The Regional District of East Kootenay narrowly passes a motion (8-7) requesting the Province designate Jumbo Glacier Resort a Mountain Resort Municipality.  The controversial action surrenders the Regional District’s jurisdiction with respect to rezoning, and bypasses legislatively guaranteed public right to input on land use decisions.  

GRL attempts to construct a road to the base of the West Farnham Glacier, with plans to install a temporary summer ski lift. The legality of roadwork remains murky, but neither local government, First Nations, nor Ministry of Environment were consulted as required under legislation and constitutional law. Local outrage boils over and an eight-week blockade ends with GRL withdrawing its equipment. 

The BC Government endorses JGR Master Plan.  Two bureaucratic steps remain: the approval of a Master Development Agreement, and rezoning of the public land by the Regional District of East Kootenay. BC Government passes Bill 11, which allows for the establishment of Mountain Resort Municipalities, meaning the Provincial Government can now bypass local Municipal Government, and unilaterally rezone the crown land.

The BC government endorses the JGR Master Plan, despite the proponent failing to fulfill the EA requirement to initiate negotiations with the Ktunaxa Nation regarding outstanding concerns. Instead, comprehensive consultations are initiated between the BC government and the Ktunaxa Nation Council.

Despite overwhelming public opposition - 91% of the nearly 5,000 comments submitted were opposed to the JGR, opposition from the Ktunaxa-Kinbasket Tribal Council and grizzly bear science that indicated severe impacts to the Purcell grizzly bear population, the 5-year Environmental Certificate for the Jumbo Glacier Resort was granted. The Province declares “the ultimate Jumbo decision is up to region” upholding the local RDEK government’s right to decide land use issues.

Gordon Campbell’s newly elected Liberal government declares British Columbia ‘Open for Business,’ passing the Significant Projects Streamlining Act and a new, more efficient EA Act in the hopes of minimizing barriers to project approvals. The proponent is assured of a more timely review. After five years of delays, opposition, and impact studies, the proponent has still not submitted a project report in compliance with the EA process.  The EAO issues a Transition Order, moving JGR to the more streamlined process, and specifies a deadline of Dec 31st for proponent to submit the required information.

In the face of vociferous local opposition, as well as charges by the proponent of bureaucratic negligence, the Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) finally releases Project Report Specifications (terms of reference) for the JGR Proposal.

The proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort is deemed a reviewable project under BC’s brand new Environmental Assessment Act (EAA) Process

The CORE process concludes and the resultant East Kootenay Land Use Plan gives unclear and indecisive direction regarding the future of the upper Jumbo Valley.  Both supporters and opponents mobilize CORE on their behalf.