Directed by Nick Waggoner
A 25-year battle in Canada's iconic Jumbo Valley pits developers of a large ski resort against conservationists, backcountry skiers and First Nations, who revere it as home of the grizzly bear spirit.
At the headwaters of the Columbia River in BC's Purcell Mountains, Jumbo Creek cascades out of deep snowpack, past crumbling glacial ice, wildflowers, and grizzly tracks. The Jumbo Valley has long been revered for its beauty; and to the Ktunaxa Nation, it is known as Qat'muk, home of the grizzly bear spirit.
Part of an important international wildlife corridor, the Jumbo Valley is one of only two areas in North America where grizzly bears can freely roam between Canada and the U.S. But, for nearly 25 years, local people -- First Nations, conservationists, backcountry skiers -- have fought a large-scale ski resort in Jumbo. Developers face environmental assessments, political roadblocks, and local outcry.
JUMBO WILD highlights the tension between the protection of wilderness and ever-increasing development interests in wild places, while bringing to life the passionate fight to protect the Jumbo Valley.
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