Jumbo Glacier Resort in BC
#1 Guest_altaskier_*
Posted 14 October 2004 - 04:16 PM
B.C. approves controversial scheme for new ski resort
Last Updated Thu, 14 Oct 2004 19:28:54 EDT
INVERMERE, B.C. - The British Columbia government has given approval to a controversial $450-million ski resort on Jumbo Glacier in southeastern B.C. near the Alberta border.
The resort would have 23 ski-lifts, beds for more than 5,000 tourists and access to four separate glaciers.
Right now the only access to the area is by helicopter. Developer Grant Costello says it's time for that to change.
"What we're trying to do here is provide Canadians with something they've never had before and that is year-round skiing on four spectacular glaciers with a sight-seeing gondola to the top of the mountain."
It may be the ideal home for a ski resort, but it is also home to thousands of grizzly bears, and many people in the nearby community of Invermere are bitterly opposed to the project.
Meredith Hampstead, of the Jumbo Creek Conservation Society, says the provincial government has shown "complete disregard ... for public input into the process. The minister just said he appreciated hearing from people, apparently he didn't hear very well."
But the provincial approval is just the beginning of a long process. The final decision on this project will be made by the East Kootenay Regional District, which is a board of local mayors.
Hampstead says people in the area have been clear about how they want those elected officials to vote.
Written by CBC News Online staff
#3
Posted 14 October 2004 - 06:07 PM
This post has been edited by edmontonguy: 14 October 2004 - 07:48 PM
#5
Posted 14 October 2004 - 09:01 PM
#8 Guest_altaskier_*
Posted 18 October 2004 - 08:01 AM
#10
Posted 18 October 2004 - 04:13 PM
#11 Guest_altaskier_*
Posted 18 October 2004 - 11:20 PM
#12
Posted 20 March 2012 - 03:59 PM
The B.C. government has approved development of the controversial Jumbo Glacier Alpine Resort, the country's first year-round glacier-based ski resort.
The $1-billion development 57 kilometres west of Invermere, B.C., was first proposed — and cautiously endorsed by NDP Premier Mike Harcourt — in the early 1990s.
Since then, the project had passed all necessary regulatory and environmental hurdles, but stalled on final provincial approval.
On Tuesday morning, Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson announced that final obstacle had been cleared and the ski resort was approved by the province.
"After more than 20 years of comprehensive and exhaustive reviews, it was time to make a decision. I approved Jumbo Glacier Resort's master development agreement after reviewing all of the relevant documentation, and meeting with both First Nations and the proponent," said Thomson in a statement.
The province says the project will attract $900 million in investment and create 750 permanent jobs.
2-year target
The resort will be located in the Purcell Mountains on an old sawmill site.
Once complete, it will feature up to 23 lifts, a 3,000-metre-high gondola and a ski village with more than 6,000 units. The resort will be comparable in size to Silver Star in Vernon, B.C. — or about 1/10th the size of Whistler Blackcomb.
Oberto Oberti, the architect behind the proposal, hopes to have the first phase up and running within two years.
"The first phase of this project is not too different from the first phase of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, which we constructed in one summer," he said.
"Things could be done faster but considering a lot of things, I think two years is a resonable target."
Jumbo proposal controversial
P.O.V
Do you support the Jumbo Glacier Alpine Resort project in B.C.? Take our poll
The resort plan has divided residents in the Kootenays. A poll commissioned in 2008 found the project lacked public support, but proponents welcome the jobs and tourists the project will bring to the region.
Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett, a longtime supporter of the Jumbo project, said he's relieved to see the provincial government finally make a decision.
"This project has, for over 20 years, divided Kootenay communities. I am grateful for a final decision," said Bennett in a written statement on Tuesday. "No matter which side of the debate you're on, the majority of folks in the East Kootenay will be relieved by the certainty."
Opposition to the news came quickly. Even before the official announcement was made, the NDP was highly critical of the decision.
"People in the Columbia Valley have been absolutely clear. They feel strongly that building a resort in this area does not make sense," said Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald in a statement released Tuesday morning.
"It doesn't make sense environmentally or economically, and putting the B.C. Liberal stamp of approval on it doesn't change a thing."
NDP Leader Adrian Dix believes approving the resort is the wrong choice.
"The government has made its decision presumably to try and gain political benefit but the economic, environmental and community interest is being abandoned here."
Environmental groups decry 'bad decision'
The Jumbo Glacier ski resort project in southeastern B.C. has been slammed by the NDP and First Nations critics. (CBC)
Environmental groups such as Wildsight have spoken out against the proposal from the beginning, and said they're disappointed by news Jumbo will go ahead.
“It is very unfortunate that the provincial government has ignored the overwhelming opposition to this project from the people in the Kootenays, the clear scientific argument against the development by North America's leading grizzly bear experts and the Ktunaxa Nation's spiritual values," said Wildsight executive director John Bergenske.
"It's a bad decision. It is not a done deal. The people of the Kootenays are not going to sit back and allow a destructive development that flies in the face of the environmental, social and economic values of our communities."
The B.C. government said Tuesday the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will establish a wildlife management area to protect the Grizzly bear habitat.
Despite the province giving the Jumbo resort the green light, funding for the development still isn't in place. In February, a business delegation flew to France to pitch the project to possible investors.
Those investors are expected to make a trip back to B.C. to visit the Jumbo site in the months to come.
William Shakespeare
#13
Posted 21 March 2012 - 04:16 AM
I must admit though that:
"Once complete, it will feature up to 23 lifts, a 3,000-metre-high gondola and a ski village with more than 6,000 units. The resort will be comparable in size to Silver Star in Vernon, B.C. — or about 1/10th the size of Whistler Blackcomb."
does seem a little off. Silver Star size with 23 lifts????
#14 Guest_altaskier_*
Posted 21 March 2012 - 07:18 AM
#15
Posted 21 March 2012 - 04:09 PM
Jumbo Glacier Alpine Resort Ltd. ain't got no money.
At one point it was supposed to be Intrawest, nope... no more money there.
Then it was supposed to be Nippon Cable... nope again (too smart).
Now it's supposed to be an investor group from France... sure buddy.
BC is full of huge mountains with amazing snow, miles from anywhere. This one is 35km west of Panorama up Toby Creek. Problem is the nearest big market & airport (Calgary) is already too damn far away. And oh-ya, the real estate market is completely flat!
This post has been edited by mthornton: 21 March 2012 - 04:10 PM
#16
Posted 21 March 2012 - 04:20 PM
altaskier, on 21 March 2012 - 07:18 AM, said:
Valemount location wise is extremely unpractical..it has every bit the environmental concerns that the people are protesting at Jumbo, the main differenece there is the economical impact it would have for a village fighting to survive. And also, there is no airport near Valemount..I don't know what your thinking of.. but Kamloops AP is a 4 hour drive and does puddle jumpers..Edmonton is a 6 hour drive.. its in the middle of nowhere..or at least you can see nowhere from Valemount (pop. 800)
Laurence Sterne
#17
Posted 21 March 2012 - 06:28 PM
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Laurence Sterne
#20
Posted 09 October 2014 - 03:44 PM
2milehi, on 09 October 2014 - 01:37 PM, said:
well, the photos were taken in Canada.... I watched Conan last night, he had a skit where he called Canadians "Super-whites"
William Shakespeare
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