This proposed ski resort would include building multiple ski lifts, gondolas, stores, and lodging for tourists and staff and supporters argue that it would help to provide around 800 jobs for the local economy. Oberti also believes that this is a modern way to bring an uplifting experience and he compares the ski resort to a cathedral in Europe. There has been a long history with how settlers sustained themselves through logging and mining and this later transitioned to the economy mainly depending on tourism, specifically skiing. Over the years, there has been great opposition from the Ktunaxa First Indian Nation, conservationists/environmentalists, backcountry skiers and snowboarders, and locals alike who have actually physically protested the development of the ski resort with marches, strikes, and even standing in the way of construction. There was a blockade with locals that lasted for eight weeks against the implementation of a road and a ski lift which ended with Glacier Resorts Ltd. removing their construction tools. Opponents argue that this ski resort is only for real estate purposes and that Olberti is building it as a monument to himself. The Ktunaxa argue that they consider the area to be a sacred …show more content…
For example, they used incredible visuals to show you just how stunning the views were from on top of the peaks of Jumbo Glacier/Valley and also filmed backcountry skiers and snowboarders racing down the slopes (it definitely looks like a unique experience). They also interviewed several people including the Ktunaxa people, a biologist named Michael Proctor who studies the threatened populations of grizzly bears in the Purcell Mountains area, people who have done backcountry skiing and snowboarding in the area for a long time, and others locals who live in the area. Moreover, they showed heart-wrenching imagery of a dead bloody grizzly bear after it had been shot because it had gotten too close to humans and also images of hung-up grizzly bear skins after the bears had been hunted, which actually made me feel sick looking at. This strong imagery goes on to show the consequences of what happens when grizzly bears have unnecessary contact with humans. Fortunately, there are researchers like Michael who are working together to try and preserve and restore the trans-border grizzly bear populations spanning from Canada and the U.S. They are doing this partly by fitting GPS radio collars on the grizzly bears to track their movements and see what zones they go to find food so that they can try and prevent them from going to these areas and possibly