My heart sank when I heard our short-sighted government had okayed development of the Jumbo resort. How sad!
In these days of impending water shortages, pollution of fresh water creeks and rivers, and melting glaciers, sources of much of the world’s water supply, our government is allowing year round skiing on the Jumbo Glacier.
I feel that fresh, pure, potable water, is probably one of the most, if not the most precious commodity in the world today, the one thing none of us, rich or poor, can do without, yet we treat it as if there was “more where that came from,” even through we all know, when it’s gone, it’s gone.
I’ve been told the proposed Jumbo resort area will include many houses, condos, hotels, restaurants, bases for ski lifts, and maintenance shops, as well as roads, all of which will be on both sides of Jumbo Creek. The access road will connect the Toby Creek Forest Service road with the resort base. This road, which is to be built for much of its length, travels alongside Jumbo Creek, crosses eight larger tributaries, which also flow into Jumbo Creek and also crosses many smaller tributaries. Jumbo Creek then flows into Toby Creek, which flows into the Purcell Mountains and then into the Columbia River, north of Invermere.
Our government is okaying this venture, all the while knowing, (I hope), that many, if not all of the waterways mentioned, will probably be contaminated, and animal habitat will be destroyed forever, a venture that is, in my opinion, simply for the monetary gain of a greedy few, who really don’t care anything about water, wild animal habitats, or the environment. I believe our government is doing us all a great disservice by okaying this project.
I was shocked when I read in the March 29 issue of The Free Press, a statement made by Mr. Costello of Glacier Resorts, quote “Groups have sprung up that think the environment is more important than people.” My guess, Mr. Costello, is that if it wasn’t for people who care about the environment, it would have been “game over” for all of us a long time ago.
In closing, I am proud to say that my husband was of Ktunaxa descent and taught our children to respect the natural world with all its precious and amazing treasures.
Florence Phillips
Fernie
