The Jasper Local March 15, 2019

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friday, march 15, 2019 // ISSUE 141

DROP THE HIKE // ABOVE WHISTLERS’ CREEK, STEPHEN CONNICK PUTS IN THE FIRST TRACK DOWN INDIAN RIDGE // BOB COVEY

Parks Canada considering new zoning regs In an effort to modernize its approach to planning and land use, Parks Canada is reviewing its zoning and housing regulations in Jasper National Park.

Two sessions at the Jasper Activity Centre took place to introduce the idea of allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in Jasper. ADUs are secondary suites located in residents’ homes or detached buildings (garages or garden suites, for example).

If ADUs are allowed, Parks Canada wants to regulate them.

“How can we make sure they are used for rental housing, not

Private Home Accommodations (PHAs)?” a bulletin for the meeting says.

Also on the table is the idea of allowing rental units in the trailer park—or Compact Lot district.

Parks Canada wants input on updating Jasper’s zoning regulations, how to allow ADUs in the Jasper townsite and how to mitigate the impact of PHAs on ADUs. The drop-in sessions took place March 14. Because of our press deadline, The Jasper Local was unable to report on the sessions for this edition.

Watch for coverage in the April 1 Jasper Local. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 141 // friday, march 15, 2019

editorial //

Local Vocal Don’t look now, but this International Women’s Day editorial is being written by a (*facepalm*) man.

However, this man has some pretty remarkable females around him to draw inspiration from.

His wife, first off, is an incredible force of nature, able to balance an office job, two home-based businesses and the exhausting, exhilarating duties and dividends of being a married mother.

The extent to which she can juggle these competing priorities is a constant source of wonder to him and on top of it, she is committed to improving herself as a person, as a parent and a practitioner.

This writer’s mother is a star in her own right, with an uncanny ability to always know just what to say and how to say it. She is a source of strength and spirit, intuitively gifted, patient and practical.

Her sense of humour, her deep empathy and her positivity help her make lasting connections to a wide variety of people, wherever she goes.

His sister is a hilarious, hard-working heroine, with levity for days tempered by a stick-toitiveness that keeps her rascally boys on a path of learning and loving. She’s the first person he calls for parenting advice.

On the night that Bob Dowling But it was Bob’s love for his family that shone most brightly. Once, when And his nearly three-year-old daughter is quickly passed, he had finished dinner with his beloved wife of 66 years, Olga, out of town friend asked after developing into an amazing little woman herself. before the couple retired to the sitting an Olga, who was ill at the time, Bob When she’s not wrapping him around her little room. As was his routine, Bob had a took the man’s hand and said simply finger, she’s absorbing the world around her. She’s Werthers caramel candy while the she was “as beautiful as always.” smart and silly and observant and imaginative. couple watched television. Curling In 2017, when I interviewed him for was on, one of Bob’s favourite sports. a story about Jasper’s tight housing When he starts to tally up his female family market, Bob noted with pride that he members, friends, colleagues and contemporaries, Later that night, Robert Wagner Dowling passed away suddenly and and Olga were Jasper’s oldest couple this writer quickly gets the picture that he is peacefully, with his wife at his side. (he was 92 at the time). surrounded by incredible women.

As in his illustrious life, even I will remember Bob as a man who Hopefully, readers see that they are, too. in death, Bob was all class. He always greeted his contemporaries International Women’s Day was March 8, but it’s was a dedicated serviceman and with a smile, who put the welfare of never too late to take stock of the women making volunteered tirelessly. His love of others ahead of himself and who was an unfailing gentleman wherever he a difference around us. There’s never a bad time community led him to provincial to acknowledge the challenges women face every politics and he served as this region’s went.

MLA for 11 years, from 1969-1980, Thank you, Bob Dowling, for day. It’s never a bad thing to recognize that the modelling the way. You are sorely empowerment of women would go a long way in including a stint in cabinet, when he was the Minister of Business missed. making our world a better place.

Development and Tourism.

- Bob Covey In Jasper, we are lucky to have shining examples of women in leadership roles. That The Jasper Local // Jasper’s independent alternative newspaper point was driven home recently at a community 780.852.9474 • thejasperlocal.com • po box 2046, jasper ab, t0e 1e0 engagement session hosted by the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division. More than Published on the 1st and 15th of each month 80 per cent of the attendees who were working to Editor / Publisher make our schools a better, safer place of learning Bob Covey.................................................................................... bob@thejasperlocal.com were women. It felt like the future of our students’ Art Director education was in good hands.

Nicole covey......................................................................... nicole@thejasperlocal.com But there’s still a long way to go. As we work Advertising + sales towards gender parity and equal rights, let’s Email us today...........................................................................ads@thejasperlocal.com celebrate when we see examples of empowerment cartoonist and call it out when we notice the balance is off— Deke.................................................................................................deke@thejasperlocal.com for the betterment of us all.

Remembering a gentleman and a scholar

bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

facebook.com/thejasperlocal

@thejasperlocal

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// local community

friday, march 15, 2019 // issue 141 // 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?

Esmeralda Rivera Cordero How long have you lived in Jasper?

One year in Jasper Where did you live before you came here?

In Mexico, Mexico district (one hour to Mexico City downtown) What’s your first memory of being in Jasper?

We were a bit scared because of the snow (we came in January. It was very dark). I remember being in shock about the snow, the mountains and the frozen lake. It was as a movie had become real.

NICE TO MEET YOU ESMERALDA RIVERA

When you meet someone new, what is the first thing you want to know about them? Where there are they from, if they have kids, if the are going to stay long in Jasper.

Is there anything about you that people who meet you might be surprised to learn? We are “Paleteros.”

Our family has a popsicle and naturalflavour ice cream stand. Is a family/ traditional business and we sell to the school and local supermarket.

Was there anything that surprised you about Jasper? Anything you didn’t expect? The animals, the wild For us, it has been a big change in our animals all around town. I remember I life and we love the people in Jasper. saw a raven it was so big and not afraid of people! And in the summer, the bears! They are kind, friendly and everyone always wants to help and support you.

Since coming to Jasper, have We love the security and the support you become involved in any new people have in the school or different activities? Yes, with the Settlement institutions.

Services and activities like presentations in the Elementary School, Nice to meet you Esmeralda!

English class, library activities, skiing and skating.

For more information about the Jasper Immigration Coalition, What is one new thing you would like contact Doug Olthof at dolthof@ to try in the next year? I will like to ski jaspercommunityteam.ca or take downhill skiing lessons. In the summer, I would love to try rafting.

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page B1 // the jasper local // issue 141 // friday, march 15, 2019

Local education //

School division wants feedback for education plan

ALL ABOARD // MEMBERS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT’S STUDENT COUNCIL, INCLUDING ALYANA CARLOS, FACILITATED THE RECENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS TO PROVIDE INPUT ON GYPDS’S THREE YEAR EDUCATION PLAN. GYPSD IS STILL ACCEPTING INPUT VIA ITS SURVEY, AVAILABLE VIA ITS WEBSITE.// BOB COVEY

Grande Yellowhead Public School Division trustees are consulting with the public to help ensure students’ needs are being met.

A community engagement session on March 7 called Share Your Voice brought dozens of parents, teachers, administrators and stu-

dents to the table in an effort to sift need to hear your voice,” said through screening tools with the Brenda Rosadiuk, board chair goal of providing feedback for the for GYPSD. divisions’s three-year education After getting a division-wide plan. breakdown “We want of achieveto know ment “We want to know if we are if we are results and doing the right things by doing parent surthe right vey results, kids, and if not, we need to things by 40 or so hear your voice“ kids, and stakeholdif not, we ers heard

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from the principals of Jasper Elementary School and Jasper Jr./Sr. High. Jody Campbell, from JES, told the working group that students are developing their “reading stamina” with a daily, school-wide program which encourages 20 minutes of focused reading.

Likewise, Mark Crozier, Jasper Jr./Sr. High’s principal, gave a quick rundown some of his school’s challenges and successes. Jasper Jr./Sr. High has a high propensity of English Language Learners (ELL), he said, which makes for a rich tapestry of perspectives while simultaneously making it hard to meet division achievement targets.

“We’re working with kids who sometimes don’t speak any english,” he said.

The assemblage broke into clusters which were facilitated by members of the Superintendent’s Youth Council. These students walked the groups through a survey which focused on strategies for Student Learning; Teaching and Leadership Excellence; and Community Engagement.

Find the survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ HH7YWWB until it closes on March 30.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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Local environment //

friday, march 15, 2019 // issue 141 // the jasper local// page B2

REMEMBER WHEN? Students surveying awareness of 2013 coal mine disaster do that, however, they need to find the public support.

That’s where the survey comes in. Spurgeon said the poll is as much of a reminder of the event— which, at one billion litres Biology students working with researcher Dr. Daniel Barreda, who is developing tools to measure the impact of slurry, was the largest dyke breach ever recorded of contaminant spills in sensitive aquatic environin Canada, and which evenments, have just released a survey to find out how tually netted the company much people understand about these catastrophic a $4.5 million fine—as it events. They are targeting residents of Hinton, Jasper KINDER MORGAN CONDUCTED A SPILL RESPONSE DRILL IN 2014, A is a document to gauge and other communities close to the Athabasca River YEAR AFTER THE OBED MINE TAILINGS POND BREACH // FILE PHOTO where an 800,000 cubic-metre dyke breach occurred on awareness.

“We’re trying to find a way October 31, 2013. the level of awareness dropping as residents’ distance to connect with When that tailings dam collapse downstream from the spill increases.

“We’re trying to find a the communities in our province,” Spurgeon took place, wastewater containing “We are assuming local farmers and Aboriginal comway to connect with said. cadmium, copper, lead, arsenic, the communities in munities will have more knowledge based on their The survey comes as new mining operations zinc and other toxic metals were our province.” proximity to the river,” she said. “But it’s hard to inspire have been proposed just outside of Jasper released into the Athabasca River people to care. The further removed you are the harder National Park at Redcap Mountain. Teck Revia Plante and Apetowun Creeks sources plans to expand its Cheviot Mine over it is.” near Hinton. For a month, a massive plume of sedithe Cardinal Divide, a wide alpine ridge separating two Despite this, the students are optimistic their project ments travelled down the Athabasca River, eventually will help move the conversation forward—with the ulmajor watersheds, the Cardinal and Brazeau Rivers. settling out in Lake Athabasca and the delta near Fort timate goal of having more people know about the imThe timing of the students’ survey and the proposed Chipewyan. And although the post-mortem of the pacts of a spill. The students plan to create a network Cheviot expansion is a coincidence; however, the projevent concluded that the chemicals would not signifiects are connected by the fact that the both projects are to connect affected communities to the scientists. cantly affect the health of humans living in the area, located not far from the border of JNP-protected lands.. “We feel there’s a disconnect with the research and the animal health major Persephone Spurgeon says there general public,” said Arianne Tash, another undergrad Obed, which was operated by Prairie Mines and weren’t any measurements taken of the cumulative Royalty (formerly Coal Valley Resources) but is now de- student working on the survey. “This is a really good impact on wildlife and aquatic species. opportunity for direct knowledge and information to “There was nothing about combined affects,” said Spur- commissioned, was a 7,460 hectare thermal coal mine flow to and from those affected.” with the capacity to produce about 3.2 million tonnes geon, one of four students working with Dr. Barreda. of coal per year. Cardinal is a metallurgical coal mine In Dr. Barreda’s lab, scientists are trying to develop FIND THE STUDY AT: producing 26.6 million tonnes of steel-making coal, tools to change that. They want to be able to measure https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5CTVXD3 which is then exported to Asian-Pacific markets. behavioural changes in fish, for example, and how Spurgeon’s group’s working hypothesis is that there those changes might alter the greater ecosystem. is a moderate level of awareness of the Obed breach Dr. Barreda’s team is interested in measuring a great Bob Covey// bob@thejasperlocal.com many things in a spill-affected ecosystem. To be able to among communities close to the accident site, with

University of Alberta undergrad students are testing the collective memory of residents affected by the 2013 Obed Mountain coal mine tailings pond disaster.

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page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 141 // friday, march 15, 2019

FEATURE // STORY AND PHOTOS BY BOB COVEY

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

PYRAMID BENCH TOUR SHO A DIVERSE FOREST’S FUTUR The crunch of sticks, needles and pine branches are constantly underfoot as Dave Argument walks along a haul road high above the Jasper townsite on the Pyramid Bench.

The spur road, which connects to the Cabin Lake Fire Road and provides access to a 60 hectare cut block skirting Hibernia Lake, wasn’t here several months ago.

like this, take out everything that’s merchantable and prepare the site for replanting,” Argument said.

In this case, to help with natural forest regeneration, loggers are leaving 40 cubic metres of coarse woody debris on the forest floor per hectare. Anything in excess of that which is not merchantable gets piled and burned. Wherever possible, all of the non-fire-prone species, such as aspen and Douglas Fir, are retained.

“It’s not going to be too long before things

potential—has been met. O after more than three mon the harvest stopped. All of cut blocks—including the o at the most westerly point o project, near the Miette Riv where a wildfire would hav direct path to the commun have been cleared. The bul remaining work involves h the timber out and reclaim roads.

Now that the flammable ca has been knocked down, A

Neither was the cut block.

On March 6, The Jasper Local was part of a media delegation which toured the vast changes to the forest on the Pyramid Bench. The tree harvesting is all part of Parks Canada’s fire protection project: 500 hectares of dead and dying trees in mountain pine beetle affected forest west of the Municipality of Jasper are being removed.

Over the background sounds of logging trucks, loaders and forwarders—part of an arsenal of more than a dozen heavy machines being used to remove, collect and haul away up to 30 truckloads of mature pine and spruce trees per day— Argument, Parks Canada’s resource conservation manager, explains that if this were a logging operation in a working forest, things would look a lot different.

“Typically they’d go through a block

“It looks like a cut block now with all this stuff on the ground, but I’m actually excited about where it’s going to go moving forward. Just the bird diversity alone is going to be interesting.”

start to green up,” Arsenault said. “You’re going to see these forwarding trails will be detectable for a little while but there won’t be a long term impact.”

The haul roads, of course, will leave a longer lasting scar, but balancing out that impact is the fact that the objective of the project—to remove the red and dead pines, with their canopy fuels and crown-fire

and his colleagues can bre easier come summer.

“A fast moving crown fire c

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AIN:

SHOWCASES TURE

een met. On February 28, three months of felling, ped. All of the designated uding the ones situated terly point of the Miette River, would have a e community— ed. The bulk of the involves hauling nd reclaiming the

will drop out of the canopy when it hits this stuff—these trees won’t carry a crown fire,” he said, pointing to an aspen stand which will soon be popping fresh buds.

crown fire close to town

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result of our history of fire suppression isn’t exactly natural. A century of extinguishing any blaze that sparked up has created an unbroken monoculture of pine trees, he said.

“You can’t really call that the natural state of this forest,” Argument agreed.

What will emerge in its stead, they explained, will be a more heterogeneous and ultimately more disease-resistant forest.

mmable canopy ed down, Argument

ues can breathe a little mmer.

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“Whenever you have this even-age monoculture in a forest it’s easy prey for the next forest insect to come through,” Argument said.

Speaking of easy prey, with their red-and-dead neighbours no longer standing beside them, some of the retained Douglas Firs and aspen will become susceptible to wind storms.

For that reason, the area will remain closed until enough time has passed that Parks Canada can determine that no significant safety hazard exists.

As Arsenault is explaining this, a truck hauling a skeleton car full of logs lumbers by. The truck will make its way down the Cabin Lake Fire Road, turn right onto Pyramid Lake Road and roll by the Jasper Legion and The Bear’s Paw Bakery before hitting the highway en route to Prince George, B.C. Along with the alterations to the landscape and the constant presence of smoke, the trucks are a surreal sight for Jasperites still getting used to the idea that the Mountain Pine Beetle Management Plan prescribes the use of mechanical harvesting “in areas where the prescribed burning window of opportunity does not open.”

The hauling will continue for some time yet, but once the machinery is gone, Argument, for one, is excited to witness the changes to the ecosystem.

While it’s tempting to lament the changes to the landscape, fire and vegetation specialist Landon Shepherd points out that the forest that exists in Jasper National Park as a

“It looks like a cut block now with all this stuff on the ground, but I’m actually excited about where it’s going to go moving forward. Just the bird diversity alone is going to be interesting.”

JASPER

780 852-2242

HINTON

780 865-1070

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page B5 // the jasper local //issue 141 // friday, march 15, 2019

local community //

Jasper ski racer ready to build off of strong season

talking about how awesome it was,” he said.

Although he had been on The 15-year-old recently returned skis since he from the Canada Winter Games was two-yearswhere he narrowly missed the podium in the slalom event, posted old, he’d never raced. a top-ten in the Super-G and was “My mom said leading the giant slalom until he it was up to me,” got a bit aggressive during his seche said. ond run and missed a gate.

These days, his “It was still pretty cool,” he said in between slurps of a hot chocolate at family is a big part of his sucthe SnowDome Café. “I was really cess. His mom happy with my GS run knowing it is one of three was possible to be up there.” coaches who Kertesz-Knight has been up there help him work all season, particularly in the on his form, slalom—his strongest event. He fitness and race JESSE KURTESZ-KNIGHT RETURNED FROM THE CANADA WINTER GAMES started the winter with a bang with day preparation. a win at Nakiska. As a result of that WITH GREAT RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNED // BOB COVEY His dad works on finish and a strong showing in the the World Cup GS, Kertesz-Knight was the first and flowy, with one big jump to “get He also is stoked to get the odd U-16 athlete to qualify for Team Al- tour. His brother, piece of advice from one of his light on.” And although his start berta’s alpine squad. Not long after 13, is following in his ski-steps. skiing idols, recently-retired Jasper time was near the back of the pack he qualified, fellow Jasperite Skylar As a family, they all watch quite a ski racer, 19-year-old Sam Wall. At and he had to ski a more rutted-out bit of tape— not just of they boys’ Shepherd made the team. the Canada Games, when Kerteszcourse, he kept his run clean.

He skiing, but the pros’, too. Just like “Qualifying for the team was the Knight grabbed the early lead in got eighth.

World Cup athletes, Kertesz-Knight original goal,” he said. the GS but then was disqualified “I managed to ski over the ruts and has a set race-day routine.

Kertesz-Knight has been setI think I just kind of gave ‘er a bit,” after he missed a gate in the second “I like to have fun and stay relaxed ting—and meeting—racing targets he laughed.

“I sort of let the skis heat, Wall told him, through a text until course inspection, then I try for nearly half of his life. His first run.” message, not to dive in and break it down, figure goal, one which he remembers The slalom to dwell on it. out the tough parts,” he said. clearly, was to earn a Jasper Junior course was “I told him I At the Canada Winter Games, Olympics t-shirt like some of his tough and totally know based in Red Deer this year, the “I remember in Grade 3 my schoolmates. tight—“but fun,” the feeling alpine events took place at Nakiska, friends came home from JJOs “I remember in Grade 3 my friends he said.

He knew of winning the same place he won earlier. Jesse came home from JJOs and they and they had these cool shirts he’d have to ski the first run had these cool shirts and they were said the Super G course was fast and they were talking about smooth and keep and skiing how awesome it was.” his feet quick. out on the After a strong second run, first run, after and to just which he sat think about in third place, the next one,” Kertesz-Knight played it a little Wall said. “He’ll get to that position safer. He carved over the ruts into again.” fifth.

Wall, who’s studying Enviromen“I was a bit more cautious,” he tal Science at university now that said of his second run. he’s hung up the racing bib, is in Although the ski racing season a unique spot to comment on this is winding down, Kertesz-Knight unique young skier. has high hopes for next year, “I’m super psyched for him and he’s when he’ll have the opportunity skiing really well.” to qualify for the FIS circuit.

Bob Covey// He’s excited to train, to study KURTESZ-KNIGHT COMPETING IN GIANT SLALOM//SUPPLIED bob@thejasperlocal.com more tape and to work with his coaches.

Jasper’s Jesse Kertesz-Knight is carving up the ski race circuit.

OLD SCHOOL //CHRIS DUNLOP SHARED SOME OF HIS MOUNTAINEERING STORIES, INCLUDING THE NAMESAKE OF THE “SAVE YOUR LOCAL GLACIERS” BANNER, AT THE JASPER MUSEUM COFFEE HOUR MARCH 5. // SUPPLIED // BOB COVEY

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local recreation //

friday, march 15, 2019 // issue 141 // the jasper local// page B6

--- MARCH -- MADNESS ---

JASPER’S MARK MAHLER (ABOVE) TOOK PART IN THE FIRST ANNUAL NORDIC FEST, HOSTED BY MULTISPORTS CANADA. // SUPPLIED

ON THE BUTTON // THE JASPER CURLING CLUB HOSTED THE LADIES BONSPIEL MARCH 7-9, IN WHICH 28 TEAMS COMPETED, INCLUDING A JUNIOR TEAM FROM HAYRIVER, NWT. JASPER RINKS MAY NOT HAVE COME OUT ON TOP IN THEIR RESPECTIVE DIVISIONS BUT ALL REPORTS INDICATE THEY WON THE AFTER-PARTY. // BOB COVEY

cafe CURRENT BEARCATS WERE CHECKING OUT THEIR ELDER STATESMEN DURING THE 2019 BEARCATS ALUMNI TOURNAMENT. // BOB COVEY

//

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