The Patagonia outdoor apparel company is all about exploring new terrain (a.k.a. new industries). In 2013, it was their partnership with New Belgium Brewing that yielded the best outdoor adventure accessory since Justin’s peanut butter packets: canned craft beer. This year, the eco-minded clothing firm has partnered with Sweetgrass Productions to produce a documentary film about the long-running controversy over plans to construct a ski resort in the Jumbo Valley of British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains. We’re all for organic canned lagers, but the film, titled Jumbo Wild, promises to have an impact that extends far beyond beer-guzzling campers. 

A short cut of the feature-length film, recently released on Patagonia’s website, chronicles the 24-year-long fight by local skiers, environmentalists, and First Nations to prevent architect Oberto Oberti and his partner Grant Costello from constructing a four-season ski resort in the pristine Jumbo Valley.

One of the main stakeholders in the resistance is the Ktunaxa Nation, which has resided in the valley for 400 generations and knows Jumbo as Qat’muk, the home of the grizzly bear spirit. “If we say that…a place is sacred within the boundaries of our territory, we should be able to say ‘no,’ and our ‘no’ should be heard,” says Ktunaxa citizen, Joe Pierre, in the film.

Skiers and alpinists also oppose the development project. “I feel like it’s a huge responsibility as a skier [to protect Jumbo Valley] because the mountains can’t talk, and once there’s infrastructure in them, it’s never going to go away,” says skier Leah Evans in the film.

Wildlife conservationists also object to the resort. The Jumbo Valley is located in the Cabinet-Purcell Mountain Corridor, one of only two remaining areas in the Yellowstone-to-Yukon region where grizzly bears can travel freely between Canada and the United States. Construction in the valley would fracture the region and significantly reduce grizzly populations, according to Michael Proctor, a grizzly bear biologist who was interviewed in the film.

If these arguments don’t convince you, the valley’s visually stunning landscape will. Breathtaking aerial shots reveal a Tolkien-esque scene of unblemished slopes and craggy mountain peaks. Yet, the sweeping visuals are juxtaposed with a disembodied (and, dare we say, Sarumon-esque) voice advocating the supposed tourism benefits of the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort. Perhaps the preview's most striking sequence shows a wide shot of the undeveloped valley, overlaid with the spidery lines of Oberti’s blueprint for the 14,826 acre resort.

Check here to find a screening of the full-length film near you.