Ogilvie explains Jumbo vote August 18, 2009
Posted by admin in : Bill Bennett , trackbackKimberley Mayor Jim Ogilvie was one of the RDEK directors who voted yes to the motion to ask the province to designate Jumbo a resort municipality. Reaction to the controversial decision, both pro and con, has been fast and furious.
Ogilvie, who voted no on a similar resolution three years ago, explained the thought process that led him to changing the vote this time. “I’m looking at it from a point of view of fairness and jobs,” Ogilvie said. “The proponent has been in this process for a long, long time. 18 years. “He’s been told all along to do certain studies, which he’s done. The project has been endorsed by four different premiers.
“It has gone through just about every review imaginable, and a very strenuous environmental assessment. All of this work was handled through the province. The province has had control of this project.” Ogilvie also said that the jobs created cannot be discounted. “Our local economy was at one time resource based, but given the present state of the forest industry and construction industry, this is a good opportunity to put people back to work. We have to have taxes to pay for schools and highways.
“We are talking about a major international resort. We have to look at it as making the airport project viable.” Ogilvie also believes that rather than hurting Kimberley’s ski hill by pulling people away, Jumbo will help it. “If more people travel through our airport to go to the Jumbo resort then we have a better chance of latching on to them. Certainly a better chance than if they come in from the north and drive right past three or four other ski hills. “Plus Jumbo will be a different demographic than Kimberley Alpine Resort.”
Ogilvie also says that people have to remember that Jumbo is not a pristine wilderness area. “There are people in that area all the time. And the grizzly bear argument, well St. Mary’s Alpine, the south country, Elk Valley and White Swan, those are where the major grizzly populations are, not at the Jumbo glacier.”
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