Surprised! Or, surprised? We shouldn’t be, nor, should we have been, given the history and current agenda of the present government with their B.C. Is Open For Business, their rush to sell every resource possible far and wide, and their courting the labour vote as they rev up for next year’s election.

Now, focus closer on Jumbo.

For all of last year the quarterly updates and letters have told of Forest, Lands and Natural Resources Minister Steve Thomson’s presence in and around the Jumbo vicinity: how he visited the site and met with the Ktunaxa people, how he met with resort supporters in the East Kootenay and how he refused all offers by Wildsight and the Jumbo Creek Conservation Society (JCCS) to meet with them.

We also were informed by the office of Major Projects within the FLNR Ministry that they had been gathering all materials relevant to the Jumbo issue for several months. And not long ago, they presented binders full of reports, studies and First Nations materials to the minister et al.

Most recently the West-East JumboWild coalition called a major action alert where we sent I love Jumbo wild Valentines to both the ministry and Premier Clark.

Please recall the top stripe of that alert ad. It said “Minister Thomson may make his decision between January 23 and March 1.”

March 1 came and went with no announcements. But, ah ha, 20 days later — headlines. Surprise? Not really.

Now one week later as I write this letter I can tell you what happened with the Jumbo Wild allies everywhere. We expressed our disgust and indignation that this Jumbo mistake proposed industrial resort and real estate development was given another green light, with the result being that we feel stronger and more determined than ever to keep Jumbo wild.

So really the situation hasn’t changed much. We’ve been keeping Jumbo wild for over 20 years and we’ll keep Jumbo wild forever. So watch your local newspapers, your bulletin boards and emails, This is not a done deal and we all concur with the Ktunaxa who told CBC, “We will do everything it takes to stop this project.”

Rowena Eloise

Argenta

For the West Kootenay Coalition for Jumbo Wild