Motion to Rescind Jumbo Decision Defeated

The headline of Thursday June 8^th said, ‘World Environmental Outlook Grim,’ yet 8 directors of the RDEK voted yesterday to not rescind a previous resolution which enabled the province to designate Jumbo as a Resort Municipality, allowing the province to appoint a Mayor and Council.  There are no residents in this area and major opposition to this development exists within the valley for many reasons including major environmental impact.

MLA Bennett met with the board privately on the evening prior to this public meeting to discuss Jumbo as well as a number of other issues.
We have since learned MLA Bennett actually met with the Committee of the Whole on Thursday afternoon. We also learned these meetings are also open to the public.

Joe Pierre made an impressive and reasoned presentation on behalf of the Ktunaxa at the beginning of this June 8^th public meeting, after which directors began debating the merits for rescinding the original resolution for the province to take on the administration required to enable this proposed development. In a video shown by Pierre relevant and weighty points were made that this area was sacred to the Ktunaxa people, “the equivalent of a cathedral” as pointed out by Director Juras afterwards. The video portrayed how this until now, safe home of Grizzly bears would be threatened by such a development.  The point was also clearly made that the Ktunaxa were never represented during the core process.  One director later dismissed the video as ‘playing on emotions’.  One director from Elkford felt that as Grizzly bears occasionally wander through town, their depletion through such a project is not proven.

In the one-hour debate, the length of which Director Sosnowski felt had gone on ‘long enough’, there were several multi-reasoned speeches in favour of rescinding the original 2009 resolution, which permitted abdication by the RDEK of responsibility for this project.  Director Taft from Invermere spoke eloquently about the necessity for local input in such a major development proposal. Director Taft felt there were too many ‘unknowns’ to allow the province to take all responsibility for this project.  He said “it was a concept developed in the seventies and brought forward into the nineties and we all know there have been many changes since then.”

He went on to say he believed, “This whole concept is about getting zoning and skirting around the environmental assessment which stated zoning needed to be in place before the proposal could go through.”  That responsibility would normally fall to the RDEK.

Director Sosnowski felt the potential work involved around a development such as Jumbo would be too much for the RDEK to handle.  Director Taft pointed out that the RDEK has managed and had input into such developments as Panorama and Fernie Ski Resort.   This is the job of the RDEK

Director Whetham felt the process had been flawed from the beginning.  He felt this was not about the project so much as about governance.  He felt the board had every right to rescind the original motion, as there have been changes since 2009 to the original legislation around formation of such a ‘municipality’

Director Guiliano from Fernie asked the question “What weight does any resolution have if it can be rescinded?”

Director Conklin felt the Board would lose credibility if the motion was rescinded.  She spoke of her experience in business where if you follow procedure you will achieve a result. She felt all procedures had been followed although it was not explained why the Ktunaxa had not been part of the core process.  Conklin did not say if the majority of residents in her area felt the same way.

Director Stetski pointed that this is about the credibility of this board not previous boards.

Director Wilkie who brought this motion forward pointed out resolutions have been rescinded before.  This would not be a new occurrence.

The vote:

For

Directors Stetski, (Cranbrook) Wilkie, Area G (Edgewater) Whetham, (Cranbrook) Juras, (Canal Flats) Walter, (Area E Wasa) McRae, (Kimberley) Taft (Invermere)

Against

Directors Gay, (Area C) Sosnowski, (Area A, Elk Valley) Slee, (Area B, Baynes Lake) Booth, (Area F, Fairmont) Guiliano, (Fernie) Halko, (Sparwood) Mckerracher, (Elkford) Conklin (Radium Hot Springs)

Following this vote another resolution came forward:

That the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development consult with UBCM (Union of BC Municipalities), First Nations and the RDEK prior to the creation of a resort municipality of Jumbo

This resolution carried with three directors in opposition.