Jumbo Glacier Resort machinery turned back by citizen checkpoint
By Nelson Daily Staff
The war over Jumbo Glacier is beginning to heat up in the East Kootenay as an ad hoc group, calling itself Citizens for Jumbo Wild camped on the road to Farnham Glacier, turned back machinery heading to the glacier on Saturday morning (August 10).
“A compact excavator was on its way to begin working on the glacier for summer skiing,” said K.Linda Kivi, one of the citizens of the camp, in a statement.
“My concern is that the provincial government has yet to set up any compliance and enforcement procedures. There is no program to monitor what they are doing.”
Kivi said according to the Master Agreement between the provincial government and Jumbo Glacier Resorts, the resort is not allowed to do any altering of the glacier.
“It would be impossible to get a snowcat on the glacier for summer skiing without altering it,” Kivi added.
No machinery arrived Sunday.
The protesters said they will continue to monitor traffic to the glacier and providing information to those who pass through.
“Recreational users have been going through since the camp was set up,” said a camp spokesperson.
So far, more than 90 percent of the people passing the checkpoint have been supportive of the camp’s efforts camp members say.
“The government clearly isn’t interested in acting on behalf of the residents of this region who have shown their opposition to the project over the last 20 years,” said Kivi.
“Direct action by the people of this region is the only thing keeping this project from going forward at this point.”
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