To cherish what remains of the Earth and foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival — Wendell Berry
Whenever I bring up the subject of Jumbo to some official they immediately tell me of the current two court cases.
As you recall they are: the Ktunaxa Nation’s appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada addressing the constitutionality of Jumbo as their sacred place, and the proponent’s Judicial Review against Minister of Environment, Mary Polak, who stated, Oct. 4, 2014, that the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort was not substantially started.
Oberto Oberti (the Jumbo developer) claims Ms. Teneese, spokesperson for the Ktunaxa Nation, influenced Ms. Polak. The Land Officer for the Jumbo File told me that no new resort plan of less than 2,000 bed units — the magic number of bed units that negates the necessity of an environmental review — has been submitted.
“But there is more to receiving the go-ahead for another resort besides being smaller,” he said.
Large or small, any resort proposal will be assessed by the Mountain Resorts Branch, which uses the criterion of the Canadian Alpine Ski Policy (CASP).
They also look at the location. It seems that smaller resorts may not be economically viable if they are stuck off by themselves in a remote location.
Even though conditions in the Jumbo area now could be described as white, my cabin fever mind sees green-up time there. And I’m disgusted with the human debris left at the proposed resort site since Oct. 4, 2014, in the form of two concrete slabs intended as foundations for a tea house and a utility shed, placed strategically in an avalanche path, of course.
As well, the basic footers for a ski tow, and a capped four-inch well, are now in residence.
So, I talked to the Environmental Assessment’s compliance person, who told me, “As long as evidence shows (photos) they are safe and clean, they’re OK.”
The implication of that boggles my mind. What about “take only photographs and leave only footprints?”
So I asked, “If there are no rebar sticking out dangerously and the slabs are broomed regularly, does that mean safe and clean?”
No answer.
Rowena Eloise
Argenta
West Kootenay Coalition for Jumbo Wild