Valemount's year round ski resort. Glacier Destination.
Unless you have been hiding under a bridge for the last 20 years you have undoubtedly heard of Jumbo Glacier Resorts and how the whole saga flies in the very face of democracy. With massive first nations and local opposition the resort has somehow seen approval after approval regardless of the how the majority of the population feels. Most importantly the proposed Jumbo ski resort is slated to be built in the middle of no where in a newly created township with a mayor, town counsel, government funding operating budget, with no roads, no infrastructure and absolutely no inhabitants.
Jumbo isn't the only year round, high alpine mega resort Oberti and the Pheidias group are proposing for British Columbia. Valemount Glacier Destination is very similar to the proposed Jumbo resort but has some favorable differences. The resort would be built in close proximity to an existing population base, it isn't in prime grizzly bear habitat but most importantly it has the overwhelming support from both the local population and the local first nation community. Local MLA Andrew Weaver shares his stance on the proposed resort in his recent blog post which describes the positive impacts of a year round destination resort could have on a small community like Valemount. A town that has had to transition from a forestry based economy to one based on showing off its natural resources rather then exploiting them. You can read Mr. Weaver's Blog here. http://www.andrewweavermla.ca/.....-rural-bc/
“ The Pheidias Group have a vision for an environmentally sensitive year round ecotourism resort that will provide visitors to British Columbia with another destination rivaling that of Whister-Blackcomb. It will give visitors stunning views of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. The peak elevation of the site is on Mt. Arthur Meighen (3,205 metres). Compare this to the peak elevations at Whistler (2,240m), Blackcomb (2,440m), Sun Peaks (2,080m), Mount Washington (1,588m), and Big White (2,319). The high peak elevation is such that skiing on glaciers will likely be year round for quite some time to come. In addition, this elevation, coupled with a more northerly location bodes well for long term operations in light of ongoing global warming and the increased likelihood of more precipitation at lower elevations and latitudes in the form of rain instead of snow in the years ahead. What’s more, the resort has the potential to be carbon neutral by tapping into the nearby 5.7 MW Hystad Creek small scale hydro project. There’s also incredible geothermal energy potential in the region. “
If you would like some more information on the Oberti's Valemount project , you can read the master plan. If you don't have that much free time on your lunch break you can get the cliff notes by visiting the official Glacier Destination website. The Pheidias group and the municipality of Valemount hope to have the chairs spinning for the 2017/2018 season, which could see us slashing corn all summer long.