While Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort project is on hold, and has been for more than a year, Jumbo Glacier Mountain Resort Municipality has continued to hold regular council meetings, discussing financial statements, bylaws, and financial audits. On Tuesday, April 18th Jumbo council met for a brief meeting to go over the financial plan bylaw and tax rates bylaw. Council moved ahead with a bylaw will allow for the municipality’s financial plan to be carried out throughout 2017. The financial plan bylaw also allows for the tax rate bylaw to be implemented by the municipality.
The Jumbo Glacier Mountian Resort Municipality supported a fee for service and supported provincial regulation that dictates projected fee revenues according to the council agenda. Council made a unanimous motion to carry the tax rates for the year 2017.
Council went through the 2016 Statement of Financial Information which outlined that at this time the community has no outstanding debts. The community has been receiving grants for the past years but has yet to use any of the money.
“All money that comes in we have it, if we need it. We return it if we don’t,” said Mayor Greg Deck.
The community has sent all grant money received from the government back for the past three years.
As the community awaits a decision from the Supreme Court of Canada court of appeal on the Ktunaxa Nation’s case the only activity in Jumbo Glacier has been a ton of snow fall, said Mayor Deck.
“We are essentially in reduced activity until that decision comes down,” said Deck.
The Ktunaxa Nation are arguing that the Province of British Columbia has violated the Ktunaxa’s freedom of religion. The concern revolves around aboriginal spirituality and how the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms should be applied in land-use decisions. The Ktunaxa argue that the Jumbo Valley area is sacred territory as it is home to the Grizzly Bear Spirit.
Until a decision has been reached the fate of Jumbo Glacier Resort Municipality is unkn