Local and provincial Chambers of Commerce are applauding the government’s decision to approve the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort.

The BC Chamber has hailed the decision, and says it hopes the approval of Jumbo is a sign that other projects under review — including some mining and natural gas developments — will benefit from a speedier, balanced process.

“This project has been reviewed to death,” John Winter, president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce said in a release yesterday. “It’s good to see BC sending a clear signal that major projects like these will be judged on their own merits.”

In a release distributed by the government as the project was announced, which also contains quotes from MLAs Bill Bennett and Steven Thomson, Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce president Rose-Marie Regitnig said she doesn’t expect the government’s decision to please everyone.

However the chamber “is pleased that a decision around Jumbo Glacier Resort has finally been made,” Regitnig said, adding the 20 year review process the project faced “was negatively impacting our communities.”

“We do look forward to working with our members on the opportunities that this decision will present,” she added. “It is our objective to help our members grow and develop their businesses in both an economically and environmentally sustainable manner.”

Tourism Radium president Graham Kerslake also said any increased tourism Jumbo could bring to the valley would be a positive for Radium Chamber of Commerce members.

“From a tourism perspective, anything that would bring tourism dollars to the valley we would be looking forward to looking forward to particpating in,” he said.