The proposed "Jumbo" year-round ski resort near Invermere BC has been given preliminary approval from the provincial government, but not everybody in the area is happy. Many are opposed to the plan, which is to develop what would be North America's highest ski facility, with 23 lifts, costing $450 million.
The Jumbo Creek Conservation Society says that the resort will cut off important grizzly bear migration corridors. Developers have already downgraded the size of the resort to 40% of the original proposed size, but the Society says that it is still not enough. Others think that the resort will ruin the idea of a pristine landscape that many people already come to the area for.
Opinions are divided around Invermere on whether the resort is a good idea. Some say that the resort – 55 km away – is too far away to have a positive economic impact on the town. Yet many others are in favour of the development, and think it will be an economic boom to the community.
» CBC: Environmentalists vow to fight "Jumbo"
» Calgary Herald: Proposed Jumbo Glacier resort dividing folks in small B.C. town
The Dominion is a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists in Canada. It aims to provide accurate, critical coverage that is accountable to its readers and the subjects it tackles. Taking its name from Canada's official status as both a colony and a colonial force, the Dominion examines politics, culture and daily life with a view to understanding the exercise of power.