ALTERNATIVE +
LOCAL + INDEPENDENT
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021 // ISSUE 190
FOOTLOOSE AND FANCYFREE // Scrambler’s-eyeview of Abraham Lake in Alberta’s David Thompson Country. // LADA D PHOTOGRAPHY
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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 190 // TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021
EDITORIAL //
Local Vocal One thing that remains true in Jasper is that it’s a tough place to stick around. The housing situation, the lack of career options and the remoteness from family and friends all factor in to many folks’ decision to eventually ship out. It can be expensive to live here, too. It’s tough on those families and individuals who have to pull up roots and start afresh and it’s also difficult for those who have to say farewell to a seemingly endless parade of friends. I understand now the hesitation I encountered from some people to become too close—it hurts too much to have to be constantly saying goodbye. Despite this, I think the stronger argument is that the time you spend with people who you become close to is worth it, even if those relationships will someday be connected by long distances. What’s that old saying? It’s not goodbye…it’s see you later. We interviewed Rico and Ray Naito this issue as they prepare to move from Jasper to Kimberly, B.C. Over the years I’ve done similar “farewell” stories on friends and community members who I thought deserved a nice send-off, but truthfully, there have been way more folks who’ve come and gone that I didn’t profile. I regret not being able to document more Jasper families’ departure stories but that’s just the way it goes. While it feels somewhat disingenuous to suggest that we’ll keep in contact with all of our friends who move on and start new lives elsewhere, I’m heartened by the fact that it’s at least possible, with some effort on both sides. In Rico and Ray’s case, I know we’ll be driving through Kimberly at least twice a year to visit my parents, so I hope Ray knows I’m serious when I tell him to seek out a good fly fishing hole, because I’ll be arriving with my rod stringed and ready to go. What feels more permanent, in terms of goodbyes, is the proposed destruction on either side of the Rocky Mountains these days. If you haven’t briefed yourself on the Alberta government’s determination, in the face of all kinds of public outcry, to mine the headwaters of the Rockies’ Eastern Slopes, I don’t know where you’ve been. Do the future a favour and read up on what could be our generation’s most lasting legacy: inaction on a dire threat to our most important resource. Out west, a proposal of a different type has come to fruition, but the argument can be made that there is equal cause for alarm. A Prince George logging
company has designs on punching a road through protected lands to access Robson Valley old growth. This is another critical environmental issue that’s mired in bureaucracy and complexities but which should not be ignored for the threat it will pose to sensitive wildlife and fish habitat. We offer a shallow dive into the topic on the adjacent page. To learn more about this developing story please check out our colleagues’ coverage at the Rocky Mountain Goat. It’s one more reason to support local journalism. Some things in Jasper will never really change: saying so long to good people who for whatever reason couldn’t make it work here is a burden long time residents seemingly have to bear. But saying goodbye to ecosystems, hundred-year-old forests and critical habitat shouldn’t feel inevitable. There’s never a better time than right now to learn about the issues that are happening right next door to our national park and there’s never a better time than now to find your voice and make it heard. BOB COVEY // thejasperlocal@gmail.com
The Jasper Local //
Jasper’s independent alternative newspaper 780.852.9474 • thejasperlocal.com • po box 2046, jasper ab, t0e
Published on the 1st and 15th of each month Editor / Publisher
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// LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021 // ISSUE 190 // The Jasper Local // PAGE A3
Adventurers Will Blum and Dan Durston hiked and rafted the Raush Valley in 2019. No access roads into the intact wilderness exist currently, but a proposal to log the upper reaches would change that. // Dan Durston
Logging proposal threatens Robson Valley old growth forest A proposed logging road through a pristine Robson Valley, B.C. watershed has reignited a longstanding campaign by local residents to get the entire Raush River area protected from development.
The Raush is a wildlife corridor between Wells Gray Park and the upper Fraser River which hosts endangered chinook salmon, acts as a wildlife corridor, and feeds the Fraser River headwaters. As an intact valley, it is the largest intact tributary to the Fraser that is not protected, says Roy Howard of the Dunster, B.C.-based Fraser Headwaters Alliance. Currently, two isolated patches of the Raush are Protected Areas, totalling 6,667 hectares of the 101,000-hectare watershed. “There’s never been logging,” Howard said. “It’s definitely old growth in the valley bottoms. It’s still intact, that’s the main thing.” But that may soon change. Maps distributed to Raush stakeholders show a proposal by Prince George-based Carrier Lumber to build roads through one of the protected areas to access unprotected forests further into the watershed. Current land use terms restrict
the protected areas from resource development, but allow road-building, and the potential development has triggered push back from some local residents. “What are they protected from if they can still log them? Or go through them to log?” said Devanee Cardinal, whose family runs Cardinal Ranch in Dunster. In an interview last fall, Carrier Lumber president Bill Kordyban expressed frustration with the changing demands for protected areas. “There’s been this war in the woods for years and years,” he said. “Once an area gets protected, then the focus goes on to another area. Then that area gets protected, and the focus gets moved to another area.” The latest move to develop the Raush comes at the same time the Province of B.C. is reviewing land use planning processes, developing a B.C.-wide watershed security strategy, and designing a wild salmon recovery program. Seven species of salmon spawn in the Fraser River. In the Raush, at least three First Nations have laid territorial claim to land in the watershed. During the transition period of implementing the Declaration
of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, it’s unclear how, or to what level, Carrier is obligated to consult with First Nations. Former tree planter and the current part owner of a small portable sawmill, Dunster resident Rob Mercereau, says some ecosystems should be saved as study areas to provide ecological blueprints, including genetic seeds and grafting stock of naturally-occurring ecosystems. “The Raush is as close as we have to fulfilling that need. (Almost) everything else in the Robson Valley has been greatly altered by road building and logging.” Mercereau believes logging should be selective and stop targeting old growth in forests like the Raush. Once the old growth is gone, the forestry industry will be forced to change direction with what they are cutting, he said. “In the meantime, the primal forest is collateral damage because they don’t have the foresight to plan ahead and retool now.” FRAN YANOR // LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE //
Fran@thegoatnews.ca
This story was abridged from the original piece in The Robson Valley Goat.
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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 190 // TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021
LOCAL ADVENTURE
Hazel’s Helper paddling through back aches and boat wakes Hatto is feeling the long days in the canoe. His back aches, his hips are stiff. He’s taken to simply rolling out a bivy sack when the weather is agreeable instead of going through the labours of setting up his tent at the end of the day. “It’s just so much quicker,” he said.
Jasper’s David Hatto is two weeks into his 28-day journey on the North Saskatchewan River. The pace is slower than he anticipated but he’s making news headlines. // PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBAL NEWS
On June 13, Jasper’s David Hatto was about to start making dinner on a riverbank just past Fort Saskatchewan. He had just set up his tent after a long day battling headwinds and cross currents in the name of parents who have lost their infant children. Hatto is paddling the North Saskatchewan River to raise money for Hazel’s Heroes, an organization started by his daughter-in-law to offer support to grieving parents. But it hasn’t been easy. “I’m very tired today,” he said.
He has also has been surprised by the slow pace of the river. Wide and flat along the prairie, the North Saskatchewan moves agonizingly slow for a man who wants to paddle 1,400 kms in 28 days. “It’s like a slow moving lake,” he said. “It’s frustrating because I’m anxious to get where I want to go.” What’s more frustrating—and oftentimes, downright frightening—is sharing the river with powerboats, the wakes of which create roiling, threatening waves. Jet boating is a popular activity on the North Saskatchewan, but as far as Hatto can tell, the majority of the boaters have little regard for canoeists.
In windy conditions—which Hatto is discovering the North Saskatchewan River Valley is prone to—keeping his 17-foot canoe moving in the right direction is proving more difficult than he anticipated. As a solo paddler, he has to constantly correct his course, which means he can never simply float along.
“I don’t think they’ve got a clue what their wake does to a canoe,” he said.
“The wind seems to channel along the river valley,” he said. “It can really throw me around.”
“There’s no sense being stubborn and injuring myself,” he said.
Still, the 78-year-old is pressing on, although he is reassessing his original goal of reaching Cumberland House, Saskatchewan. Instead, Hazel’s Helper said he’ll likely take out at the end of the month.
Despite the challenges, Hazel’s Helper has found plenty of help, himself, on his ambitious paddling expedition. Seven days into his journey, he was looking for a campsite at a boat launch he was familiar with near Devon. But the boat launch had been moved, and Hatto was beginning to worry if he’d be able to land his heavy canoe. He noticed dog walkers and campers along the shore, and no sooner did he ask after the boat launch did they help him get set up at the new take-out. After he inquired about a massage for his weary muscles, a local therapist gifted him a treatment. And the next day, after taking shelter from the pouring rain at the campground’s laundromat, some dog walkers he had met earlier left him a hot meal—a welcome reprieve from the daily freeze-dried fare he’s become accustomed to. “That went down pretty well,” he said. Hatto’s also received a bit of navigational guidance from former Jasperite and fellow North Saskatchewan solo paddler, Mike Donnelly, who has advised him on potential sand bars on which to make camp, for example. And his partner and biggest supporter, Hatto’s wife, Jenny, is helping with the Hazel’s Helper blog. But although he’s accepted help when it’s been offered, there’s no mistaking this as anything but a solo expedition. Occasionally, it occurs to him just how ambitious this project really is. “Not too many 78-year-olds are doing this,” he said. For updates on Hatto’s journey visit Hazels-helper. com or go to hazelsheroes.ca to learn how to help families affected by SIDS. BOB COVEY // thejasperlocal@gmail.com
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TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021 // ISSUE 190 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B2
LOCAL INDUSTRY
Bike boom, industry shortages have shops in high gear The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting Jasperites where it hurts—on their bikes. If would-be cyclists thought they’d kickstart their new pandemic fitness routine by trying to get on the trails with a new mountain bike, or by fixing up an old classic, they might be in for a rude awakening. Parts shortages have paralyzed the supply chain for the bike industry and local bike shops are among the thousands of retail outlets across the country having to give their customers the bad news: Bikes are sold out and the most common parts are on back order, with monthslong timelines before they are due to arrive. “We have been getting calls from everywhere in Alberta and B.C., people trying to track down any store that has a bike,” said Marc Vien, local wrench turner and the sales manager at Jasper Source For Sports. “It’s frustrating trying to help customers out when you can’t.” Vien has bikes—it’s just that they’re all spoken for. With the exception of the highest-end machines and a handful of entry-level hardtails, as soon as Source For Sports is able to place an order, they are scooped up. Over at Vicious Cycle, mechanic Shane Lavery is begging patience from his customers. He, too, is trying his best to solve problems, but there’s only so much he can do. “This is a global issue,” he said. “Base materials like copper and aluminium are in short supply. Factories are backlogged and we’re experiencing the trickle-down effect.” Source materials is one thing, but reductions in labour due to COVID protocols is another. Vien said Shimano and SRAM, the massive multinationals which manufacture components for most bike brands, simply can’t churn out the parts fast enough, be it chains, derailleurs, cranksets or seat post bolts. “Right now we’re getting to the bottom of the shelf,” Vien said. Randall Riddell, owner of The Bench Bike Shop, is faring a little better, partly because he’s such a small shop that deals exclusively with Kona and Salsa, two “fairly nimble” brands that serve a niche market. Moreover, because he strictly sells bikes and bike-related accessories, Riddell kept a watchful eye on the industry over the winter when other shops were perhaps focused on their other retail segments.
“I don’t know how many hours we spent just checking for stock,” Riddell said. “As soon as we saw the lead-times changing we tried to order as much as we could.” Still, he’s been waiting on normally-common items—11speed chains, for example—since last August. And it’s
more gentle on your equipment and to keep it clean. “Recognize if you break something, we might not be able to fix it,” he said. Vien, too, hopes that if anything comes out of this bike boom, it will be a new appreciation for the value of a
PUTTING IN LONG SHIFTS // Shane Lavery of Vicious Cycle, The Bench’s Randall Riddell and Marc Vien from Jasper Source for Sports have had to adapt to backlogs and sold-out stock in the bike industry. They are begging patience from their customers and suggesting they go easy on their equipment, just in case. // BOB COVEY
risky to overstock, especially in a weak economy. “I’m carrying way more inventory that I would ever want to,” he said. “But we have to.” Lavery is finding work-arounds, too, but besides asking them for patience, he also wants to empower his customers to troubleshoot their bike problems themselves. He hopes to run a course or two on basic bike maintenance, but in the meantime, suggests being a little
skilled mechanic. “We don’t want to be jerry-rigging anything,” he said. “We want to get people back out riding, but in a safe way that’s going to work for them.” BOB COVEY // thejasperlocal@gmail.com
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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 190 // TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021
STORY BY BOB COVEY // ILLUSTRATIONS BY RICO
IT’S NOT GOODBYE, IT’S SEE YOU L Creative couple pulling up Jasper
Jasper will soon be a little less creative and a little less crafty. After nine years, Satoko (Rico) and Ray Naito are heading to a new community. Rico has become well known in Jasper for her multidisciplinary art. Her One Line Drawings have etched themselves on the community and her contributions to various
protected.” Parks Canada’s business license regulations require that all businesses must have a specific reason to be located in the community. Without an adjoining restaurant, for example, Ray’s plan to brew beer doesn’t qualify.
TIL NEXT TIME // Ray, Rico and Hana Naitao. The famil pendent brewing. The community has been very suppo
businesses, festivals and exhibitions have created a unique artistic space. Her husband’s talents have been less obvious to the community at large but anyone who has sampled specialty beers at the Jasper Brewing Company will have been privy to his handiwork.
Authentic, Homemade Mexican Food Pop-up shop at Coco’s Cafe Fridays & Saturdays 5:30-9PM Weekly specials Tacos, Sopes & more! The Catrinas “Mexican Food” thecatrinasjasper Order online @ thecatrinas.ca
Ray is a passionate brewer and wants to branch out on his own but Jasper National Park’s unique rules for manufacturing businesses won’t allow him to start a brewery here. He’s disappointed, but looking forward to new opportunities in Kimberly, B.C. “I would have loved to stay in Jasper,” Ray said. “But I understand why the rules are the way they are. They want to keep it
“I have had such support from [Jasper Artists Guild]. I love them a lot; they’re like family.” For her part, Rico is excited to see another part of Canada. She is looking forward to being inspired by another community and its surrounding environment much in the same way she was captivated by Jasper in 2009. She hopes she’ll be welcomed similarly, but isn’t so sure. Her reception in Jasper has been very special, she said. “I have had such support from [Jasper Artists Guild],” she said. “I love them a lot; they’re like family.” Rico and Ray’s own small family grew three years ago, when their daughter Hana was welcomed into the world. Where Rico used
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LATER: r roots
to find artistic inspiration in nature, since 2018, Hana has been her muse. “I draw Hana a lot,” she laughed. Ray, too, has used his daughter’s namesake to get his creative juices f lowing. His Hana Banana Hibiscus
ly is leaving Jasper to pursue Ray’s dream of indeortive of their artistic pursuits. // BOB COVEY
Lager was one of the first brews that propelled him to take the next step into independent brewing. Now, in a beer market that’s f looded with craft ale, Ray is differentiating his nascent company by entering the gluten-free sector. It’s an untapped market that he believes is only going to grow. “One per cent of the population is affected by celiac disease,” Ray said. “But I think that number will go up. My beer is a niche product but I think it can grow to a good share of the market.” Whereas Rico is outgoing and social— perhaps a product of her trade—Ray is reserved by nature. His ideal days off are spent alone at a mountain lake with a fishing rod. His wife, meanwhile, loves the energy she gets from a crowd—like when she puts on an exhibition, or when selling her art at
the Jasper Farmers’ Market. So grab a print before this unique family is gone and sometime in the future, be on the lookout for a pint from Surprise Point Brewing—an homage to Jasper, the place that first called Rico and Ray one of their own. ________________________________ BOB COVEY
// thejasperlocal@gmail.com
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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 190 // TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021
LOCAL RECREATION
GREENER PASTURES // The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is experiencing the same heightened demand as other golf courses across North America. At left, staffer Natalie Ray gets a round in on her day off, head pro Troy Mills on his favourite tee box and junior golfer Donovan Fawcett mid-backswing. // BOB COVEY
Golf a draw while other pandemic-affected sports fade Golf is booming across North America, and there’s no exception to that rule at Canada’s fifth best course (as ranked by Golf Digest), the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
To get locals on the links, JPL has been promoting special rates for Jasperites, as well as monthly and halfseason member passes. The result has been a big uptick in membership sales, Mills said.
COVID-19 gave golf a massive shot in the arm in 2020 as sports enthusiasts who’d normally spend their summer playing baseball, soccer or summer hockey, flocked to golf. Despite the lockdowns in April and May of last year, golf rounds were still up by more than 50 per cent across the country, according to a National Golf Course Owners Association survey.
For Mills, who first came to the Fairmont JPL 12 years ago, landing the head pro gig has been a dream come true.
Here in Jasper, it was much of the same, according to JPL’s newly-minted head golf professional, Troy Mills. Tee times were booked solid all summer. “Last year we broke a 95-year record for revenue in July and August,” Mills said. “Golf was the only game going, and people were coming out in droves.” This year is already looking to be another record setter. The Fairmont JPL put through 5,300 rounds of golf in May, 3,000 of which were played by club members. “That’s despite 15 or 16 frost delays and one snow day,” Mills said.
“I think a lot of people are seeing the benefits of golf to their mental and physical health,” he suggested.
“When I first stepped on the property in May of ’09 I made it my goal to someday become the head pro,” he said. “I’m honoured to be in this spot.” By far Mills’ favourite spot on the golf course is on the elevated back tees of hole number 9, Stanley Thompson’s legendary par three. The dramatic drop-off, suggestive bunkering (evoking a shapely Cleopatra) and Pyramid Mountain backdrop makes it the best par three in golf, according to the Perth, Ontario native. “Thompson gives you a couple options, but you’ve got to be precise with your shot,” the lefty said. Mills and the team at JPL will be passing on similar shot advice, but more importantly, golf etiquette
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lessons, at the upcoming Future Links Program, a five-week golf school for junior ball strikers. Debuting June 20, the program will coach juniors on things like skills, hand-eye coordination and practice routines, but also on respect, integrity and honesty. “We want these future members to know not only how to play golf but how to act on the golf course,” Mills said. Following the success of the club’s World Women’s Golf Day, wherein 55 participants improved their game thanks to retired golf pro Brenda Dew, the JPL will soon start up member clinics and Men’s and Ladies’ nights. For Mills, it all represents an opportunity to grow the game—a blessing in an otherwise tumultuous year-and-a-half. “Our superintendent of golf and his assistant has the place in amazing shape, here in the pro shop we’re back to teaching again and we’ve got an incredible membership to share the golf course with. I’d say we’re very privileged to be where we are.” BOB COVEY // thejasperlocal@gmail.com
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LOCAL WILDLIFE
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021 // ISSUE 190 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B6
BABY BEARS, BABY BEARS, WHAT DO YOU SEE? // These adorable grizzly siblings are brand new to Jasper National Park. If you see them, give them lots of space and like our resident wildlife image snapper, Simone Heinrich, capture any photos with a long (telephoto) lens. // SIMONE HEINRICH