ABOUT JUMBO

Jumbo Glacier Resort has been the source of intense public controversy since it was first proposed in 1991.

Where is Jumbo Glacier Resort located?

• JGR would be located in the magnificent Jumbo Valley, 55kms from Invermere in the heart of the Central Purcells
• 5 hours from the nearest international airport (Calgary)
• Adjacent to the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, the largest un-roaded wilderness in Southern BC
• The Jumbo Valley is a rare treasure, ecologically viable despite past and present recreation and industry activity

What is Jumbo Glacier Resort?

• The Jumbo Glacier Resort Proposal has been a source of intense public controversy since it was first proposed in 1991
• At build out, JGR would include:
  • a network of 23 ski lifts (by comparison Panorama has 9 lifts) crisscrossing 4 glaciers
  • over 6,500 bed units (by comparison Panorama has 3,000) including over 1300 private residences
  • shopping malls, a place of worship, night clubs, restaurants - all the trappings of a full-fledged town, with the exception of necessary public services (waste disposal, policing, schools, hospitals, fire protection etc..) all of which would be downloaded to Invermere and the Regional District
  In all, JGR would absorb 6,000 hectares of public land for redevelopment into a European resort replica.

• The Jumbo Resort proposal has been strongly opposed by the local community for the past 15 years. Polling has consistently demonstrated the community’s strong opposition to this project on environmental, social and economic grounds.
  
• The Jumbo Valley is located in a remote wild area adjacent to the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy and 55 km from Invermere, the nearest municipality. Access to the Jumbo Valley, 35 km beyond Panorama ski hill, is via a dirt and gravel mountain road with over 18 avalanche slide paths and multiple single lane creek crossings
  
• There are 13 existing ski resorts within a 3 hour driving distance from Invermere - none operate at capacity
  
• The Ktunaxa Nation has registered strong opposition to the project
  
• The Purcell mountains ecosystem, of which the Jumbo Valley is central, supports a viable population of grizzly bears, a species that would be in direct conflict with any human development
  
• It is not possible to mitigate environmental impacts without the unpopular prospect of closing off all surrounding drainages to public access according to government biologists
  
• As a result of global warming the glaciers are retreating and are predicted to be entirely melted within 4 decades
  
• Note to Hockey Fans: Scott and Rob Niedermayer of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks have donated jerseys, hats, and hockey sticks to support the “Keep Jumbo Wild” campaign
  
• Kicking Horse Coffee, recipients of Business Bank of Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, have recently produced a line of coffee “Jumbo Wild” and through the international and national distribution of their popular product are garnering support for keeping Jumbo wild

“It’s not the quantity of responses we looked at, it was the quality.”
- Minister of Sustainable Resource Development George Abbott’s response to the media’s questions regarding widespread public opposition October 14, 2004