Keep Jumbo Wild protesters continue to keep machinery out of glacier resort
By Nelson Daily Staff
The temperature plummets to near zero on the thermometer when the sun sets and 22 Celsius in the middle of the day.
However, a little cold weather isn’t about to stop a group of protesters set against any development at the Jumbo Glacier Resort in southeastern B.C from keeping machinery off the mountain.
“We’re here until the snow flies, which should be somewhere around mid-September,” K.Linda Kivi, a spokesperson for the Citizens for Jumbo, said via satellite phone a few steps from Commander Glacier.
The ad-hoc group of Citizens for Jumbo Wild has been camped out on the road to the Farnham Glacier since July 24, monitoring traffic and speaking to recreation enthusiasts travelling the road.
During the weekend, the group said it stopped a compact excavator bound for the glacier on the weekend.
Kivi said the group blocked the road with the painted Jumbo Wild van. Members are concerned construction or alteration of the glacier, goes against conditions laid out in an agreement approved by the province last year.
“I don’t think we’ve exhausted all other avenues as we have two judicial reviews are still in process but it’s really important to people here there be no destruction,” Kivi explains. “And until we know the outcome of those judicial reviews we intend to protect this valley and this glacier.”
The Keep Jumbo Wild movement has been up against the wall following decision after decision to move the project to build North America’s only year-round, glacier-based ski resort.
After the resort idea appeared to be in mothballs, the provincial government gave the green light to proceed with Jumbo Glacier Resort’s Master Development Agreement in March 2012.
In November 2012 the government one-upped the Keep Jumbo Wild by approving the incorporation of Jumbo as a mountain resort municipality.
Earlier this week members of the RCMP Invermere detachment paid the camp protesters.
Kivi said two members of the protest group were interviewed by police regarding potential mischief charges.
“They haven’t been charge yet,” Kivi said.
“RCMP told us they will make a recommendation to regional crown council, and regional crown council will decide if charges are laid or not.”
Kivi said she was told the sending in of police regarding the stopping of vehicles out on the road to Farnham Glacier is somewhat of a test case.
Instead of seeking an injunction, as done in the past, the police were called to deal with this civic disobedience.
“This camp and the camp on Perry Ridge, are two test cases for this policy,” Kivi said. “So we have no idea how this is going to roll out.”
“The (RCMP) Sargent said to me (Tuesday) it’s an experiment,” Kivi added.
Regardless of how this plays out, Kivi & Company, which ranges from a few to sometimes as many as 15 people plan to continue the fight to Keep Jumbo Wild.
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