Okanagan Indian Band

What Okanagan Indian Band does

The Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) is a federally recognized First Nations band government organization headquartered at 12420 Westside Road in Vernon, British Columbia, governed by Chief Dan Wilson and ten Councillors under the Indian Act. It serves approximately 2,030 band members across seven reserves totaling 11,282 hectares, with roughly half residing on reserve and half off reserve. OKIB delivers a comprehensive portfolio of community services through dedicated departments including Administration, Education/Language & Culture, Health & Social Development, Emergency Services, Public Safety, Lands, Public Works & Housing, and Territorial Stewardship, supported by an 8-location physical footprint across IR#1 at Vernon.

Service delivery is built around culturally grounded programs including the nkmaplqs i snmamayatn ikl sqilxwtet Cultural Immersion School, the snc'c'amala?tn Early Childhood Education Center, the accredited OKIB Medical Clinic, Syilx Restorative Justice, and Wellbriety programming. The underlying technology stack is modest: a WordPress-based public website (okib.ca), SharePoint for internal document management, the NationsConnect platform for land-use referrals, and BetterImpact for Emergency Support Services volunteer coordination. OKIB's Lands Department processes approximately 330 land-related instruments per year under the Reserve Land and Environmental Management Program.

The business model is primarily government-funded: the majority of operational revenue flows through annual federal transfer agreements with Indigenous Services Canada covering all service departments, with supplemental grants from Public Safety Canada for the Syilx Community Safety Office. Most services are provided at no direct cost to members. A commercial arm, the Okanagan Indian Band Group of Companies (OKIBGC), manages four limited partnerships — OKIB Assets LP, OKIB Construction LP, OKIB Forestry LP, and OKIB Operations LP — and operates the sc̓ə́sxən OKIB Sand, Gravel, and Rock Quarry, which sells aggregate publicly and is described as the lowest-priced in Vernon. As of September 1, 2025, OKIB also introduced a $40 fee for status card renewals for non-OKIB members.

Name

Okanagan Indian Band

Legal name

Okanagan Indian Band

Website

https://okib.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Okanagan Indian Band is a federally recognized First Nations government in Vernon, BC, delivering health, education, housing, emergency, public safety, lands, and cultural services to ~2,030 members across seven reserves, funded primarily through federal transfer agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Government and Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

EHS Training, Competency & Culture Programs (BPAHAJAL), Compliance Obligations Management (Permits-to-Controls Mapping) (EUAHAIAK), EHS Auditing, Inspections & Assurance (BPAHAJAG)

Keywords

• First Nations government
• Indigenous community services
• Aggregate quarry operations
• Cultural immersion education
• Community health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vernon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Transfer Agreements: OKIB receives the majority of its operational funding through annual federal transfer agreements from the Government of Canada (Indigenous Services Canada) for services including Band Administration, Communications, Education, Language & Culture, Emergency Services, Finance, Health & Social Development, Human Resources, Lands, Public Safety, Public Works & Housing, and Territorial Stewardship. Financial accounting is reviewed annually by an external accounting firm and submitted to Indigenous Services Canada at the close of each fiscal year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OKIB is a self-governing First Nations band government in Vernon, BC, delivering community services (health, social, education, public works, housing, public safety, lands, territorial stewardship) to approximately 2,030 members across seven reserves. It also operates the OKIB Group of Companies — comprising Assets LP, Construction LP, Forestry LP, and Operations LP — including a commercial sand, gravel, and rock quarry.

Product overview

The Okanagan Indian Band is a First Nations government organization providing comprehensive community services across multiple departments. The organization operates through its core administrative services (Administration, Chief & Council, Human Resources, Finance) and specialized service departments including Education Language & Culture (with snc'c'amala?tn Early Childhood Education Center and nkmaplqs i snmamayatn ikl sqilxwtet Cultural Immersion School), Health & Social Development (including an accredited Medical Clinic), Emergency Services (FireSmart Program and ESS), Public Safety (Syilx Community Safety Office with Restorative Justice and Wellbriety programs), Public Works & Housing (including social housing and water systems), Lands Department, and Territorial Stewardship Division. The commercial arm, Okanagan Indian Band Group of Companies, operates four limited partnerships: OKIB Assets LP (real estate), OKIB Construction LP, OKIB Forestry LP, and OKIB Operations LP, along with the scʕásxən Sand, Gravel, and Rock Quarry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Health Services Operates an on-reserve medical clinic accredited with commendation, providing primary health care, mental wellness, and community health programs to OKIB members on and off reserve.
• Cultural Immersion School Provides Syilx language and culturally grounded education to band member children through an on-reserve cultural immersion school.
• Early Childhood Education Centre Supports early childhood education for band member children, complementing the cultural immersion school programming.
• Housing Services Administers on-reserve housing programs for band members, including housing allocation, maintenance, and related support.
• Public Works and Public Safety Services Delivers public works maintenance and public safety, including emergency response coverage, across the seven OKIB reserves.
• Lands and Territorial Stewardship Manages reserve lands, natural resources, and territorial stewardship responsibilities on behalf of the band and its members.
• OKIB Group of Companies - Aggregate Quarry Commercial sand, gravel, and rock quarry operation run through OKIB Operations LP, supplying construction and infrastructure customers in the Okanagan region.
• OKIB Construction Services Construction services delivered through OKIB Construction LP for on-reserve and external projects.
• OKIB Forestry Operations Forestry operations conducted through OKIB Forestry LP, supporting sustainable forest management on band territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Local Education Agreement with SD22 has been shown to improve grades, increase Dogwood completion rates, and smoother transitions to post-secondary education.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BC Wildfire ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026OKIB implements fire bans and restrictions aligned with the BC Wildfire Service (Kamloops Fire Centre) to help reduce wildfire risk within the community. Category 1, 2, and 3 fire prohibitions are coordinated with provincial authorities. OKIB also participates in the First Nations FireSmart Program in coordination with provincial agencies.
• School District 22 (Vernon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool District 22 (Vernon) and OKIB have entered into a Local Education Agreement (LEA) to collaboratively support OKIB students and families. The agreement includes the BC Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA) joint transportation plan, cultural programming, and shared goals of improving educational outcomes and graduation rates. A second LEA was recently negotiated following seven months of relationship building.
• Okanagan Nation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOKIB is part of the Okanagan Nation, comprising seven Indian Bands: Lower Similkameen Indian Band, Upper Similkameen Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band, Penticton Indian Band, Westbank First Nation, Upper Nicola Indian Band, and Okanagan Indian Band. OKIB participates in the Okanagan Nation Alliance Annual General Assembly and Youth Leadership Gathering.
• First Nations Health Authority (FNHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOKIB Health & Social Development provides health programs and supports including access to FNHA Health Benefits for OKIB members, covering items such as dental, vision, and mental health services under the FNHA benefits program.
• Public Safety CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Syilx Community Safety Office is a project-based, grant-funded department receiving funding from Public Safety Canada to deliver culturally-grounded community safety programming including Restorative Justice, Wellbriety, and Youth Leadership initiatives.
• RCMP Indigenous Policing ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCMP Constable Neil Horne serves as the RCMP Liaison Police Officer for OKIB through the First Nations Policing Program, enhancing community policing services and supporting culturally responsive policing. The Community Consultative Group (CCG) facilitates liaison between the community, RCMP, and Public Safety Department.
• Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOKIB receives federal funding through annual transfer agreements with Indigenous Services Canada for services including Band Administration, Education, Emergency Services, Health, Lands, Public Safety, and Public Works. The Lands Department participates in the Reserve Land and Environmental Management Program (RLEMP) administered through ISC.
• Department of National Defence (DND)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDND conducted military training with live-firing on OKIB reserves between 1943 and 1990, resulting in unexploded ordnance (UXO). DND continues to fund and support UXO survey and clearance work through a memorandum of understanding, with 11 Band members sponsored for UXO Technician I training through Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.
• Kode Contracting and AggregateminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKode Contracting is referenced as an off-reserve partnership under OKIB Operations LP, which includes aggregate operations. Tyler Cull serves as Sales Manager for the scʕásxən Quarry (OKIB Sand, Gravel, and Rock Quarry).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• First Nations Health Authority (FNHA): FNHA is a BC-wide First Nations health governance body that funds and coordinates health services for member Nations including OKIB. While not a direct peer, FNHA is thematically adjacent as a First Nations self-determining governance organization and is one of OKIB's key service-delivery partners.

Broad incumbents

• Musqueam Indian Band: A large BC First Nation operating a band government structure with extensive member services and a developed economic development portfolio. Comparable as a broader incumbent First Nations peer with a mature federal-relationship and commercial LP framework.
• Squamish Nation: A large, economically diversified BC First Nation with substantial commercial operations and a sophisticated governance and member-services apparatus. Comparable as a broader incumbent peer showing the scale an Okanagan-band-style government can reach through commercial LPs and urban land development.
• Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc: A larger and more established BC First Nation operating an extensive band government and economic development arm (including the Tk'emlúps Group of Companies) with a comparable departmental structure spanning health, education, lands, and public safety. Comparable as a broader incumbent Indigenous government peer with a more developed commercial LP structure.
• Six Nations of the Grand River: The largest First Nations reserve in Canada, operating a comprehensive band government with multiple service departments and extensive economic development subsidiaries. Comparable as a broader incumbent showing a much larger scale of the same band-government and economic-development model OKIB operates.

Direct peers

• Penticton Indian Band: Another member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance, the Penticton Indian Band operates a parallel band government structure serving its membership with similar service departments (health, education, lands, housing, public works) and commercial subsidiaries. Directly comparable as an in-nation peer First Nation.
• Upper Nicola Indian Band: A member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance operating a similar band government model with comparable departmental service delivery to its membership, including health, education, lands, and public safety functions. Directly comparable as a peer First Nations band government.
• Westbank First Nation: A neighboring self-governing First Nation in the Okanagan and a member of the Okanagan Nation Alliance, delivering a similar comprehensive suite of membership services (administration, lands, health, education, public safety) and operating its own commercial development arm. Directly comparable as a peer Indian Band with overlapping territory and identical governance model.
• Osoyoos Indian Band: A fellow Okanagan Nation Alliance member that delivers comparable band government services to its members, administers reserve lands under the Indian Act, and participates in the same FNHA, ISC, and provincial funding ecosystems. Directly comparable as a peer reserve-based band government in the same alliance.
• Lower Similkameen Indian Band: Another Okanagan Nation Alliance member band, similarly federally recognized and operating a band council structure providing health, education, lands, and public works services to its membership in BC. Directly comparable as an in-nation First Nations government peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/okanagan-indian-band

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Okanagan Indian Band