When the first news about the decision to end the proposed development at Jumbo reached our office, the information was so scant I wondered if it was a hoax. But the email came from Wildsight, which has been at the forefront of one of the most important fights in recent history. Once we were able to confirm that provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak had found the work on the project not to be “substantially underway” the news began to sink in.
For more than 20 years, a dedicated group of volunteers, who surely should be counted among our most sensible, have fought to keep the development from happening. The issue has been a controversial one, creating a clear rift between those who see the injection of investment dollars and, ultimately, jobs and a greater tax base, in a positive light, and those who think that protection of our environment is the best option.
Personally, I have never seen the proposal as anything but a dumb one, a project pushed by people with so much money to invest that they were willing to battle the odds of ever seeing a genuine economic return. And, make no mistake about it, the real interest was not in building a ski resort, because in this era of climate change most ski hills are experiencing shorter seasons and increasingly shaky viability. No, the development was appealing to investors because it could create a mini real estate boom as wealthy folks dreamed of place within driving distance of Alberta could build recreational homes within spitting distance of a ski hill and, eventually, golf courses. Another playground for the rich, and a spectacular one at that.
As Polak’s decision began to sink in, and even though it was the only sensible one she could have made the opposite could have been expected give her government’s track record, my thoughts immediately turned to the late Ralph Moore.
Several years ago, Ralph put together a PowerPoint presentation about the proposal. One of this region’s truly great outdoorsmen, he was intimately familiar with the Jumbo area, and could see clearly what a folly the whole idea was. He took his show to a meeting of the Creston Rotary Club and in no time at all had members howling with laughter. In his own special way, Ralph was able to make a cogent argument while injecting humour into the mix. After 20 minutes or so, it had become clear to most of his audience, I am sure, that the proposed development plans couldn’t have been more ridiculous if a roomful of monkeys had been provided with drafting tables and pencils.
A few days later, he stopped in at my office and offered me a digital copy of his presentation. I still have it, a lovely memory of a great man.
Of course, Ralph would have been the first to point out that the Jumbo Glacier Resort development wouldn’t be stopped by one person. Countless tireless volunteers and concerned citizens have battled the plan every step of the way. Wildsight has played a huge role, as have Ktunaxa leaders, who view the area as sacred and therefore unsuitable as a location for another playground for the wealthy.
On Friday, I chatted by phone with Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall who, obviously, is thrilled at the decision. Yes, she said, the government could reinvent a process to put the project back on the rails or investors could simply restart the process from square one. But she rightly pointed out that environmental standards have improved significantly since the original application — it was a 10-year certificate that Polak has now deemed to have expired — and, as importantly, the legal expectation that First Nations people have a much larger say in these things has taken a much stronger foothold. Courts are simply not allowing development plans to run roughshod as they once did.
Mungall was clearly emotional as she spoke of groups and individuals who have worked with such passion and dedication to protect the wilderness that some would happily exploit. One man, she said, has made the drive to Jumbo every day to monitor and report on the activity as developers scrambled to do enough construction to avoid the decision that Polak made. Good on him, and good on them all, I say.
And good on Premier Clark if she finally sees the light on this issue and dismantles the faux municipality and announces that no further development proposals will be entertained. Wouldn’t that be a step forward?
Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.