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Silver Star ResortÃ's future appears to be on hold as the provincial government has issued a stop work order on the resort's reservoir. The provincial Ministry of Environment issued the order after they learned the resort had proceeded with the project without a water
licence. A ministry spokesperson said that an unlicenced dam can pose a threat to the public. "Public safety was our primary concern,“ said Craig Beeson of the ministry's water stewardship division. "They shouldn't have started without first submitting an application." Beeson said that regulations require that developers must apply for a licence first and then apply for a leave of construction as a second step. The ministry found the project was already underway through ’word of mouth,' Beeson said. 
The reservoir is at Vance Creek overlooking Lumby and Beeson said some homes in the area were put at risk."’If the dam had filled and then failed there is always the risk of property damage or injuries," he said. Silver Star general manager Michael Sherwood said a water licence application was made in September and they are waiting for government approval. He said the lack of a licence is the only thing standing in the way of opening the reservoir. "We don't know when but we hope (the licence) will be approved pretty soon," he said. Sherwood said the reservoir is an important part of the future of Silver Star. The increased water capacity of the new reservoir will allow more accommodations to be built at the resort. Although he doesn't know exactly how long the water licence approval will take Beeson said the typical time period for the approval process can vary from months to years. The stop work order was issued in September and was made public in the Ministry of Environ-ment's quarterly compliance report released in December. However, the engineer for the reservoir told the ministry that it was too dangerous to leave the project unfinished and so they were allowed to finish the dam. Beeson said Silver Star is not permitted to fill the reservoir with water and must provide weekly updates. "They have been complying with the order to not fill the dam," he said.
Silver Star ResortÃ's future appears to be on hold as the provincial government has issued a stop work order on the resort's reservoir. The provincial Ministry of Environment issued the order after they learned the resort had proceeded with the project without a water
licence. A ministry spokesperson said that an unlicenced dam can pose a threat to the public. "Public safety was our primary concern,“ said Craig Beeson of the ministry's water stewardship division. "They shouldn't have started without first submitting an application." Beeson said that regulations require that developers must apply for a licence first and then apply for a leave of construction as a second step. The ministry found the project was already underway through ’word of mouth,' Beeson said. 
The reservoir is at Vance Creek overlooking Lumby and Beeson said some homes in the area were put at risk."’If the dam had filled and then failed there is always the risk of property damage or injuries," he said. Silver Star general manager Michael Sherwood said a water licence application was made in September and they are waiting for government approval. He said the lack of a licence is the only thing standing in the way of opening the reservoir. "We don't know when but we hope (the licence) will be approved pretty soon," he said. Sherwood said the reservoir is an important part of the future of Silver Star. The increased water capacity of the new reservoir will allow more accommodations to be built at the resort. Although he doesn't know exactly how long the water licence approval will take Beeson said the typical time period for the approval process can vary from months to years. The stop work order was issued in September and was made public in the Ministry of Environ-ment's quarterly compliance report released in December. However, the engineer for the reservoir told the ministry that it was too dangerous to leave the project unfinished and so they were allowed to finish the dam. Beeson said Silver Star is not permitted to fill the reservoir with water and must provide weekly updates. "They have been complying with the order to not fill the dam," he said.Silver Star's green thumb Managing Editor David Wylie EDITORIAL
Silver Star Mountain Resort has become nearly synonymous with Champaign powder, beautiful landscapes and a charming, growing community. It is also
looked upon as corporate keeper of one of the North Okanagan's most important greenspaces - Silver Star Provincial Park. So with such a positive image and lofty responsibility it's surprising that the resort would - in essence -thumb its nose at a basic and crucial step in environmental stewardship: obtaining a permit before building a dam. In fact, a provincial Ministry of Environment spokesman said the government only heard about the construction through word of mouth. Meanwhile, Silver Star officials trumpeted the dam by bringing the local media up for a tour. Cart before the horse - undoubtedly. When asked why Silver Star didn't wait for the permit, the resort's general manager, Michael Sherwood, said they applied for the water licence when construction started. Of course, it still hasn't been approved. So it remains a mystery why Silver Star started construction anyway. We can only guess the resort was impatient - or worse, unfamiliar with environmental laws. If Silver Star doesn't know the legality behind building in environmentally sensitive areas, we can only hope they take a class, and soon. Proper stewardship of the area in large part depends on the resort adhering to laws made to protect the integrity of wilderness. And if building a dam (which in turn alters the flow of water on the mountain) isn't worthy of due process, what is? In fact, the situation is so serious, that Ministry of Environment spokesman Craig Beeson said some homes in the Lumby area were put at risk by Silver Star's rush to build. Silver Star has since finished building the dam, but has been ordered not to fill it until the permit goes through, which could take months or even years. Safety and environmental protection, however, are worth waiting for.
Silver Star Mountain Resort has become nearly synonymous with Champaign powder, beautiful landscapes and a charming, growing community. It is also
looked upon as corporate keeper of one of the North Okanagan's most important greenspaces - Silver Star Provincial Park. So with such a positive image and lofty responsibility it's surprising that the resort would - in essence -thumb its nose at a basic and crucial step in environmental stewardship: obtaining a permit before building a dam. In fact, a provincial Ministry of Environment spokesman said the government only heard about the construction through word of mouth. Meanwhile, Silver Star officials trumpeted the dam by bringing the local media up for a tour. Cart before the horse - undoubtedly. When asked why Silver Star didn't wait for the permit, the resort's general manager, Michael Sherwood, said they applied for the water licence when construction started. Of course, it still hasn't been approved. So it remains a mystery why Silver Star started construction anyway. We can only guess the resort was impatient - or worse, unfamiliar with environmental laws. If Silver Star doesn't know the legality behind building in environmentally sensitive areas, we can only hope they take a class, and soon. Proper stewardship of the area in large part depends on the resort adhering to laws made to protect the integrity of wilderness. And if building a dam (which in turn alters the flow of water on the mountain) isn't worthy of due process, what is? In fact, the situation is so serious, that Ministry of Environment spokesman Craig Beeson said some homes in the Lumby area were put at risk by Silver Star's rush to build. Silver Star has since finished building the dam, but has been ordered not to fill it until the permit goes through, which could take months or even years. Safety and environmental protection, however, are worth waiting for.
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