No hurry on Jumbo decision, Campbell says

Sep 14, 2009

Gerry Warner
Cranbrook Daily Townsman
September 14, 2009

Despite a recent motion by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) to wash its hands of the Jumbo issue and have the provincial government designate the area a resort municipality, it's unlikely that anything like that will happen soon, according to Premier Gordon Campbell.

Campbell, who spoke to the Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce September 10, said more needs to be done before lift towers start rising at the proposed resort.

"We're in the middle of a consultative process with the First Nations and a project review. I think there's about 200 conditions on the development application that we're going through. I respect the regional district's direction to us and when the process is complete we'll be in a position where we can make a decision."

Columbia River-Revelstoke MP Norm MacDonald, whose riding includes the Jumbo site, says he agrees with the Premier's comments.

"I think what the Premier said was reasonable. There are things that certainly need to be worked through before things reach a conclusion and it goes ahead or it doesn't."

Despite the RDEK handing off the issue to Victoria, MacDonald said "Jumbo is not a done deal."

MacDonald said he will continue to stick to his position that the "Jumbo decision should be made by the people and the communities most affected byt the project."

Grant Costello, vice president of Glacier Resorts Ltd., said there won't be any quick decisions on Jumbo until negotiations are concluded with the Ktunaxa First Nation. "What we're hoping is that we'll have an early conclusion to the dialogue between the Province, the Ktunaxa and ourselves."

A master development agreement wil also have to be signed before a resort municipality designation can be considered, he said. In the meantime, the First Nation negotiations must be completed, he said.

"I hope all the resources available to the Province will be directed towards finalizing the negotiations with the Ktunaxa First Nation," Costello said. No one could be reached for the Ktunaxa First Nation.

Meanwhile Wildsight spokesman John Bergenske said he's not expecting any major developments on the Jumbo issue soon. However, he said he wasn't impressed with the RDEK directors that voted to ignore their constituents and pass the buck to Victoria.

"It's unfortunate that the RDEK has misrepresented an issue that people of the region feel so strongly about. This issue is far from over."