The Jumbo Valley, located deep in the wilds of British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains, has long been revered for its spiritual significance and beauty. To the Ktunaxa Nation, it is known as Qat’muk, home of the grizzly bear spirit.
Part of a crucial international wildlife corridor, the Jumbo Valley is one of only two remaining areas in North America where bears can freely roam between Canada and the US. Permanent development of the valley would likely lead to reduced grizzly populations locally, regionally and even continentally.
For nearly 25 years, local people—First Nations, skiers, riders, alpinists and conservationists—have fought a proposed large-scale ski resort in Jumbo. The Ktunaxa First Nation’s Qat’muk Declaration asserts that the Jumbo Valley is of significant spiritual and ecological importance and calls for its permanent protection.
Created by the construction of Mica Dam on the Columbia River, Kinbasket Lake (For a short time known as McNaughton Lake) sits in the Rocky Mountain Trench on the Western edge of the Rockies. On the Western side of the Trench lies the Purcell and Selkirk Ranges of the Columbia Mountains.
Coming to theatres Oct 2015 – Patagonia presents Jumbo Wild – a gripping, hour-long documentary film by Sweetgrass Productions that tells the true story of the decades-long battle over the future of British Columbia’s iconic Jumbo Valley and highlights the tension between the protection of wilderness and the backcountry experience and ever-increasing development interests in wild places. Set against a backdrop of incredible backcountry ski and snowboard footage, Jumbo Wild documents all sides of a divisive issue bringing the passionate local fight to protect the Jumbo Valley to life for the first time.
Get involved, find screenings and more at Patagonia.com/jumbowild
No comments yet.