board decided to advertise the position after opting not to nominate current representative Murray McConnachie for another term. His current term expires at the end of the year.
The board’s discontent came over a lack of written quarterly reports, which they indicated had been repeatedly requested.
“It was clear what our requirements were,” Area B director Linda Worley said. “There’s not a lot we ask of our appointee. As much as I would like to see him brought back because I assume he’s performing well, I am not in favor of reinstating someone who is not complying with a very small ask.”
Other directors agreed. Only Beaver Valley director Ali Grieve spoke in favour of giving McConnachie another chance, pointing to his presence on the Trust’s finance committee.
McConnachie said in an interview that he was caught off guard by the decision and was “sorry for any miscommunication.”
“I endeavored to do the best job I could for CBT, working for the best interest of all members of the Basin,” he said.
McConnachie called serving with the Trust “one of the more amazing experiences of my life.
“It was a privilege to serve this area and work to protect the CBT, the crown jewel of the area. It is the most important institution in the Basin providing for the well being of our people.”
McConnachie, a Trail resident, has been on the board since 2018, serving two terms, and said he would have been happy to continue on.
He has spent more than 25 years working with youth as a teacher and coach and serves as co-ordinator of trades and technology training for School District 20 while also service as vice-president for his family business, the KES Group of Companies.
The Trust has a 12-member board. Six directors are appointed directly by the provincial government and the rest are nominated by the five regional districts within the Basin and the Ktunaxa Nation Council. Those nominations still require provincial approval.
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