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| Dave Eagles/KTW |
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Phase 2 development at Sun Peaks Resort, expected to take five years and boost infrastructure, was announced in June. | |
By DANNA JOHNSON
Staff reporter
August 29, 2004
Court orders keeping First Nations protesters out of Sun Peaks Resort have expired.
And starting today, many will make their way back to the resort protesting the second phase of development.
This will be the first major protest since arrests were made in 2001, and protesters have enlisted the support of the Union of British Columbia Indian chiefs and the Council of Canadians.
Today's protest is "absurd," said Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger. "[Sun Peaks Resort Corporation] has many joint ventures with many First Nations groups which are doing very well as a result.
"I think, while they may be too polite to say so publicly, our local First Nations people don't appreciate [chief] Stewart Phillip [president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs] and his political motivations for this. And I know none of us appreciate the Council of Canadians being involved."
The expansion at Sun Peaks is legitimate and a boon for the local economy, Krueger added. "It's very wrong-headed to be harassing [Sun Peaks Resort]."
Phase 2 of the development plan, which will see an $11 million boost to the resort's infrastructure along with a total of $285 million worth of development throughout the next five years, was announced in June.
It's this expansion that has rally organizer Janice Billy concerned. While Sun Peaks officials often site excellent relationships with neighbouring bands, Billy said those relationships are motivated by money rather than the desires of First Nations people in general.
"It's not the average person on the reserve that's supporting Sun Peaks. The people who are opposed are the traditional land users who use the land for hunting and berry picking. A lot of the people making decisions on the development are the chiefs who are sitting in band offices every day."
Billy said the years spent away from the resort have been productive ones, allowing band members to network and garner support from various groups, including the Council of Canadians.
Sun Peaks officials aren't overly concerned about today's rally, however.
"There is a group coming up, but in the past it has been a small group [headed up by] one family and they definitely don't represent the majority of First Nations people in our area." | 
