Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Apparently several Canadian Olympians have signed a letter opposing the development of a huge ski resort in British Columbia. They are against a planned development near Invermere in British Colombia, Canada.
Skistar Trysil via flickr.com
The potential development of the $1 billion ski resort has caused controversy in the local community, as some see it as needless destruction of the wilderness, and are concerned it could negatively affect the grizzly bear population, while others see it as being good for the local economy.
The letter has asked people to recognize limits on development, especially as the province has already agreed to the development which is right in the heart of an important grizzly bear range, and is in an area of melting glaciers. The government in BC agreed to the resort project last year, and there are 1,400 condos planned, as well as 23 lifts which would give access to the glacier allowing year-round skiing. Although the government has agreed to the project, it isn't signed and sealed as the development is in an un-zoned area, and needs to be rezoned before the development can begin. The local council has opposed the project, but the provincial government has the power to overrule this opposition and can designate the area as being a resort municipality.
The article in the Vancouver Sun newspaper said Olympians opposition is based on the fact that they don't believe another resort is necessary, and that the environmental impact doesn't merit it.
The developers have emphasised the main selling point as being the fact that the Canadian Alpine ski team has trained there during the summer, but apparently this has been possible for some years as it simply too warm during the summer months to ski on the glacier. Over the last 40 years the glaciers in Europe have deteriorated, and many glacier resorts have shut down during summer, or have marketed themselves as being a year-round resort concentrating on summer activities during these months.
