The proponents of Jumbo Glacier Resort are one step closer to breaking ground on a new ski resort in the Purcell Mountains, with the province approving the Jumbo Glacier Resort Master Plan in August.
It’s been a long process to get to this stage for Oberto Oberti, the Vancouver-based architect who originally envisioned the resort in 1984, and has been working to bring it to fruition for more than 18 years. But there are a few obstacles remaining — the Regional District of the East Kootenays must approve rezoning of the proposed resort, which will include roughly 6,000 hectares of skiable terrain, up to 23 lifts on four glaciers, 6,500 bed units, and other resort services and amenities.
That zoning needs to be in place for the province to approve a Master Development Plan for Jumbo, which would allow construction to get underway.
It is expected that Jumbo Glacier Resort Ltd. will apply for rezoning in the coming months.
For groups that oppose the development, including Wildsight and the Jumbo Creek Conservation Society, the zoning phase represents an opportunity to quash the controversial proposal once and for all. In recent weeks groups have been pulling out all the stops to mobilize the public against the proposed resort, and encouraging residents in the region to respond to a regional district plebiscite on the project. Residents have until Nov. 2 to respond.
The plebiscite results are non-binding, but the polling opportunity was created by the regional district to allow residents and property owners in Electoral Area F to formally register their views on the development. The results will be forwarded to the provincial government.
Opposition groups also got a major boost in September when Scott Neidermayer, an NHL star from Cranbrook, announced his opposition to the project. Neidermayer timed his announcement to coincide with his visit home with the Stanley Cup.
“I have been fortunate to play hockey and travel all over the world,” he said. “Wilderness and wildlife values are disappearing, due in part to development proposals similar to the proposed Jumbo Resort. I am continually amazed we still have them here in the Kootenays.
“I am not only concerned about the loss of wilderness and the negative impacts on wildlife and on the area I call home. It’s clear local people feel both their concerns and those of wildlife experts have been consistently ignored.”
Scott’s brother Rob, who plays on the NHL champion Anaheim Ducks, is also opposed to the development.
Local polling has been against the proposal, and more than 90 per cent of the public comments the province received during the environmental assessment process were against the resort development. As well, the Ktunaxa First Nations, which have land claims in the Jumbo Valley, are opposed to the resort.
One of the main concerns with Jumbo is that it will impact the viability of other resorts in the region. According to opponents there are already 13 ski areas within a three-hour drive of Jumbo, and none of them are currently operating at capacity.
Another concern is wildlife, specifically grizzly bears and mountain caribou.
A recent study by U.S. and Canadian grizzly experts found that grizzly bear populations in the region were far lower than originally estimated, which led resort opponents to suggest that the environmental assessment completed in 2004 was based on flawed assumptions.
In addition to the survey, the Kootenay residents will also get a chance to speak at public hearings held by the regional district once the rezoning process gets underway.
For their part, the Jumbo Glacier Ltd. claims the support of the local business community, as well as the support of “the silent majority” of residents in the East Kootenay region. Further, they stand by the environmental assessment, and reject attempts by opposition groups who suggest that the Jumbo Valley is a pristine wilderness.
The area has been subject to mining and forestry, and the site of the proposed resort buildings was most recently occupied by a sawmill. As well, the area was already used by a local heli-ski company, R.K. Heli-ski, as well as Canadian athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, snowboarding and freestyle skiing who have been summer training on the Farnham Glacier.
R.K. Heli-ski initially opposed the resort, but has reached an agreement with Jumbo developers that would allow them to continue to operate in the area until the lifts can be built.
As for the fact that there are already several ski resorts in the region, proponents of the resort believe that the terrain and ability to offer four-season skiing will attract new visitors from the U.S. and Europe. As well, they suggest an average daily utilization rate of 2,900 skiers at peak periods, which is far lower than other resorts in the province.
In the end it will likely be up to the regional district to weigh the arguments of both sides and the survey results when making decisions on whether or not to rezone the area to accommodate the resort. However, some opponents are worried that the province would override a local decisions to oppose the resort through Bill 11, which allows the provincial cabinet to designate resort regions.
“The process is still a long way from going through, and nothing is going to happen until a Master Development Plan is put in place. And the proponents have not met all the conditions of the Master Plan, which include the local zoning and the conditions for grizzly bears,” said John Bergenske, executive director of Wildsight.
Given the results of independent polling in the region, Bergenske says he would be very surprised if the results of the plebiscite were in favour of the resort. He is more concerned what the province will do if it appears that the regional district opposes zoning.
While the province has rarely used its power to override local government, the current government did override the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District’s opposition to an independent power project on Ashlu Creek.
“It’s not clear whether the provincial government would override regional jurisdiction on this issue,” said Bergenske. “We do think the proponents are hoping at this stage that the province will step in if they don’t have any other way of putting (the resort) through… hopefully there will continue to be an open dialogue on the issue and the government in the end will listen to the majority of people in the region.
“I feel very strong, as do most of the people I talk to, that this needs to be a regional decision.”
There are more than 1,600 registered voters in Area F that are eligible to reply to the survey by Nov. 2. Area F does not include the town of Invermere, the closest town to Jumbo, but does include the surrounding rural area.
