ISLAND LAKE LODGE, Dialogue 2008

[fu_ill]

Has anyone seen the Island Lake Lodge advertisement on the back cover of the Free Press?

They attempt to create the illusion that traditional local usage will continue. Those of you Fernie newbies might consider Summer hiking and Winter cat-skiing to be the traditional usage however this is false. These activities are allowed only to take your $$$$.

New York is where ILL policy is now written. Greed, money , power, and screw the locals to make at elite private resort, is the policy. A similar strategy with the owner of FAR.

Traditional usage at ILL includes fishing, snowmobiling, trapping, hunting, camping, ski touring, etc.. Nome of these activities or usage are written into their Community Plan now in front of the RDEK.

When the RDEK approves the plan the New York money man is set to do whatever he wants with the 7500 acres in our valley.

If your a traditional user stand up and state your case with the RDEK. This is your last chance before the community looses ILL forever…

[zippy]

island lake lodge is a privately owned land holding. as such they have a right to restrict the usage of their land as they see fit. in the last few years they have eliminated timber harvesting, cattle grazing and much of the non-guest motorized use on the property. this allowed the land to recover from a generation of over abuse. for instance, five years ago thistles (a invasive non-native plant) occurred throughout the valley because of the over grazing. now they are virtually non-existent.

the Lodge is off the grid on their own hydro plant. they support local businesses rather than the biggies–Cindy at Cincot Farms in a great example–and they are one of the lead employers in the valley paying a starting wage that is several dollars over the minimum (the minimum being the starting standard for most businesses here).

this last summer the disregard of common decency by locals and the trash left by locals on the Lodge property was out of hand. people would come up with their own bbq, set up a full-on camp on the lake, spend the day getting trashed and then leave with the bbq. their garbage they left sitting on the lake shore for the lodge staff to dispose.

when the locals start treating the land at ILL with respect and care, the situation will change. until that time, access will be likely be more controlled by the Lodge. in fact, it would not surprise me to to see motorized traffic be restricted guests of the lodge only. a summer policy similar to the winter policy.

and it would serve the locals right.

for the record, i’m a local. i don’t work for the lodge. i use the trails and IIL lands frequently in the summer. i don’t want to see it happen, but i know the hassles they had this summer. the land is open, preserved because of the value their paying guests place on the land and taking care of it. when locals come up and make it uncomfortable for the paying guests, something has to give.

and it’s the freeloaders. you toss the bums.

[fu_ill]

For your record Zippy:

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Garbage has way less impact that condos and more people.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The flow of urban SUV’s driving to and from the lodge has more impact than locals ever had.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ ILL cuts ski runs every Summer. Is this better than harvesting?

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The new OCP will not be "off the grid" or self sustained in any way.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The land would be public if Shell Oil had favoured the BC gov’t of the day.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Cisco is ILL’s largest food supplier.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The mines are the Valleys biggest employer by far.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Yo do work for ILL, admit it.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ A few months in the Valley gives you a narrow perspective, newbie!

[zippy]

"FU_ILL" wrote:

For your record Zippy:

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Garbage has way less impact that condos and more people.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The flow of urban SUV’s driving to and from the lodge has more impact than locals ever had.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ ILL cuts ski runs every Summer. Is this better than harvesting?

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The new OCP will not be "off the grid" or self sustained in any way.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The land would be public if Shell Oil had favoured the BC gov’t of the day.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Cisco is ILL’s largest food supplier.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ The mines are the Valleys biggest employer by far.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ Yo do work for ILL, admit it.

?¢‚Ǩ¬¢ A few months in the Valley gives you a narrow perspective, newbie!

1. Agreed. But at this time there are no hard and fast plans for condos and the process will likely take 5 to 7 years before they turn dirt (look at the Coal Creek Golf Course). The current issue is garbage, unruly local and how that impacts guests/access. It’s getting closed. Having watched this last summer, I wouldn’t blame them at all if they closed it off to everything but guest motorized traffic.

2. Not true. Most of the traffic in the summer is local, not guest. Guests drive up and stay.

3. Perhaps, but not determined at this time. At the very least it will be a combination.

4. If my research is correct, the BC gov’t declined an original offer to take it as a park and only then the property was offered for public sale. That’s a BC gov’t issue not a Shell issue.

5. I don’t know for sure, but I’d guess that Cisco is the largest supplier. In no way does that diminish the huge amount of produce they buy from Cindy, the Creston orchards and the 4-H beef they buy every year.

6. True. The mines are the biggest employer. And about the only ones growing. FAR had the same number of winter employees last year as they had 8 years ago. IIL has increased in the last three or four years.

7. Not true and not going to happen. I do not and will not work for ILL.

8. I may be a newbie on the board, but I’ve had a FAR pass for the last 8 years and more than get my money out of it. And I don’t ski at Christmas or on weekends, so figure it out. Mid-week most days I want to, I’m on the hill.

[fu_ill]

Zippy,

So locals leaving trash is the issue. BS!

You naughty locals, how could you be so rude to the money man from New York.

The NY money man is going to lock us out off our back yard, a playground where we have hunted, fished, snowmobiled, ski toured, etc for the past 100 years.

And the RDEK is going to approve locking us out because Mr New York owns the land. If we voice our opinion perhaps our traditional usage will be recognized. Otherwise a very private club will root itself in our playground.

For Zippy’s knowledge , has ILL ever been a dump?

FU_ILL

[zippy]

so mr ny (or mr ca) owns the land and is upset at the disregard of locals.

so what?

from now on, you want to play, you pay.

when it was for free you (some locals) trashed mr ny’s (mr ca’s) land and he’s upset that the locals do not respect the inherent natural value of the land so he may cut the non-paying, non-respecting guests out of the formula.

makes total sense to me.

if someone doesn’t get it, dump ’em. now.

you don’t like it, buy the place and turn it into a locals park to trash like maiden lake. but until then, be happy it’s in the hands of someone who appreciates the natural value and the beauty of the property. someone who will take the effort to preserve the natural beauty of the property.

and for your information, this is not a new issue. the preservation of island lake as a park was first raised in the 1920’s. see the free-press issues of that time.

[canatedian]

Maiden lake wasn’t trashed by the locals. It was trashed by wind and garbage blowing from trash bins and people who prefer to throw their trash out the window of their vehicle while driving down the highway.

I do agree with preservation, but let’s simplify the equation :

This planet is supporting too much cattle and too many people.

carry on fellas, Just thought I’d Digress yas a bit. <

[fu_ill]

We locals are upset with Mr NY’s plans to lock us out as well as the destructiveness of his development plans in such pristine wilderness. The planned development is a joke in the face of conservation.

And how does garbage equate in any measure to the planned development? Development is the greatest impact.

In fact, locals haven’t been frequenting the lodge for some time, it’s the visitors dropping the trash, not locals.

A park would be acceptable, please don’t further tarnish the concept. ILL will solely become a playground for the international elite, those with Mr NY’s wealth, not a park.

Yup, 7500 acres where locals have recreated for years…

Oh, but please come to hike and cat ski and spend money in our restaurant when the gate is open!

[fu_ill]

The new access road will wind to the lake and be open year around.

300 condo’s and dozens of monster homes will surround the lake.

A new ski lift will spin up Mount Fernie.

Usage will increase 100 fold, year around.

This weeks BS Dialogue focus on saving Wildlife. The proposed activity will be very effective in pushing wildlife out of the valley.

The greedy NY capitalist is spinning whatever BS is necessary.

CBM will have less impact on the valley.

[zippy]

"FU_ILL" wrote:

The new access road will wind to the lake and be open year around.

300 condo’s and dozens of monster homes will surround the lake.

A new ski lift will spin up Mount Fernie.

Usage will increase 100 fold, year around.

This weeks BS Dialogue focus on saving Wildlife. The proposed activity will be very effective in pushing wildlife out of the valley.

The greedy NY capitalist is spinning whatever BS is necessary.

CBM will have less impact on the valley.

There will be a new road which is completely stupid. They should keep the old road and have snow coach access in the winter and limited resident car access in the summer. Developing a year-round road will destroy the ambiance of the lodges. Numerous current snow cat guests have said they will reconsider visitng if the road is put in. And maintaining the road will cost more than running snow coaches for guests and residents.

Max units (including current ones to be moved) is right at 300.

Two new fixed grip quads will be built on Mt Fernie and a base lodge.

Usage may be 100 fold or more, but it is concentrated in current usage areas (except for the ski area) not dispersed throughout the property,

Originally the new power lines and the road would have gone through the old growth forest and Steve K stopped that and moved it across the valley and up the hill. There have been concerted efforts to keep development in current usage areas.

About spin. There is a huge question as to the economical viability of the project. The cost of the infastructure is huge. Their own sewer plant. The new road alone would sink most projects. This sort of "enclave" is having major problems staying afloat. The Yellowstone Club just went into Ch 11 after years of struggling. Tamarck did the same a year ago. All the spin in the world will not change the numbers. Right now if you ask any developer (local or national) about the project and the numbers as presented, they will say it will not work.

There is no comparison with CBM. CBM is a mesh of roads and pipe lines spread across the land without thought. It completely de-populates the environment. The IIL proposal is a concentrated development that leaves much of the critical areas on the land undisturbed. Two very different animals

[fu_ill]

The irony is the animal friendly sales pitch. The asphalt road will cut trough the animal corridor. The wildlife impact will be greater that Jumbo. Roads have greater impact than lifts. Perhaps Jumbo should follow Island Lake Lodge’s example and slip Wildsight some $$$ to keep them quiet.

The latest Dialogue focuses on economic sustainability. I call it Greed sustainability. Mr MY needs a return on his 42million paid for the property.

The asphalt road behind the locked gates will shuttle the international elite to our past paradise.

Where did the community go wrong? Can it be stopped or at least scaled back?

[fu_ill]

What is the difference between an environmentalist and a developer? A developer exploits community and tradition to fulfill his greed. The cabin in the woods is being destroyed to house 350 condos.

[fu_ill]

William Fernie promised to marry the Chiefs daughter if lead to the black gold.

Island Lake Lodge is promising jobs and economic growth if granted their Resort Expansion Plan by the RDEK.

To promise service jobs is premature given the economy. These service jobs will be low paying and seasonal.

Their vision is that of people from far away with no attachment to Fernie.

The existing management and staff are opposed to the expansion plans.

The RDEK can stop the destruction of our home and oppose the greedy developer’s application.

He and his vision are American and do not include Fernie or our community.

For our future lets not repeat history.

[Author]

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