The Jasper Local June 1, 2020 by The Jasper Local

JASPER

The Local

ALTERNATIVE +

LOCAL + INDEPENDENT

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 // ISSUE 166

THE HOMESTRETCH // Jasper National Park is officially welcoming visitors back after the federal government suspended services due to COVID-19. The Jasper

thejasperlocal.com

Local is also back up and running after our own pause in operations. Mount Christie, meanwhile, was unfazed. // LADA D PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 166 // MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

EDITORIAL //

Local Vocal Two years ago, in concert with our five year anniversary, The Jasper Local conducted a poll. Along with asking what kind of content you’d like to see in these pages, we asked you if you’d be willing to kick in some of your own hard-earned money to support what we’re doing. We were encouraged by the feedback. We had many positive responses to suggest that adding a crowdfunding component to our revenue structure would be embraced by our readership. However, at that time it still felt awkward to ask. Thinking we could weather the storm, we shelved the idea and continued to plug away. Then, 2020 happened. Like many small businesses in Jasper, and indeed around the world, COVID-19 pulled the rug right out from under us. Our advertisers saw business levels collapse and subsequently, so did we. In response, we pressed pause on The Jasper Local to re-evaluate our business model. During the down time, we reflected on our journey. We asked ourselves if publishing this independent paper was worth it—to our readers, to our advertisers and to ourselves. It didn’t take long to have those questions answered. Words of encouragement poured in as readers from far and wide told us we were an important part of this community. We were humbled, to say the least, but it still didn’t fix the problem at hand. To get this paper to press, to pay our contributors and to put a bit of savings away, we knew we had to operate a little differently. We knew it was time to revisit the idea of a reader-supported newspaper. And so, here we are. Like other newspapers, we are asking for help from our most valuable partners: our readers. Like other newspapers, we’re feeling the strain of a fractured media landscape. Like other newspapers, we’re trying to do more with less. But we’re not like other newspapers. We aim to fill a role that traditional media neglects. And that is why we’re taking this bold step.

We want to tell your stories. We want to conduct journalism on your behalf. We want to showcase your community. But to do so, we need your help. To facilitate the goodwill of our supporters, we’ve set up a reader-funded subscription model via the folks at Patreon. By going to www.patreon.com/thejasperlocal, you will find different ways of making an impact. For the same price as a fancy coffee per month, for example, you can put a little pep in our step. Different “tiers” of support are rewarded with different benefits. We want to be accountable to you and reward your assistance. If you can help, we sincerely appreciate it. If you can’t, we absolutely understand. Either way, we’re happy to be back. Thanks for your support, Jasper. BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

The Jasper Local //

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// LOCAL COMMUNITY

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 // ISSUE 166 // The Jasper Local // PAGE A3

WELCOMING COMMITTEE

// Local officials collaborated on a virtual town hall meeting May 29 to announce the gradual re-opening of park services. The ZOOM meeting was open to the general

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PARK OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE GRADUAL REOPENING OF JASPER Local stakeholders are confident that now is the time to welcome visitors back to Jasper.

Tourism Jasper hosted a virtual town hall meeting on May 29 to demonstrate that Parks Canada, the Municipality of Jasper and Tourism Jasper are on the same page when it comes to gradually re-opening the park and community. “We want to thank visitors for delaying their visit,” said Doug Goss, Chair of the Board for Tourism Jasper. “This is your national park and our community. Please help us keep both safe and healthy.” Mayor Richard Ireland echoed Goss’ sentiments. “We started this journey unexpectedly and together; we shared this painful path together; and now it’s time to move forward together,” Ireland said. Ireland praised businesses and hotels who volunteered to remain closed in spite of Alberta’s

May 14 Phase One strategic relaunch. “These measures were necessary to ensure Jasper’s future as a destination,” he said. Jasper National Park revealed details of a June 1 resumption of services. The park will offer limited visitor access to basic services, including trailhead access, day use facilities, public toilets and boat launches. Local officials stressed the importance of visitors being prepared. “We are encouraging everyone considering a trip to Jasper to know what to expect and are encouraging people to bring their own COVID kit, including masks and hand sanitizer, Ireland said. All JNP camping facilities remain closed until at least June 21, 2020. Edith Cavell Road, Celestine Lake Road, Geraldine Lakes Road and the Miette Road, including the Miette Hot Springs, also remain closed. A full update on can be obtained on Jasper National Park’s website.

Ireland said with a gradual reopening comes the responsibility to greet our guests properly. “Let’s be kind. It has been a stressful time for everyone,” he said. “Guests have shown empathy and patience. Let’s reciprocate their patience and respect.” Helping businesses bounce back While Jasper prepares to reopen, local partner agencies have set up an Economic Recovery Task Force to help local businesses who have been hurt by COVID-19. A Business Engagement subcommittee aims to engage with local businesses then provide recommendations on strategies for safely and effectively welcoming visitors. All local businesses are invited to participate. The Jasper Employment and Education Centre, Commuity Futures West Yellowhead and the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce head up the subcommittee. To get involved, contact Nadon at cnadon@town.jasper.ab.ca or call 780 852 4724.

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 166 // MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

Cam Jenkins

COVID CHECK-IN

communicate the measures his company was putting in place to help his renters while also imparting the obligations the renters had. With nearly 200 tenants, communication proved to be a challenge. “It was hard to convey what we were trying to put in front of them as far as deferring rent,” he said. “We wanted to help.” His company gave tenants the option of deferring rent for several months. Some took up the offer. As of Monday, May 25, nearly everyone was caught up on their payments. The saving grace, of course, has been the Canada Emergency Response Benefits (CERB). When the temporary income support program rolled out, “people’s anxiety levels evaporated,” Jenkins said.

“Everyone was very polarized,” Jenkins said. “It was either super chill, ‘we’re all in this together,’ or they were lashing out. Nobody was in the middle.”

Anxieties over health and safety are a different matter. Jenkins said his company has followed the Building Owners and Managers Association’s (BOMA) pandemic guidelines, implementing an aggressive cleaning regiment in common spaces and surfaces—doorknobs, bannisters and the like. But as recommendations from experts seem to be rapidly evolving, Jenkins says Jasperites should be more worried about following another best practices guideline: the Golden Rule.

Except for Jenkins himself. He was in the middle of dozens of conversations, trying his best to

“I think we just have to be kind, and if a certain behavior is not for us, do our best to be respectful,” he said.

When the pandemic hit, life didn’t slow down for Cam Jenkins. The Jasper property manager and realtor was fielding panicked phone calls for weeks in mid-March and early April.

Tyler Carlton Tyler Carlton should be at his graduation right about now.

Ever since she came to Jasper in 1992, Jill Seaton has, on behalf of the Jasper Environmental Association, fought to help protect local wildlife. As a watchdog, whistleblower and researcher, Seaton has helped give harlequin ducks respite from rafts, she’s guarded important grasslands from RVs and she’s stood up for threatened species when business interests proposed putting a hotel at Maligne Lake.

He started his last year of high school traveling the world on a sailboat with 59 other students. Class Afloat is a full-year program, but Carlton grew up in Jasper and wanted to graduate with his lifelong peers. So, he returned after the fall semester. Now, after spending months on a ship where “it’s a party all the time,” Carlton is at home with just his family most of the time. “It’s a big difference,” he said with a smile.

So it’s only natural, then, that when asked to ref lect on her COVIDaffected community, the 90-year-old conservationist’s thoughts go first to the animals she’s worked so hard to defend.

Though he learns better in a classroom setting, online classes do have some benefits. “I definitely wake up later, which is a bonus,” he laughed. The flexible schedule also lets him get outside and hit the trails, something that school and working multiple jobs have prevented him from fully enjoying in the past. “I have friends in cities that, if they want to go outside, can either walk around downtown or drive way out for nature,” he said. “Living in Jasper, I can walk five minutes out of town and I won’t see anybody. That’s been the biggest positive, how

Jill Seaton

“I think this pandemic has been marvellous for the wildlife,” she offered. “The park needs to breathe.” much more I appreciate living here.” Carlton won’t take school, work, or life for granted after the pandemic. COVID will be in his memory, reminding him of the time when he would have loved to be able to leave the house for a day of school. For him, the best way for our community to reach “after the pandemic” together is to stay positive. “We need to not look at what’s going wrong, but what’s going right,” he said. “Everyone has been so supportive and willing to help each other. We’re succeeding in ways we didn’t expect. When other people know we can get through this and are looking at the positives, that’s what gives me hope.” // info@thejasperlocal.com

MEGAN WARREN

Seaton has been herself breathing a little easier these days, ever since the JEA made the decision, after 30 years of stewardship, to disband. Seaton hasn’t folded her environmental tent completely, of course; she continues to write and celebrate Jasper National Park under the banner of the Facebook group Jasper: A Wild Beauty, and she’ll happily explain how the proliferation of trails on the Pyramid Bench is undermining the most important wildlife habitat in the park. However, no longer will Seaton be on the front line of battles with Ottawa and business interests. “Our concerns about the vulnerable wilderness will be passed on to the Canadian public and to the regional and national NGOs,” she said. In the meantime, Seaton hopes that the last 11 weeks will teach those same Canadians the importance of relieving the constant pressure on Jasper’s magnificent wildlife. “I hope Parks Canada has learned something from this that it’s necessary for the wildlife to have less people around them.”

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 // ISSUE 166 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B2

COVID CHECK-IN

David Harrap

Unlike most Canadians, David Harrap wasn’t taken by surprise when COVID-19 bloomed on this nation’s doorstep. With a keen eye for current events, Harrap first saw signs of trouble as he took in reports of Chinese quarantine camps, Iranian mosque shutdowns and the infection of British cruise ships. It didn’t take a crystal ball to predict the tsunami would soon be crashing on our beaches, he figured, yet by mid-February, most governments in the west still hadn’t responded. “Those things should have been a wake-up call,” he said. Harrap, who is a regular contributor to these pages, lives on the top floor of the largest apartment complex in Jasper. At 74-years-old and statistically vulnerable to the virus, the Stay Home guidelines had him feeling imprisoned him in his bachelor suite. The building’s poor ventilation made every hallway a potential vector zone. He looked at every door handle as a hazard.

“I felt like I was living in a horror movie,” he said. The measures in Jasper National Park to discourage wilderness usage meant he couldn’t get up to his usual meanderings. Eventually, however, he did start venturing out. If you know Harrap’s penmanship you know his outings are not like the average septuagenarian’s. This time of year he’s typically gearing up for a multi-day solo camping trip to some remote valley. “My social distancing is with the grizzlies,” he said. Recently, Harrap set his sights on an unnamed peak off the Celestine Lake Road. This isn’t exactly a majestic mountain, as he describes it. For its somewhat unappealing nature, Harrap gave it a dubious distinction, rather than a triumphant tribute. “It’s a miserable looking peak involving a lot of bushwacking,” he said. “I named it Peak COVID-19.” Hopefully COVID has reached its peak. Harrap would much rather about worrying about bumping into a bear than fret about whether a fellow trail user is infected. And he’s concerned for other folks who are all alone. “We might be all in this together,” he said. “But we’re not all together in this.”

Willie Saunders

Willie Saunders is a Jasper musician and poet. In the early 1970s, when Jasper National Park hosted a Freecamp, the infamous federal government initiative designed to encourage young Canadians to see their country but which bloomed into a tent city of hippies, vagabonds and draft dodgers on the fringes of town, Willie served as camp “Mayor.” Along with a few other Freecamp f lower children, Saunders put down roots in Jasper and he’s been jamming, shuff ling and harmonizing in various bands, jams and troupes ever since. The COVID-19 pandemic is a drag, particularly for those who like to gather to enjoy music, but the pendulum will swing back, Saunders suggests. After all, “following the 1918 f lu we had the Roaring Twenties,” he said. To lift Jasperites’ spirits and to have an excuse to get out of the house, Saunders recently dug out one of his old songs which he thinks is appropriate for the current situation. He rounded up a couple of local songstresses to help him share the message and on May 20, belted out the lyrics in the parking lot of the Jasper Legion.

KNOW THE RISKS. MAKE A PLAN. GET A KIT.

Faith, Hope and Charity, by Willie Saunders Faith, in a new tomorrow/ Faith, in an end to sorrow/Faith, that there’s someone somewhere watching over me Hope, for the children’s future/ Hope, something you must nurture/ Hope, that the smoke will finally clear and I can finally see Charity, when we do something for someone and in return you don’t want nothing/ That’s what you call Charity

We’re getting back to basics

Are you and your family ready? KNOW THE RISKS If an evacuation is required during the COVID-19 pandemic, residents should try to be as self-sufficient as possible with transportation and accommodation, and be ready to look after themselves and their families for at least 72 hours. Reception centres and other supports will still be available but more difficult to operate due to COVID-19 public health restrictions.

MAKE A PLAN Get together with your family, update your emergency plan and make sure everyone understands what would happen and what to do in the event of a major emergency. If you need help to get out of your home, work with family, friends or Community Outreach Services to make a plan. Call 780-8522100 for assistance.

GET A KIT

Take comfort in the Syrahs classics.

Put together an emergency kit and keep it somewhere easy to get if you have to evacuate. You should also keep a full tank of gas and a second emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. Visit getprepared.ca, alberta.ca and www.jasper-alberta.com for more information and resources.

KNOW WHERE TO GET ACCURATE INFORMATION • Go to www.jasper-alberta.com/notifyme and subscribe to receive emergency alerts by text or email. • Download the Alberta Emergency Alert app on your phone and set your location to Jasper. • Check the Municipality of Jasper and Jasper National Park websites and social media feeds. • If you don’t use the internet, turn on the radio (any local station) and listen for emergency messages.

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 166 // MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

FEATURE // COVID CHECK-IN

Brett Ireland

To Brett Ireland, March 17 seems like a lifetime ago. That’s the date when Bear Hill Brewing shut down its operations due to COVID-19. Business at the company’s four breweries/restaurants, which together employ more than 300 staff, suddenly ground to a halt. To say Ireland and his fellow owners were freaking out would be putting it mildly. “That was the most stressed I’ve ever been,” Ireland laughed. Although the group had retail beer sales to offset their immediately flatlined revenue, that was hardly reassuring in the current situation. Their multi-million dollar company, 15 years in the making, was suddenly in serious financial jeopardy. Ireland spent the next four days glued to his phone while he and Bear Hill’s senior leadership team made contingency plans with banks, renegotiated payment terms with suppliers, begged rent forgiveness with their landlords and asked their general managers and remaining staff to go above and beyond the call of duty. “Our managers were told they were laid off but before that they had to facilitate staff lay offs, clean up and pack up anything perishable,” Ireland said. “They were absolutely amazing.” Eventually, the group stopped simply reacting to the ever-changing situation—which their various governing bodies could barely stay on top of themselves—and could instead start planning strategically. Their distilling company in Calgary began making hand sanitizer. They modelled best-and-worst-case financial scenarios based on projected re-opening dates. Finally, thanks to Ireland’s board work with the Alberta Brewers Association and the Alberta Hospitality Association, they took the

A lead on hammering out best practices in a pandemic-affected environment. “We wanted to do things above the requirements,” Ireland said. As such, on May 14, when Alberta moved forward with Phase 1 of its relaunch strategy, the Bear Hill properties opened their doors with unprecedented guest screening and track-and-trace measures. Now, before entering the restaurant, guests are obliged to have one member of their party leave their name and contact information (so in the event of a COVID-19 breakout they can be reached); guests’ temperatures are taken; and a staff member acts as a verbal screener. Inside the restaurant, plexiglass partitions separate booths; food and drink drop-off zones reduce touch points between guests and staff; and measures are in place so bathroom doorhandles are avoided. “Out of 500 people between three locations that first weekend, only one couple expressed they weren’t comfortable with providing their information and decided to leave,” Ireland said. When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and the Canadian economy shut down, Stark followed suit, temporarily closing one of her bakeries. But that move was premature, she said. Eventually, the federal government’s wage subsidy kicked in and she was able to re-hire some of her staff. She re-opened, albeit with less than a third of her regular workforce.

André Blanchette-Dubé

At the end of a regular work day at a Nelson ski hill, André Blanchette-Dubé received an email from his employer. The season was over due to COVID-19—two and a half weeks early. “It kind of left us in the lurch,” said Blanchette-Dubé. He and his partner returned to Jasper, where they planned to raft guide for the summer. The situation here wasn’t much better —the raft season still hasn’t started, nearly a month later than expected. After calling EI roughly 100 times a day for 3 and a half weeks and finally securing an income, he finds himself with a lot of time on his hands. “Normally I’d be working now, but I’m just twiddling my thumbs instead,” he said. “Maybe it’s not a bad thing for everyone to slow down a little bit, but I’m ready to get back to work.” The slowness has had some silver linings for Blanchette-Dubé. Along with a newfound passion for hand washing, this pandemic has given him a new perspective on what he can live without. “You reduce the unnecessary things you buy because you can’t go to the store,” he said. “With less disposable income, you realize how much you spend on stuff you don’t need.” With many out of work, he also sees people having more time to explore the outdoors. “You never have to wonder, ‘Do I have time to do that?’,” he said with a smile. “Because, yeah. Always.” Though he doesn’t foresee a particularly busy tourist season, Blanchette-Dubé is optimistic that the town will recover. “Something I’ve noticed from rafting is that tourism is cyclical,” he said. “You get bad summers. Then the next year, you get more business than you know what to do with. This is a bad summer. It’ll get better. I hope.” MEGAN WARREN // info@thejasperlocal.com

“Staying open is important to me. I want to provide year-round employment.”

Kim Stark Kim Stark is a doer, a selfproclaimed fixer. So when the owner of the Bear Paw and Other Paw Bakeries finds herself staring down a summer with predictions of rock-bottom visitation numbers in Jasper, she resolves to do something about it—to fix it as best she can. “I’m going to dig a hole to get out of this,” she says. “Because to me it’s a hole worth digging.” Stark will take a big hit to get through the year—but she’ll also take the opportunity to fine-tune her businesses. To create efficiencies. To learn. “I will do what it takes to not fail,” she said.

Stark is an optimist. When she hears Canada is facing 25 per cent unemployment, she thinks of the 75 per cent of people who still have a job. “Those are people that for the last two months haven’t been able to go anywhere, haven’t spent any money eating out, haven’t been able to come to Jasper. I think those people are really going to want to do that.” And if they don’t, she’ll keep digging.

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#103, 612 Conn

587.712.3205

Agnes Hisey

eing locked down in Alpine Summit eniors’ Lodge has been hard for Agnes isey, who loves long drives with her iends to see the mountains.

envy the locals who can just run up the trails and get ten by bears!” she laughed. She insists, however, that it isn’t arly as bad as being a child during the Blitz in England uring World War II. “We had to hide entire towns by nging blackout curtains in the windows!” she said. “I had easles then, and whooping cough, all those things you get ots for now.”

uckily, Hisey feels much safer in the Lodge, even in the idst of a pandemic.

Ross Derksen It was a sizeable risk for Ross Derksen and his wife Megan to take over Jasper’s Home Hardware. Ross had a good job with the municipality. He didn’t have much business experience. The learning curve would be steep. But the opportunity was exciting and as a self-described “people-person,” Ross thought he would thrive being out from behind a desk all day. That was until March 11, when the World Health Organization declared a worldwide pandemic. Derksen’s first day was March 9. “I thought ‘Am I going to have to lay off most of my staff?’” Derksen recalled. “I did not want that to be my staff’s first experience with me.” It wasn’t. Hardware stores were deemed essential. Now, 11 weeks into the job, Derksen not only has a good understanding of just how essential they are, but how that service is provided. “Our staff are committed to this community,” he said. “They’re the face of this store.” And business has picked up. Although it wasn’t that way at

first. Lumber sales, which make up a good chunk of Home Hardware’s business, were stagnant when Derksen took over. He was worried. It was all he could do to break even. But by mid-April, sales picked up. By and by, locals started coming into the store. Nice weather meant gardening supplies were soon selling out. Paint was flying off the shelves. Construction started back up, meaning lumber started moving again.

“The people of Jasper have been really loyal,” Derksen said. “We would have only been able to have one or two people working here if the locals didn’t step up.” Witnessing the local support has reaffirmed his decision to buy into the franchise. His farmer’s tan confirms he’s not sitting behind a desk. And he knows he still has a ton to learn. And yet: “Even though I have thousands of products to learn

Tahlon Sweenie Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club members were rewarded for their support of the club when they were granted exclusive access to the world-class track on May 29.

They take such good care of us. I feel terribly spoiled, like a d kid,” she said. Among residents, she says, the lockdown s made the community closer. “We’ve begun to feel like ne big family.”

Director of Golf Operations Tahlon Sweenie said the course overwintered great and the staff is excited to welcome golfers.

isey is the green thumb of the Lodge. This year, her tomato ant sale was such a success that all plants were gone before e sale officially began. “By the time they got them hauled ut there, they were gone!” she laughed. She suspects that the ndemic has shown people the value in growing their own od.

Taking direction from ABHS and the National Allied Golf Association, the club is enforcing a strict “park and play” policy, asking golfers to show up no more than 15 minutes before their scheduled tee time.

The biggest challenge for Hisey has been being unable to go sit her family.

like to be able to go and make their lives miserable for a eek,” said Hisey. “That I miss a lot.”

ntil she will be able to see them again, she finds hope in e strength of the Jasper community. “They’re so kind and nsiderate of each other,” she said “They won’t have any ouble getting through this together.”

GAN WARREN // info@thejasperlocal.com

Our staff are committed to his community...and the eople of Jasper have been eally loyal.” - ROSS DERKSEN

nkful to be a part and supportive ring this time.

mazing work, Jasper!

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DERKSEN’S STAND IN MODEL, PERRY

“The course looks amazing and we’ve got all of the protocols in place to make sure guests are safe,” he said.

“For local members we’re suggesting they give themselves a bit of leeway to pass through the checkpoint at the Archway,” Sweenie said. (The Fairmont JPL is conducting basic COVID-19 screening for those entering the property.) Once they arrive at the course, signage will help golfers adapt to the new normal. One player per cart, for example, and no walk-up tee times. “We’re asking for guests and members to book their tee times in advance and for the names of all players in their group,” Sweenie said. Other than that, it’s pretty much playtime as usual. A Locals Rate of $99 will be extended through the summer. “We’re excited,” Sweenie said. “It’s nice to be back.”

Jubane Bekithemea Jubane Bekithemea was one of the few people in Jasper who didn’t have any kind of COVID work stoppage. On the contrary, as Jasper’s Purolator courier, Bekithemea was being relied on even more to deliver packages to people’s homes. Although commercial business dipped right off the bat, residential deliveries went up. “We took extra precautions—more hand sanitizer, keeping our distance, wearing a mask—but we’ve continued to work,” Bekithemea said. Soon after the pandemic was declared, online shopping in Jasper increased, he noticed. Meal-delivery orders such as Hello Fresh also spiked. Those trends continue. Commercial business, meanwhile, is starting to pick up again. And so have his interactions with customers. People aren’t as anxious as they were two months ago, he said. Folks are beginning to smile a little more. “I’m mostly confident that this will pass,” he said.

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 166 // MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020

COVID CHECK-IN

Brent Best For 10 years, Jasperite Brent Best worked for CN. One day, he decided he needed a change. Best was drawn to traditional barbering. It was hands on, looked cool and seemed to suit what he was looking for. So he took a chance. He went to barber school. Eventually, he got hired in Jasper. He took more courses, acquired more skills. Three years into his practice, he had another opportunity. His boss was selling the business. So he took another chance. He bought it. “I worked really hard,” he said. “I put everything I had into opening the business up.” But the COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas. Just as soon as he opened his doors

he was forced to close them. “I was definitely stressed, but I kept optimistic. You can be sorry for yourself or you can pick up the pieces.” He has picked up the pieces. Each day Best was closed he did something to improve the business. He wanted to make sure he gave himself the best chance to succeed when he finally did open. That day has come. Red Pass Barber on Patricia Street is currently taking appointments. And although it hasn’t been easy, the pride Best takes in his newly-opened shop is evident. The fact that he’s not alone in this situation helps him stay positive. “Everyone’s facing this struggle right now. Not just me.”

And in will be the cleaning protocols, temperature checks, social distancing controls and masks.

Lisa Daniel Lisa Daniel thrives under pressure. That’s good, because as the manager of Jasper’s Wildflowers Childcare Centre, lately, there’s been no shortage. On May 26, council approved approximately $102,000 to be put towards Wildflowers and Out of School Care, much to the relief of Jasper parents who were facing heavy strains themselves of trying to re-enter the workforce with seemingly no childcare options. With the new resources, Daniel and her reduced team are pushing to open by June 8. And although early education will retain many of the hallmarks of a pre-COVID world—namely caring, attentive staff and a welcoming, inclusive environment—many aspects of how the daycare provides that care will change. Gone will be toys, learning tools and items that can’t be cleaned. No more water table, no more sand station, no sticks, no carpets, no rugs.

Daniel and her staff will ease the kids into the new normal. She’s confident the staff’s love for the children will override any anxieties the little learners might have. “The staff are excited to come back to work. They all miss the kids and are ready for the challenge,” she said. To comply with ABHS protocols, the daycare will only be able to welcome 24 children when they open. Because parents’ working situations are rapidly changing, because the restrictions mean families can’t share a spot and likely because fees are set to go up in July ($1,134 from $550 per month), the demand for care hasn’t yet outpaced supply. “We haven’t had to turn anyone down yet.” Daniel is working with Glenda MacDowell and the Jasper Activity Centre to see how they can reinstitute the lunch and snack program. As with everything, time will tell. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Supporting our Seniors

Happy Seniors Week June 1 – 7, 2020

Ryan Tisado Despite a relatively slow, tourist-free May, COVID has added a ton of curveballs to Ryan Tisado’s job as TGP’s Grocery Supervisor that can feel overwhelming—a strict limit on the number of shoppers in the store, constant and thorough cleaning, and, of course, masks and gloves for employees. For Tisado, the new grocery store regulations are essential to help the Jasper community through this pandemic. “We’re getting used to it—you need to adjust,” he said. “That’s what’s going on in the community. That’s the only thing you can do. You need to adjust.” The slowness of this season has put life in a new perspective for Tisado. In the ten years he has lived in Jasper, he hasn’t taken time to really enjoy the beauty of the Park in summer. “I like to be here close to nature, but mostly we can’t enjoy the summer a lot because we work,” said Tisado. “Now, on my days off, we’re enjoying the outdoors, but also trying to stay home as much as possible. We’re thinking that we should have enjoyed it before this happened.” Tisado’s family is in the Philippines, where the COVID situation is quite different from here. He calls them weekly to check in, and says that those conversations give him hope. “I always ask how they’re doing, how they’re coping,” he said. “They’re doing good. Talking to them keeps me going.”

On behalf of Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge and The Evergreens Foundation

For Tisado, hope is the way through this pandemic. Well, hope and a respect for social distancing and mask-wearing regulations. “If people follow those guidelines, if everybody coordinates for the good of the community, I think we’re going to be ok,” he said. “I’m not losing hope that we’re going to be ok soon.” MEGAN WARREN // info@thejasperlocal.com

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 // ISSUE 166 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B6

COVID CHECK-IN

John Auger

John Auger, a fourth grade teacher at Jasper Elementary School, had just finished preparing the next day’s lessons when he heard the news: the school was closing due to COVID. “I stepped into the office to say goodbye to the principal and vice principal,” he said. “They said, ‘We are not in school tomorrow.’ I said, ‘Pardon?’” The first two weeks were “nuts.” It was a quick turnaround. Teachers were told to

Nancy Robbins

It’s been a tough couple of months for Nancy Robbins. As the general manager of Community Futures West Yellowhead, Robbins was used to helping business owners through difficult situations, but what she experienced in mid-March left her and her staff reeling. Hour after hour, day after day, they fielded phone calls and emails from panicked community members, distraught that their businesses were going under, terrified that what they’d worked their whole careers on was going down the tubes. “It feels like it’s been eight months,” Robbins said. Keeping their fingers on the pulse of the Prime Minister’s briefings and watching vigilantly for any signs of light in terms of forthcoming government support, Robbins would immediately pass on news to CFWY’s rapidly expanding client list. Sometimes, nothing could be done. The hardest days have been when people have decided to close their doors.

classroom. In addition to more brainstorming project ideas with colleagues and a better handle on online teaching resources, online classes mean that students work at their own pace. While this is challenging for students who really need one-on-one help to succeed, this independence “lets them succeed—or fail, to a certain extent—on their own.” Auger is doing a lot of learning himself during the transition to online classes. That, he says, could be an advantage for the students. “For students to see teachers learning alongside them, that’s very empowering,” said Auger. “They feel that they can take chances and make mistakes. It makes them feel good about their learning, not fearful of it.”

“It’s difficult at the best of times if someone has to shut down but during these times it’s even harder,” she said. At the same time, people have shown gratitude for the help. “We have emotional attachments to the people in our communities,” she said. After the initial state of shock, the CFWY office was primarily helping people navigate government supports. Next, they were assisting with the Alberta relaunch strategy. Now it’s more about implementing health and safety protocols. But sometimes there’s simply not enough information to go on, Robbins said. “The hardest thing in this job is telling people ‘I don’t know what to do,’” she said. Regardless, Robbins and CFWY are there to help. She implores people to reach out for assistance with the government’s emergency loans, for the regional relief and recovery fund or just for advice. “Just call us. We’re here when you want to talk,” she said.

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set up and practice using a virtual classroom (most use Google Classroom) and to start preparing for online classes. Everyone was unsure how long it would last—some thought one week, some thought one month. Nobody expected it would last the rest of the school year. Like the rest of us, working from home affects students variably—some thrive, while others lose motivation. Auger sees this in his own kids, too. Some days, a two-hour class is way too much for his kindergarten-age daughter to sit through. Even his normally upbeat threeyear-old has been getting what the family calls “COVID attitude,”—uncharacteristic whininess throughout the day. Still, Auger sees “a lot of positives” for his

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The Jasper Local June 1, 2020

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The Jasper Local June 1, 2020