a lt e r n at i v e +
LOCAL + independent
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thejasperlocal.com
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friday, february 1, 2019 // ISSUE 138
IF THIS CRITTER IS PLAYING, FEEDING AND SLIDING ALONG THE ICE IN THE ATHABASCA RIVER, YOU OTTER KNOW WE’D BE THERE TO GET A PHOTO // SIMONE HEINRICH
Park management plans public process underway The federal government wants public input on Canada’s mountain national parks.
With the launch of letstalkmountainparks.ca Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, is inviting Canadians to share their views and ideas on the future of Canada’s seven mountain national parks. “We are committed to listening to Canadians and working with them to protect our natural heritage across the country,” McKenna said. Management plans for the mountain national parks are due in 2020. Parks Canada will be consulting on and developing all seven management plans for the mountain parks at the same time, in order to develop common approaches across the region.
The first stage of public consultation is now underway for Jasper, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Mt Revelstoke and Glacier national parks and will run to April 30, 2019. Based on the input received, Parks Canada will develop individual draft management plans for further review and input during a second stage of public engagement expected in early 2020. Management plans are a legislative requirement of the Canada National Parks Act and guide the management of Parks Canada places. Through the management plans, Parks Canada is required to maintain or restore ecological integrity and provide Canadians with opportunities to discover and enjoy the national parks. Go to www.letstalkmountainparks.ca/jasper to learn more about the upcoming park management plan review and to provide input. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 138 // friday, february 1, 2019
editorial //
Local Vocal Catherine McKenna wants Canadians to speak up about their mountain national parks. Normally, when Parks Canada tells the public they’re listening, my eyes roll so hard that I need to lie down. However, in this case I’m buoyed somewhat by the recent decision to walk back the Icefields Trail proposal. I figure if the decision to not pave over 109 kms of pristine montane and pinch off an already crowded wildlife corridor is any indication, there’s at least a modicum of common sense oscillating in Ottawa’s offices. More to the point, it appears the Minister’s office has the ability to listen. That’s why, for 2019—this far in, at least—I’m choosing to be an optimist. I’ll take Parks Canada’s word that the environment won’t be surrendered in the name of visitor experience. I’ll put faith in their promise to improve wilderness facilities and services. I’ll trust that a new management plan will prioritize ecological integrity when considering decisions for commercial development. What’s with the rose-tinted glasses? This year, I feel like I have to wear them. In case you forgot, 2019 will see a federal election and at the moment, it’s anybody’s guess how the votes will shake out. What I do know is that the last time the Conservatives were in power, national park values around here went belly up. Remember the privately-owned skywalk that got built despite thousands of Canadians’ protestations? Remember the brutal cuts of 2012? Remember the willingness to entertain a hotel proposal at Maligne Lake? Remember the culture of secrecy and intimidation surrounding a prominent local scientist’s dismissal? We sure do. The process to implement Parks Canada’s management plans will carry through the campaigning. Unfortunately, many of the issues within the scope of the plans have been used as political footballs in the past. How to approach climate change, how commercial development should be managed and what value is placed on wilderness are just some of the issues that could sway with the political winds, depending on to which party the Minister of Environment belongs. That’s why it’s important to voice our concerns. As locals, we don’t typically give Ottawa much credit for hearing us out. But given the decisions made in Jasper National Park’s not-too-distant past—and more importantly, those which will be decided on in the not-too-distant future—I think we have to put some faith in the system and speak up. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
Who moved the lil' choo-choo? Dear Editor, Where and why has the toy train been moved away from beside the Old Firehall? For many years the toy train has been a point of interest for tourists, as well as a local attraction. My children and now grandchildren always looked forward to playing on the train. So many tourists also took time and played with their families on it. As with many activities, there is always a hazard attached to it. Wouldn’t it have been easier just to put up a sign, eg. “Play at your own risk?” Yours truly, a concerned resident, Sylvia Harkema, Jasper -Editor’s note: The toy train was removed at the request of Parks Canada, who owns the lease at the Old Fire Hall, to make room for interpretive programming. The municipality also stated safety concerns as a reason to move the train. It is currently in storage.
The Jasper Local //
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// local community
friday, february 1, 2019 // issue 138 // the jasper local// page A3
THE JASPER IMMIGRATION COALITION HAS PARTNERED WITH THE JASPER LOCAL TO PRODUCE A SERIES OF PROFILES OF NEW CANADIANS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE JASPER IMMIGRATION COALITION IS A GOVERNMENT OF CANADA-FUNDED PROJECT THAT AIMS TO HELP IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY’S CAPACITY TO WELCOME NEW CANADIANS WHO MAKE THEIR HOME HERE. MEET YOUR NEIGHBOUR, AND NEXT TIME YOU SEE THEM, SAY HELLO!
What’s your name? Kerry-Ann Warren How long have you lived in Jasper? Twelve and half years.
NICE TO MEET YOU KERRY-ANN WARREN
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
hope that one day my son will grow up and get interested in skiing, snowboarding, playing hockey. Things like that. But I don’t want to try it!
What’s your first memory of being in Jasper?
I like to dance, to cook and to help people. Helping people in the community, elderly people, that kind of thing. That’s my passion.
Where did you live before you came here?
There are no houses anywhere! Where am I going?! I’m from a big city and on the drive out here from Edmonton I didn’t see any houses anywhere. What’s going on?! The next day we went into town (from the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge) and it was ok.
What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you? People, when they meet me, don’t know how good I can dance. They watch me and say “I’m surprised you can dance so well!”
Besides there being no houses anywhere, You recently became a Canadian citizen. was there anything that surprised you Congratulations! How does it feel? about Jasper? I’m happy to be a Canadian. I thank God for It was pretty different seeing all the animals it. But it doesn’t really feel different. I was around, the mountains, the snow. It was my already being myself. I was already engaged first time seeing snow, but I expected it. I’m a with the community and I was already tough nut to crack. It takes a lot to surprise me! living life to the fullest. Now I just stand in a different line at the airport! Since coming here twelve years ago, have you tried anything new? Keep living life to the fullest, Kerry-Ann. Skating. I want skating at the lodge (Mildred Lake at Jasper Park Lodge). I couldn’t stand up, See you on the dance floor! so someone told me to hang on to the stroller. I fell again and the stroller fell on top of me. Since then I haven’t gone back! Is there anything in particular you’re still interested to try? I’m not really interested to try it myself, but I
For more information about the Jasper Immigration Coalition, contact Doug Olthof at dolthof@ jaspercommunityteam.ca
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page B1 // the jasper local // issue 138 // friday, february 1, 2019
Local mountain culture //
Gadd named United Nations mountain hero to will gadd, Glaciers matter.
The Rockies-based multi-sport adventurer has recently signed on with the United Nations as UN Environment Mountain Hero. Through his new role, the former Jasperite will be spreading the word to others about why glaciers matter to him, and to the world. “We are going to face, in the mountains and globally, an era of radical change, and mountain people are the ones seeing it first hand,” Gadd said.
“Mountain people are the ones seeing it first hand,” Gadd said. “Athletes, guides, climbers, skiers. I’m an ice climber, and I do take it personally.”
Recently announced by the UN, the Mountain Hero campaign involves several accomplished, extraordinary athletes dedicating their time to raise awareness on environmental issues, in particular environmental protection of mountains. All around the world and right in the Canadian Rockies, early indicators of the effects of climate change, including melting glaciers, have already become noticeable in mountain regions. Along with Gadd, the Mountain Heroes include Kenyan skier Sabrina Simader and Austrian cyclist Michael Strasser, who recently set a new world record for the fastest cycle from the northern tip of North America to the southern tip of Patagonia. For his part, Gadd has spent a good portion of his career as a world-class ice climber, winning numerous competitions and establishing new difficult
PRO CLIMBER AND EX-JASPERITE WILL GADD IS A UNITED NATIONS MOUNTAIN HERO, ADVOCATING FOR MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION. // CHRISTIAN PONDELLA // RED BULL MEDIA POOL
routes in the Rockies and other mountain zones around the world, including the first ascent of a frozen Niagara Falls. He’s made numerous first descents in his kayak, and set the world distance record, twice, for (non-motorized) paragliding. Although he’s been exploring glaciers and icefields since he was a kid growing up in Jasper, it wasn’t until he travelled to Africa in 2015, intent on climbing glacier ice on that continent’s highest mountain, 5,895-metre Kilimanjaro, that he really began thinking about the rapid pace at which glaciers are melting. On that trip, the maps Gadd relied on showed glacial ice that had melted to half the size indicated when the maps were made 20 years earlier. In some places the remaining ice formed sharp, fragile fins. “We were seeing these tiny sliver remnants of glaciers,” Gadd recalled. “Not so long ago the [Kilimanjaro] glacier used to stretch all the way across, it was several kilometres wide. That really woke me up.” Since then, Gadd has travelled to Greenland, Nepal and South America. “We’re seeing it all over the world. Mountains and glaciers are changing at an insane rate.” But while he was in Africa trying to climb on the fragments of glacial ice that had been there for 12,000
years, Gadd was also aware how, as natural storage systems for water, once the glaciers on Kilimanjaro were completely gone (which scientists project will happen within the next two decades) they would no longer provide water for people living in the region. And he’s also aware that while glaciers have melted back and then returned multiple times over earth’s 4.54 billion-year history, the rate at which the melting is happening now is unprecedented, and that rapid melting is caused in part by human use of fossil fuels. As a mountain athlete, he feels it on a personal level. “I’m an ice climber, and I do take it personally,” he says. With that, Gadd admits that as someone who travels frequently by air as an adventurer, guide and speaker, he is part of the problem. He does purchase carbon offsets, and says he’s working on reducing his own contributions to the rising greenhouse gas levels in other ways. In recent years, Gadd has partnered with scientists to explore difficult-to-access places—including the inside of glaciers—to help increase scientific knowledge of these ancient bodies of ice. On one such project in 2017, he teamed up with University of Alberta glaciologist Martin Sharp, using his climbing and guiding skills and expertise to explore deep inside a moulin, or millwell, on the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park. To the scientists’ surprise, the team discovered biofilms growing on the ice far below the surface, something that hadn’t been discovered previously. He’s also worked with scientists in Greenland to learn more about glacial environments there, and where they found the same biofilms. Gadd says the next generation will face enormous change. “My kids, the community we live in, are going to face radical change,” he said. To brace themselves for those changes, through the UN Environment Mountain Hero campaign, Gadd and fellow ambassadors are trying to reach out to the world, and by telling personal stories, hope to have a bigger impact with different groups of people. “As a citizen on Earth, it’s the right thing to do,” he said. Lynn Martel // info@thejasperlocal.com
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friday, february 1, 2019 // issue 138 // the jasper local// page B2
Local photography //
Putting his stamp on the photo industry If a picture is worth a thousand words, Jasper photographer Jeff Lewis is creating volumes of letters.
And now he’s got the stamps to mail them. Lewis’ image of Athabasca Falls is one of nine selected scenes for Canada Post’s newly-released From Far and Wide series. The stamps feature photographs from some of the most picturesque places in Canada, including Tombstone Territorial Park in Yukon, Quttinirpaaq National Park in Nunavut and Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia. Lewis was contacted by Canada Post last winter after they saw another of his Athabasca Falls shots on the stock photography site Getty Images. When they found out Lewis lived in Jasper and could provide a fresh image with a new perspective of the falls, the art directors jumped. “I said ‘there’s another view,’” he said. “They liked that idea.”
Lewis pitched shooting the falls in May, while the grass and moss was greening up and while the water was still low and blue. He would head out at dawn looking for the magic light and atmospheric mist on the water. “The wanted that calming, smooth water effect,” he recalled. A half dozen shoots and a couple thousand images later, Lewis had a contact sheet for Canada Post to review. They settled on the image that thousands of Canadians will now use to post their Christmas cards, wedding invitations and hydro bills. “I was happy they dialed in on the final selection,” he said. Lewis is pretty happy in general these days. In 2015, he quit his demanding job as a railroader to focus on photography. While he was compensated well by his former employer, there’s no substitute for his improved well-being as a result of following his passion, he said. “My mental state is a lot better,” he said. “I’m doing what I want to do, and that’s been great.” Lewis has a strong portfolio of landscape images and a growing collection of outdoor adventure
JASPER PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF LEWIS’ PHOTO OF ATHABASCA FALLS IS FEATURED AS ONE OF NINE NEW CANADA POST IMAGES. ANOTHER JASPER PHOTOG, RYAN BRAY, HAD HIS IMAGE OF ARCTIC WILDERNESS IN NUNAVUT’S QUTTINIRPAAQ NATIONAL PARK SELECTED AS WELL // BOB
shots, but his current interest lies in telling these days.” telling a richer Lewis also helps story with his other people create camera. He their own stories with his Jasper, Banff hopes to work “I’ve always loved to chase and Yoho-based phoon more advenbig sunsets and sunrises but tography workshops. ture-based phoI’m gearing more towards Check out jasperphotojournalism story telling these days.” toguide.com to see narratives while more of Lewis’ work. road tripping in the summer. bob covey // bob@ “It’s an evolution. I’ve always loved thejasperlocal.com to chase big sunsets and sunrises but I’m gearing more towards story
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page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 138 // friday, february 1, 2019
FEATURE // PHOTOS BY NICOLE COVEY
ACFA WINTER The Jasper Winter Pentathlon brought out nearly 50 competitors to bike, ski, snowshoe,
skate and run on a gorgeous January 18 afternoon.
Organizers’ hard w with great course c mild temperatures, respite from last ye situation.
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R PENTATHLON
work was rewarded conditions and , a welcome ear’s sub-zero
While most participants grouped up in teams of five, there were also teams of two and three. However, it was once again the soloists who earned the most
B.Covey
accolades as three men and two women completed all five events. Jocelyn Nadeau was the fastest man around the course while Jenny Wilson took first place in the ladies. There were prizes galore, great tunes, good eats and smiles all around. Thanks to the ACFA for making it another amazing event.
TOLFA Law Office & EED
Barristers | Solicitors | Notaries
JASPER
780 852-2242
HINTON
780 865-1070
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page B5 // the jasper local //issue 138 // friday, february 1, 2019
local culture //
Jasperite realizing the power of the dark side Jasperite Ryan Bray was always a huge Star Wars fan.
Growing up, he had a bedroom full of toys based on the movies, he could recite from heart lines from each film and he even created a webpage to express his inner Jedi. “I was a pretty big Star Wars nerd as a kid,” he says. When it comes to Star Wars fandom, there is regular enthusiast and there is nerd-level dedication. Finally, in a fanatical galaxy far far away, there are the members of the 501st Legion. The Force is strong with these ones. In the Star Wars universe, the 501st Legion refers to an elite military unit of the Galactic Empire—Imperial Stormtroopers, Sith Lords, bounty hunters and other villains. In real life, however, the 501st is an organization of superfans who pay tribute to the film series by building and wearing screen-accurate replica costumes. Why collect action figures when you can dress up as one? Across the globe there are more than 13,000 members of this tribe—Star Wars devotees who purchase Lucas Film-approved regalia, host “armour parties” to build their characters and gather en mass to march in public, typically for a good cause. “We’re bad guys doing good,” says Peter Nuthall, Commanding Officer of the Badlands Garrison, a group with membership across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Nuthall and a dozen or so other Badlands members were in Jasper last week to help Bray assemble his
MARCHING WITH STAR WARS FANS AT THE ATCO STREET PARTY. // MATT QUIRING
JASPERITE RYAN BRAY (MIDDLE, BEHIND THE JAWA) IS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE 501ST LEGION, A FAN CLUB DEDICATED TO WEARING REPLICA COSTUMES FROM THE STAR WARS GALAXY. // BOB COVEY
Stormtrooper costume before hitting the streets at the Jasper in January ATCO Street Party. For Bray, marching in costume in his community was more than the culmination of a long wait for his Stormtrooper kit to arrive in the mail (it took more than 20 months to get here). It was the realization of a childhood dream. “I always wanted to join the 501st, but I saw how much was involved and I didn’t think I’d ever get to that point,” he said. Part of that hurdle was cost—a Stormtrooper kit runs upwards of $1,000, before the requisite blaster gun and boot straps. But the other issue was connecting to the fraternity. Bray’s wife solved the first problem, coordinating the couple’s friends to pool funds so Bray could get the best 30th birthday present he could ask for. The second hurdle was figured out at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, where Bray had brought his original, still-in-the-box C-3P0 action figure to be signed by actor Anthony Daniels. At the Expo, Bray connected with Nuthall’s wife, Teresa, also an active member of the 501st Badlands Garrison. The
Nuthalls invited Bray to an armour party in Edmonton and soon enough, the bonds were forged. “It ends up feeling a lot like family,” Teresa said. Part of that camaraderie is the community building that the 501st is committed to. The group gets booked for charity work including hospital visits, fundraisers and make-a-wish events. The other aspect is the enthusiasm their costumes evoke from others. Bray was excited to pose for pictures with Star Wars fans during the ATCO Street Party and he’ll be anticipating future gigs, using the power of the dark side for good. Fellow Star Wars enthusiasts should get in touch with Bray. As the lone trooper in Jasper, he says he’d like to expand the satellite outpost. “I’m stoked for the volunteer possibilities,” Bray said. Nuthall, who has been an active member of the 501st since 2016, says the connections she’s made via her passion for Star Wars are priceless. “It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “Besides what we do for different communities, when I look around these armour parties I know we’ve got our own little community.” bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
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An artistic challenge to paint for one's self At a time of year when people are setting new goals, Jasper artist Jason Bartziokas is realigning with the reasons he started painting in the first place.
Bartziokas, a born-and-raised Jasperite, is well known in the hockey world for his intricate and inspirational artwork on professional goalie masks. His work graces the helmets of NHL stars Chad Johnson (Anaheim Ducks), Tristan Jarry (Pittsburg Penguins), Eric Comrie (Winnipeg Jets) and Andrew Hammond (Minnesota Wild), as well as dozens of netminders playing in major-junior leagues such as the WHL. His art was in the spotlight during the 2014 Sochi Olympics when Canadian skeleton luge athletes Sarah Reid and Eric Neilson took to the track helmet-first, and his work pops up on network television and digital media on a regular basis as athletes share the designs which have special meaning to them. “Each mask is essentially an advertisement,” he says. But as much as he appreciates being able to provide for his family as a painter, the mask business has grown so much that it hardly affords him the time to paint for himself. That’s why, when he saw that his favourite art and design equipment company announced a 31 day challenge to paint from life everyday in January, Bartziokas was eager to break out the easel. “I’ve always had the itch to try this challenge,” he said. The Strada January 31 Day Easel Challenge invites artists to bust out their brushes and make the time to paint. Whether plein air (outdoor), still life or figure painting, the goal is to stick to a routine and hone your practice. “The more regular routine you have, the stronger and more committed you are,” Bartziokas said.
JASPER ARTIST JASON BARTZIOKAS, WHO MAKES HIS LIVING PAINTING MASKS FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, CHALLENGED HIMSELF TO A 31 DAY PAINTING MARATHON IN JANUARY // BOB COVEY
Half way through the month, the challenge was paying off. He said he felt more confident with his compositions and he was keying in on technical components, such as the relative lightness or darkness of a colour (known as value). “For me the focus becomes ‘is it the right value?’” he said. The challenge gave him the chance to experiment— with nocturnal scenes, monochromatic paintings and various sizes of canvasses. On some days he braved the winter winds at Jasper Lake to witness water formations. On other occasions he stuck within his neighbourhood to find a new vantage point of the familiar. Sometimes it was just too darn cold to leave the house. “Minus 20 outside so day eight was done from my
living room,” he posted on January 8, along with a vista of Mount Colin. He painted his daughter’s tiny shoes, he sketched his wife’s figure and he stared himself down for several self-portraits. He captured creeks, clouds and culdesacs. Not only was it good practice to work on his fundamental skills, but the challenge forced him to put his art out to the world. “This was an excuse to throw the fight with selfconsciousness out,” he said. All in all, the 31 day challenge was a reminder of why he took up painting in the first place. “I’m of the belief that you should try to follow your passion,” he said. “This was a true painting experience, for myself.” bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
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local Jasper in January //
friday, february 1, 2019 // issue 138 // the jasper local// page B6
ONCE
UPON A TIME FEBRUARY 21
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