What would have been North America’s largest and highest-elevation ski area—a massive year-round resort called Jumbo Glacier planned for the base of Jumbo Mountain, west of Invermere, British Columbia—is now, officially, never going to exist.
Jumbo Glacier Resort has been in the works for nearly 30 years. The ski resort—which was projected to have nearly 15,000 acres of skiable terrain and over 5,000 vertical feet—was initially proposed back in 1991, and has spent three decades tied up in legal battles that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
Located in an area known as Qat’mak, the region is considered a sacred place for the local Ktunaxa First Nations people. It’s also in a critical habitat corridor known for its grizzly bear population. Environmental groups and the Ktunaxa Nation have been trying to stop the ski resort from being built for many years now.
Finally, they’re getting the last say.