The Jumbo Glacier ski resort, which has faced two decades of legal and regulatory delays and roadblocks, is facing yet another hurdle: a legal challenge by the Ktunaxa First Nation.
The First Nation planned to file to the BC Supreme Court for a judicial review of the project today.
Glacier Resorts Ltd. first proposed the project in 1990, but faced a series of challenges, including stiff opposition from environmental groups and the Ktunaxa, who are opposed to a ski resort in a pristine section of the Purcell Mountains in southeastern B.C., which is renowned grizzly bear territory.
The $900 million, 6,500-bed ski resort was approved by the provincial government in March. Recently the creation of a new municipality for the resort was also approved.
The Ktunaxa claim the resort would be "a desecration of a principal Ktunaxa sacred site."
Earlier this year, former B.C. Treaty Minister Geoff Plant expressed doubt a judicial review would succeed because the province had fulfilled its duty to consult with the Ktunaxa.
"It's rare that a court will grant an injunction to support a complaint that there was inadequate consultation," he told Business in Vancouver.
Not all First Nations in the area oppose the project. The Shuswap Indian Band signed a benefits agreement with the resort's developers.
