Jumbo Glacier, British Columbia
| Jumbo Glacier | |
|---|---|
| Mountain resort municipality | |
| Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort Municipality | |
 Location of Jumbo Glacier, British Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 50°24′30″N 116°34′00″W / 50.40833°N 116.56667°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Region | East Kootenay |
| Incorporated | February 19, 2013[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Greg Deck[1] |
| • Governing body |
Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort Municipal Council |
| • MP | David Wilks |
| • MLA | Norm Macdonald |
| Elevation | 1,700 m (5,600 ft) |
| Time zone | Mountain Standard (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | Mountain Daylight (MDT) (UTC-6) |
| Waterways | Jumbo Creek |
| Website | Jumbo Glacier Resort |
Jumbo Glacier, also known as Jumbo, is a mountain resort municipality within the Regional District of East Kootenay in southeast British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately 55 km (34 mi) west of Invermere[1] near the Commander Glacier and around the headwaters of Jumbo Creek in the Purcell Range of the Columbia Mountains.[2]
Jumbo Glacier is planned to be a year-round skiing mountain resort developed in three phases at an estimated cost of $450 million.[1] The future resort development has been the subject of controversy as a result of public opposition from the residents of the region, the Lower Kootenay First Nation and the and Sinixt Nation for political, economic, and environmental reasons.[3][4]
History
Jumbo Mountain and its glacier were named after a mining claim established on nearby Toby Creek in 1890. The stakeholders hoped it would be a large, productive mine, and named it after Jumbo, P. T. Barnum's popular performing elephant. Although the mine was productive for several years, it did not last into the 20th century.[5]
The idea of developing a recreational resort in the Jumbo Valley was first presented to the British Columbia government in 1990 by a consortium of investors called Glacier Resorts Ltd.[6] In 1993, the proposal was approved for further consultation and review, including preparation of environmental impact assessments. These were not completed until 2004. The same year, representatives from the Ktunaxa Nation went public with concerns about the proposal, specifically about its impact on grizzly bears and other wildlife. Opposition to the project grew, resulting in a 2010 protest in Victoria, the provincial capital.[6] The proposal process continued, and over the next two years final approvals were granted. A letters patent to incorporate Jumbo Glacier as a municipality was approved by order in council on November 19, 2012.[2] Its formal date of incorporation was February 19, 2013.[1]
Government
The Government of British Columbia appointed Jumbo Glacier's first municipal council for a term beginning February 19, 2013, its official incorporation date, and ending November 30, 2014, at which point local governance will align with the province's general municipal election cycle. Despite not yet having any residents, the first municipal council consists of a mayor, Greg Deck of Radium Hot Springs, and two councillors, Nancy Hugunin of Fairmont Hot Springs and Steve Ostrander of Invermere. Phil Taylor of Golden was appointed the municipality's interim chief officer to serve in advance of the official incorporation date until the first municipal council meeting.[1][7]
Proposed development
The approved resort proposal will involve over $450 million in new construction and a major new road into the remote area. Pheidias Project Management Corporation of Vancouver is heading the development plans. The new resort will include 1,360 residential units, two hotels, 23 lifts and gondolas, and a village centre with retail stores and amenities.[8] Construction is planned to be completed by 2015.[8]
See also
- Jumbo (disambiguation)
- List of communities in British Columbia
- List of municipalities in British Columbia
- Sun Peaks, British Columbia, the only other community incorporated "mountain resort municipality" in the province
Notes
References
- Boles, Glen W.; Laurilla, Roger W.; Putnam, William L. (2006). Canadian Mountain Place Names. Vancouver: Rocky Mountain Books. ISBN 978-1-894765-79-4.
- "A history of Jumbo Glacier Resort". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- "Jumbo Glacier". GeoBC. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- "Jumbo becomes mountain resort municipality". Government of British Columbia. November 20, 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- Huffman, Jesse (April 3, 2012). "Jumbo Glacier ski resort approved". ESPN. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- MacLeod, Andrew (March 21, 2012). "BC Makes Jumbo Decision". The Tyee. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- David F. Rooney and Ian Cobb (2013). "No town, no people but Jumbo’s now a "resort municipality"". Revelstoke Current. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
Deck lives in Radium Hot Springs, Hugunin in Fairmont Hot Springs, Ostrander in Invermere and Taylor in Golden.
External links
- Jumbo Glacier Resort
- Jumbo Glacier Resort Master Plan, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Government of British Columbia
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Revelstoke | Golden | Radium Hot Springs | |
| Nakusp |  |
Invermere Fairmont Hot Springs | ||
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| New Denver | Creston | Canal Flats |
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Coordinates: 50°24′30″N 116°34′00″W / 50.40833°N 116.56667°W