We are getting ready for a ‘surprise’ decision
All has been quiet on the Jumbo front: or has it?
We have reason to expect a forthcoming decision on the Jumbo resort from the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.
Right now, we don’t know what the decision is, but suspect it may be one of the following:
To approve the Master Development Agreement, the next (but not final) step in the long and convoluted application process.
To reject the Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal, thereby finally acknowledging that the people of this region do not want it and wildlife populations cannot sustain its impacts.
If the decision is to approve the Master Development Agreement, we anticipate further delays and more process due to zoning and stakeholder issues.
If it is so, the future of the Jumbo Valley as a wild corridor—absolutely crucial to grizzly populations in the entire Columbia Mountains—is at stake.
Knocking on closed doors
After 20 years’ discussion on this issue, the single constant has been the lack of clarity about the process.
There has never been clear knowledge of exactly who, when or where the ‘final’ decision, the yes-or-no decision, can be made.
Over the years we’ve heard so many times that decisions would be forthcoming—but they weren’t.
This time, though, we’ve heard about a forthcoming decision from an unusually high number of sources and we are fairly certain that the Jumbo file is moving again—this time rapidly.
Our concern is that—despite the lack of any land-use decision supporting resort development in the Jumbo Valley—there remains no further, official, channel for public input.
The RDEK vote of August, 2009, requested that the province take over the decision by legislating the proposed site a Mountain Resort Municipality. This would negate the public’s opportunity to comment during a regional rezoning process. The Province has yet to do to this. One reason may be that the project’s Environmental Assessment Certificate includes a requirement—still in effect—for a local government rezoning process to occur, thereby ensuring public input.
All public input—in the form of third-party polls, RDEK plebiscites, and the Provincial Environmental Assessment Process—have given decision-makers a clear direction: NO to the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort.
Unless the forthcoming decision for the Jumbo Valley is a final ‘no’ to this unsustainable, undemocratic, unwise resort proposal, we the public will be facing the same uphill battle and closed doors that we have always faced when it comes to this proposed resort.
The doors may be closed—but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop knocking.
Many voices need to be heard
Once again, many voices need to tell the Premier and the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts that the best decision on the resort is a final, absolute ‘no.’
Many voices need to tell his Assistant Deputy Minister the same thing.
Premier Gordon Campbell, Minister Kevin Krueger and Assistant Deputy Minister Peter Walters need to hear from people who care about the fate of the Jumbo Valley, its watersheds, glaciers and wildlife.
Please take a moment to tell them—politely—that you oppose the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort.
Handwritten letters are the best, but e-mails will do if you are short on time.
We’ve created an easy-to-edit e-mail form here for you to use as a starting point.
Please write your message in the message field.
It’s important to identify who you are—a resident, a concerned citizen—and why you personally object to the Jumbo resort scheme.
Stay polite and to the point.
Thank you… for the wild,
The JumboWild team
E-mail form
Snail mail addresses
Honourable Minister of Tourism Culture and the Arts,
Kevin Krueger
Room 301
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2
Phone: 250 953-4246
Fax: 250 953-4250
E-mail: tca.Minister@gov.bc.ca
If emailing please CC:
Peter Walters, Assistant Deputy Minister, TCA: peter.walters@gov.bc.ca
Archie David Riddell, Major Resorts Branch, TCA: david.riddell@gov.bc.ca
Norm Macdonald, MLA, Columbia River - Revelstoke - Norm.Macdonald.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Honourable Ben Stewart, Minister Community and Rural Development: ben.stewart.mla@leg.bc.ca
And of course, our Premier, Gordon Campbell: premier@gov.bc.ca
