Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/207624
o - t n n e e y e . . Mount Waddington; a massif of four glaciers at the head of the Jumbo Creek valley; and an area of the northern Cariboo Mountains near Valemount. He dismissed the Waddington region as too remote and Valemount became his second choice. By 1990 Oberti had a partner and was working on the Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal. "It is a new type of development that doesn't exist in North America right now," says Oberti. "We're following a model that's been very successful in Europe for more than 100 years: year-round alpine tourism. We believe that Jumbo will become an iconic tourism destination like Chamonix or Zermatt." Not one to talk about himself, Oberti prefers his projects to speak for him. The one that will likely define him is Jumbo. "They say architects are never supposed to fall in love with their designs, but sometimes you do," Oberti admits. "Jumbo is my cathedral." Which explains his incredible patience. From the start, fierce opposition waylaid the project. Environmentalists and First Nations call it unsustainable and unnecessary. The ski industry worries it will cannibalize skiers from other resorts. And then there was government bureaucracy. Construction is now, at last, slated to begin in summer 2014. How Jumbo will fare remains to be seen, but skeptics are many. "The number one factor for ski-hill success, in my mind, is the size of the population that lives in close proximity," says David Lynn, executive director of the Canada West Ski Areas Association. "If you build a ski resort in a remote location, you are going to have an extremely difficult time garnering skier visits. Saying Jumbo's location is perfect for skiing is ignoring that fact." Jumbo sits four hours by car from Calgary, its nearest major city. Oberti's newest project is even more remote. The town of Valemount, on the B.C.-Alberta border west of Jasper, approached Oberti with the idea of building a destination resort even larger than Jumbo. The Valemount Glacier Destination is now in the early design stages and Oberti intends to stick around to help get it approved. "I have no plans to retire," he says. "I think I'm in fairly good shape, I'm willing to work and I'm still skiing." Plus, he has unfinished business. "My design dream is to create a unique experience," he says. "I hope to offer something inspiring." – Ryan Stuart p28-29_Profile.indd 29 W e s t wo r l d >> w i n t e r 2 0 1 3 29 13-10-25 10:30 AM