NELSON – New Democrat MLA Brittny Anderson is glad to see the ending of a contentious resort in the Kootenays, the Mountain Resort Municipality of Jumbo Glacier (Jumbo).
“People across the Kootenays and the Ktunaxa Nation fought the development of Jumbo from the start, and today’s announcement is a win shared by everyone who worked so hard to keep Jumbo wild,” said Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston. “From the beginning, Jumbo was a clear example of disregard by the BC Liberals for the environment and surrounding communities. Our government is dissolving the fake municipality, and finally putting an end to this saga.”
Prior to Jumbo, a municipality could not be created without residents. Despite local and provincewide opposition, the BC Liberals changed the legislation to allow its creation in 2013 and were so brazen as to award grants to a municipality with no residents. Jumbo has never had any official residents, and instead of an elected mayor and council – as any municipality should have – they were appointed by the provincial government under Christy Clark.
Despite having no residents to benefit from municipal services, Jumbo was slated to receive over $1 million in grants from the BC Liberal government over five years. In response, the Union of BC Municipalities passed a motion in 2014 opposing the funding of any municipalities without residents.
The area is one of the largest remaining swathes of land in B.C. without paved roads and is important habitat for many species, including grizzlies.
The area was protected by the BC NDP, working with the federal government and Ktunaxa Nation, in January 2020 and will be known as Qat’muk, the Ktunaxa name meaning Home of the Grizzly Bear Spirit. To guarantee its permanent protection, the next step is to dissolve the municipality. The BC NDP took that step this morning, when Bill 26 was introduced.
Jumbo is the first local government to be dissolved in the province in roughly 100 years. Amendments in the legislation prevent future governments from creating Mountain Resort Municipalities with no residents again.
“This is a huge win for our communities and people across B.C.,” added Anderson. “Jumbo should never have been allowed to proceed to begin with, and the BC Liberals’ intention to appoint their friends and then give them public money reminds us all of what they truly stand for.”