a lt e r n a t i v e + l o c a l + i n d e p e n d e n t //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
thejasperlocal.com
saturday, august 1, 2015 // issue 54
SUMMER SCREE SKI // JASPER’S JESSICA REED NAVIGATES HER WAY DOWN THE SLOPES OF OPAL HILLS. // RON WOROBEC
Small step for airport security, giant leap for regional economy INDUSTRY PRESSURE AND LOCAL LOBBYING HAS HELPED THE EDSON AIRPORT TAKE A NECESSARY FIRST STEP TOWARD ACCEPTING COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS.
A regulatory change from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will allow Edson the opportunity to have security screening at its airport. Obtaining the authorization was a significant hurdle in giving Edson the capability to accept commercial air traffic. The move can only mean long-term benefits for Jasper, according to Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland. Tourism’s predicted share of the commercial passenger market is approximately 15 per cent, with plenty of room for growth. “It’s really exciting. Locally, this effort has been going on for a long time,” Ireland said. Members of various incarnations of Jasper’s local chamber of
commerce and town committees have been calling for regional commercial flight capabilities for more than two decades. Whereas in the past the hope was that the Hinton airport could start accepting small carriers or charters, now the focus is on taking the next steps toward scheduled flights from larger airlines. “We will go back to the airlines to see how they can be enticed to fly a new scheduled service into Edson,” Ireland said. Exactly how the security screening will operate and who will pay for what has yet to be determined. It is also likely that the airport will require significant physical upgrades to accommodate a different type of traveller. The mayor said the airport’s new status was the result of collaboration, with the resource industry based in the Edson area spearheading the initiative and the tourism stakeholders piggy backing on those efforts. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
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editorial //
page A2 // the jasper local // issue 54 // saturday, August 1, 2015
Local Vocal ALTHOUGH THE HOT-BUTTON ISSUES SURROUNDING THE USE OF STRAVA AND OTHER RIDE-OR-RUN-KEEPING TECHNOLOGY ARE WORTH DISCUSSING, the real powder keg, in my mind, is something that we didn’t get to in our article (page B2): the fact that Strava has the potential to spill the beans on our local trails. Let me be perfectly clear: I’m not talking about closed or illegal trails. I’m talking about the Wildland Trails that, while “official,” aren’t part of any trail map handed out at the Visitor Centre. These are the Water Towers, the Razorbacks and the Ganges of our amazing trail system—all of the “in-between” routes that the local cycling, hiking and running communities are privy to and more importantly, worked hard to have access to (to be certain, the bulk of that work fell onto the broad shoulders of a few individuals). And now a bunch of armour-wearing DHers are going to discover all these special spots and the next thing we know there’ll be a line up at the top of Fire Escape! Allow me to explain. Strava lets people upload a GPS track of their ride (or run) to the internet; anyone signed up for the service can view it. This isn’t a problem when the rides are taking place on roads or numbered trails. It becomes an issue when Strava is recording on trails that are…OK I’ll say it…local. There’s that powder keg. Many trails communities have certain tracks that they hold dear. It’s nothing personal, Joe Smartphone, it’s just that I feel closely connected to these places and want them to maintain their special status. Whether I discovered them on my own or was shown the way by a friend, there’s value in finding them the old fashioned way—in going through a initiation process, so to speak. Turning on your mobile device and making a few swipes is no way to become a Wildland key holder. Instead, to discover a Magic Ridge, one should have to work their way into that somewhat-secret-sphere. Now I’m aware I sound like a bit of an old coot. I realize I’m not being very hip with the times. And of course this may all be too late—I’m pretty sure I saw most of the Wildland Routes listed last time I checked Strava (for research purposes only!). But for the sake of our local trails—and believing wholeheartedly that visiting riders and runners would be just as protective of their home turf—the next time you’re heading out on a Wildland Trail, turn your phone off. The technology isn’t going away. But your favorite trails might! bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
False Flag Epidemic Dear Editor, Are you puzzled by the never-ending barrage of terrorism stories? Have you found yourself wondering who benefits from all these acts of violence? Does it make sense that Muslims would be the perpetrators, causing them to simultaneously become the targets of the “War on Terror”? Dr. Kevin Barrett, one of the world’s leading free thinkers, is coming to Jasper. His book “We Are NOT Charlie Hebdo: Free Thinkers Question the French 9/11”, caused him to be barred from entering Canada recently. The border agency invented a false FBI charge to turn him away. Fortunately, this fiasco has been cleared up since then, however it is abundantly clear that the authorities have
something to fear in his book. George Orwell said “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” One of the contributors to the book, Canadian Professor Anthony Hall will be accompanying Kevin Barrett, and will discuss our own falseflag event, the Ottawa shootings of October 22, 2014. That event became justification for Bill C-51, taking us down the road towards police state. These two giants in the truth movement are working tirelessly for peace and justice. It is our privilege to have them visit us in Jasper. They will be speaking at the McCready Centre (next to the United Church at 701 Turret street) at 7 pm on August 14th. Monika Schaefer
The Jasper Local //
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Local economy//
saturday, August 1, 2015 // issue 54 // the jasper local// page A3
Valemount Resort proponents shooting for ski lifts in 2016 intention to build a $100 million, four-season resort. Housing prices shot up; media outlets were in a frenzy. However, in 2010 the company called it quits, blaming rising construction costs and investor disinterest.) Oberti, who’s been through his own development debacle with the 24-year Jumbo Glacier Tom Oberti of Valemount Resort saga in the remote heart Glacier Destinations admits of B.C.’s Purcell Mountains (the the timeline is ambitious but recent decision to pull the resort’s based on the support shown by environmental assessment is the stakeholders involved, he is being appealed) says the $85 optimistic that the group can million Valemount project is meet their targets. different. “So far we’re on track for “This really is a cooperative making that happen,” Oberti environment,” he said. “It’s said on July 30. rather amazing to be working In 2012, together with Valemount on it because there’s so much council and other Robson Valley desire…there’s a consensus on individuals, Valemount Glacier the vision.” Destinations identified Mount The Simpcw First Nation, which Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the tallest has traditional land claims on the peak in the Cariboo Mountains, proposed resort area, has been as the location on which to build supportive of the project, as have a 2,000-bed, 20,000 acre, yearthe regional district authority and round ski resort. the village council. Nearby heliIn the beginning, Valemounters ski operations have given the were skeptical, having had project their blessings, as well. first-hand experience with bold Robson Valley Goat publisher development plans going awry. Laura Keil said her read of the (In 2003, Canoe Mountain Resort community is that Valemounters was trumpeted as the answer are cautiously optimistic. to the village’s economic woes “I think people are actually when president Gerry Levasseur realizing this might happen announced his company’s whereas a year ago they were
Developers of a major ski and sightseeing resort an hour west of Jasper are suggesting chairlifts could be spinning by Christmas 2016.
saying ‘I’ve heard this before,’” she said. Oberti’s market research tells him that not only will visitors— notably, American visitors— travel for world-class skiing, but there is a huge demand for the type of sightseeing Valemount Glacier Destinations will offer. “This is an opportunity to get to the top of a glacier,” he said. “There’s no experience like it in North America, I guess the closest comparable is at the Columbia Icefields…but with the Columbia Icefields you’re looking at the dirty toe of a glacier from a bus. The experiential factor is far better from the top of a mountain. “There’s a huge appetite for this kind of project.” With a 2,000 m vertical drop at build-out, an incredible annual snowpack and the ability to ski year round, Oberti said the resort would be the first of its kind outside of Europe. “There’s nothing comparable in North America,” he said. The company—which is backed by Toronto investors—is currently in the process of finalizing their Master Plan for submission to the province. That submission will trigger a public review process.
bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com
THE VALEMOUNT SKI RESORT MASTER PLAN IS MOVING FORWARD // SUPPLIED
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page B1 // the jasper local // issue 54 // saturday, August 1, 2015
Local recreation //
“Best climbing in the Rockies” still in tact
The Watchtower climbing area got dusted with ash from the recent wildfire, but the rock is good to go// Tim Mccallister
Local rock climbers were relieved to learn that the crag known as Watchtower was preserved from the recent Excelsior Creek wildfire. “The climbing is all good,” Greg Raymond announced. “The extent of the damage to the crag itself is pretty minimal,” echoed Deryl Kelly. Kelly, a visitor safety technician with Parks Canada, investigated the scene on July 27, nearly three weeks after the 1,000 hectare fire roared up
the Maligne Valley and engulfed the north and east sides of Medicine Lake. Kelly reported that the approach to the wall, which is accessed from the north end of Medicine Lake, has been burned. However, the damage to the routes themselves are merely cosmetic. “The trees, vegetation and soil above the climbs has been burned. Amazingly, as you approach the makeshift bridge near the lower tier, the bridge, ground and vegetation is relatively unaffected. All the routes are in need of a little brushing from the ash and dirt but otherwise completely unaffected,” he said. Kelly and Tim McAllister climbed several of the routes to test the bolts. He said there were no issues found with the general condition of
the bolts or the rock. “We couldn’t get on all the routes but I would guess that this would be the case for the high majority of protection bolts and anchors.” Although the rock was preserved, hazards still exist. High winds or rain storms should give users caution. “Keep your head up and always wear a helmet.” Kelly said it’s important to respect the regeneration process. “A few footprints and small tree blazes mark the way following generally the exact path of the original trail. Keep the trail braiding to the absolute minimum. Arguably the best climbing in the Rockies is still in tact!” Bob Covey //bob@thejasperlocal.com
Deryl Kelly on cue the masses, watchtower crag// Tim Mccallister
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Local technology//
saturday, August 1, 2015 // issue 54 //the jasper local// page B2
The Strava saga: The ups and downs of bike technology A cycling app which lets users track and time their bike rides is coming under fire for facilitating dangerous riding. “It’s a huge issue,” said Freewheel Cycle’s Wendy Hall, who is also on the executive of the Jasper Park Cycling Association. “For some users it’s turned every single descent in the park into a race.” Strava uses GPS-enabled bike computers or smartphones to allow cyclists (and runners) to track their rides. Once they upload their data, users can designate segments of trails or roads and then track their progress. Users can then compare segment rankings; the fastest riders of a particular segment are crowned as KOM (King of the Mountain) or QOM. Sounds cool, right? It is. The problem, Hall says, is that common trail
“It’s turned every single descent in the park into a race.” - Wendy Hall etiquette is being disregarded in favour of posting a fast time. “When you race, you’re not looking at anything else,” she said. “I get it, it’s super fun to race, but it’s dangerous.” A recent accident involving a cyclist and a group of horse riders have prompted the Jasper Trail Alliance to improve sight lines and create speed buffers (berms and turns) on the popular trail known as Water Tower. The Local couldn’t ascertain if the cyclist was logging a Strava ride, but the JTA has appealed to cyclists through its Facebook page. “If you’re dialled into Strava please heed: these trails are not closed downhill trails, you have to pay attention and not completely forget about trail etiquette just to satisfy for personnel best,” the post read. Parks Canada is aware of the conflicts that the tool can cause if not
Bob Covey //bob@thejasperlocal.com
MANU LOIR-MONGAZON USES THE STRAVA APP TO IMPROVE HIS RIDING BUT RECOGNIZES THE DANGERS OF NEGLECTING TRAIL ETIQUETTE FOR THE SAKE OF POSTING A FAST TIME. // BOB COVEY
used appropriately. However, while the agency can preach trail safety, it’s best if the whole community can start talking about it, said Rogier Gruys, Product Development Specialist. “We design a trail system for a certain use,” Gruys said. “[But] bikes and the way people use bikes change. We have to be familiar with the changes. The most important thing we can do is start a conversation about it.” Manu Loir-mongazon has been part of the Strava conversation—even if it does get heated at times (bike computers versus smart phones: discuss!). Strava, he said, has improved his riding, but he knows the app isn’t without controversial elements. “You can follow other riders, keep track of your personal bests and pretty much keep track of your whole season,” he said. “I see it for me as a way to get out there and give me some ideas to go for different rides, but it can be dangerous.” When Loir-mongazon looks at the leaderboards on local Strava segments, he admits it motivates him to pedal a bit faster. However, he’s more interested in testing himself against other locals on the uphill sections, rather than risk an accident going for gold on the downhills. “When people want to go faster they don’t think about other users,” he said. “People forget about the rules when it comes to getting a good time.” There are other issues besides trail safety, of course. Strava has been suspected as the reason behind more than a few new short-cuts, something Parks Canada wants to avoid. Furthermore, Moir-mongazon says Strava is an easy way for land managers to see if people are going off trail, which could jeopardize hard-fought-for Wildland Routes if Parks Canada decides to really clamp down. He compares sharing your illegal trail adventures to tagging yourself in a compromising selfie. “It’s a bit like Instagram: are you going to use it to bring people together or just to post pictures of yourself drunk?” For Hall, who created a Strava segment connecting her house to her shop (she’s currently the QOM, btw), as with all fun yet disruptive technology, the local community is going to have to figure out how to adapt. “Strava is fairly new,” she said. “It has issues. It’s a matter of figuring out how to get through this moment in time.” Bob Covey //bob@thejasperlocal.com
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page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 54 // saturday, August 1, 2015
LOCAL FEATURE // FLIRTING WITH DEATH
JUST KEEP
MOVING
SIX LOCAL SUPERHEROS ARE GEARING UP TO RUN THE 125 KM CANADIAN DEATH RACE... ALL BY THEMSELVES THE CANADIAN DEATH RACE IS BILLED AS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST ULTRAMARATHONS IN THE WORLD.
780.883.0773
swilson.jasper@gmail.com
For 125 kms and through more than 17,000 feet of elevation gain, competitors run up and down mountains, through creeks and rivers and over a variety of challenging terrain, including boulder fields, steep drop-offs, shoe-sucking bogs and pitch-black forest. The adventure race, which started in 2000, attracts athletes from all over the world to test their mettle in the harsh environments and unpredictable weather for which Grande Cache, Alberta is known. Typically, out of more than 300 solo racers who consider themselves physically fit enough to sign up for the Death Race in the first place, only about 100 end up crossing the finish line 24 hours later. While Jasper has historically been represented well at the Death Race, both in the team and solo racer categories, this year an unprecedented number of soloists will flirt with Death. Six Jasper runners, all of them female, will line up on August 1 with designs on completing the entire race. The Jasper Local was lucky enough to be there when these six sportswomen met for a pre-race meeting. Over sauvignon blanc and fancy cheeses, and with some helpful tips from veteran distance runner Dave MacDowell and current Death Race champ Tracy MacDowell, the women talked about the importance of staying hydrated, the dangers of starting too fast and the considerable karma points earned by being overly nice to race volunteers, even when all you want to do is cry. The first time Tracy MacDowell ran the Death Race, she had never run in the mountains before. Having grown up in Vernon, British Columbia, the biggest hill she ran was akin to going up Old Fort Point. “I remember coming down the power line off Grande Mountain [a 2,500 foot elevation loss over cliffs and steep drops] and thinking ‘Holy s**t, I’ve never seen this before.” Since then, she’s been back 10 times, six times as a soloist. Today, MacDowell is quite literally the poster girl for the event (her image is on the main page of the website). When competitors sign up for the Death Race training camps in June it’s MacDowell who leads them. Last year, she was the fastest female and seventh fastest solo competitor, crossing the finish line in 15 hours and 19 minutes. However, despite having run the course more than 30 times and posting incredible race results both with a team and on her own, as a soloist at the Death Race, all one can hope to do is finish the race, she said.
“Everything else is gravy.”
Food was definitely on the mind of Lorrain after she knocks off an ultra in Cape Town that she’s run a marathon on every contin hoping for some nutrition tips for the 24-h “What do I eat?” she asked. “I’ve never run For MacDowell, who recalled a race where and she could barely force a tiny piece of a her throat, the importance of calorie intak “Don’t fall behind on your nutrition,” sh feeding yourself.” Most Death Racers have a support person with food, switch out wet runners, change keep things positive. Dave MacDowell urg Lourdes Nunes, to be prepared to pour on comes into the transition zones. “You’re going to have to blow hot air up th ell told Small and Ron Stanko, Wilkinson’s Nunes, along with fellow Fitness Network competed in the Death Race several times
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d of Lorraine Wilkinson, a local nurse who, Cape Town next year, will be able to claim very continent in the world. Wilkinson was for the 24-hour Death Race. e never run for that long.” race where her body was shutting down ny piece of a ham and cheese wrap down alorie intake can’t be stressed enough. utrition,” she said. “You have to keep
port person or persons to help them fuel up ers, change hydration packs and generally cDowell urged Chris Small, who will pit for to pour on the compliments when Nunes s. hot air up their butts all the time,” MacDowWilkinson’s pit boss. ss Network owner Katy Poirier, have both veral times as part of a five-person team,
feature //
but this will be their first attempt at soloing the race. Wendy Copp, the youngest of the Jasper six, has also never signed up as a soloist, although she has been steadily working her way up in distance races, including a 100 km burner outside of Lethbridge. Still, the Death Race stands alone. Tracy MacDowell said the weather conditions can be torturous. Over the years she’s been battered by golfball sized hail, trapped by knee-deep mud and sand-blasted by 80 km/hr winds atop mountain summits—something Bear’s Paw Bakery Kim Stark could relate to after previewing the course during one of MacDowell’s Death Race training camps. “My poles were blowing away,” she recalled. As the ladies exorcised their fears—of heinous weather, of nasty hills, of getting lost on the course and of getting disqualified, just to name a few— they also began to realize how much they’ve prepared for the Death Race. Not only have they been building up their racing resumes, but simply running Jasper’s trails every week puts them in a different league than most people who don’t have access to the mountain environment, Tracy MacDowell reminded them. “You ladies all run a ton. You know what you’re doing,” she said. “You’ve just got to keep moving.”
// Gina Goldie Graphics
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local trails //
page B5 // the jasper local // issue 54 // saturday, August 1, 2015
Outsource trail maintenance, preserve heritage: proposal A Jasper boy has come home again, and he wants to help restore the park’s infrastructure to its former glory.
Rob Klettl has spent the last three decades working in the resource industry, but he’s always visited his childhood home to hike and reconnect with nature. “I’ll always consider Jasper my home,” he said. In recent years, Klettl has noticed an important part of his home has undergone a slow, steady decay. In Jasper’s backcountry, willows have grown over once-pristine trails. Bridges have been washed out. Operational cabins are slowly deteriorating. “It’s evident the agency is no longer able to maintain these assets with the same resource strategy it had in the past,” Klettl said. As a result, an important piece of Jasper National Park’s heritage is at risk of being forgotten, Klettl said. “I recognize Parks is restrained with budgets,” he said. [But] the bush is winning.” To help get a handle on the brambles, the fallen trees and the rotting infrastructure, Klettl has proposed that Parks Canada consider contracting out the maintenance of trails, backcountry campgrounds and cabin facilities. Even basic brushing and tree removal is difficult for trail crew to look after on a daily basis. “Trail crew can only get to so many projects,” Klettl said. “Those crews could meet the bigger scale things Parks Canada needs and the smaller
bye bye bridge // A washed out bridge has become a common sight in jasper’s backcountry. One local wants to change that and has proposed Parks contract out trail work.// N. Gaboury
fire fights could be dealt with on a contract basis.” His company, Alte Ziege Trail Services, is in a position to lead the work, he said. “By contracting out work that Parks Canada staff is unable to complete, our heritage trails and cabins can be maintained as assets for all Canadians.” Klettl is the son of former Jasper warden, the late Toni Klettl. The Klettls spent much of their early Jasper years living in the backcountry districts Toni was assigned to. Moreover, as a young man, Rob helped construct several warden cabins, including the “Caribou Inn” on the park’s north boundary trail. A recent visit to that
cabin was the catalyst for his proposal. “After 30 years it needs some love,” Klettl said. Klettl is a certified carpenter and millwright. He also holds a degree in geology. If the proposal moves forward, Klettl hopes to enlist the skills of local tradespeople, wranglers and trail professionals. “We have an amazing network of people who are connected to the backcountry right here,” he said. Klettl said so far his proposal has been received favourably by local Jasper officials. “This could be a new step for Parks Canada,” he said. Bob Covey //bob@thejasperlocal.com
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Local natural world //
“Ruby crowned kinglet!” Before I can train my binoculars on the slight movement ahead of us, local naturalist Gord Ruddy already has the species pegged.
Identifying the tiny, migratory kinglet, whose range extends from northwest Canada and Alaska south to Mexico, poses no problem for Ruddy, who knows the avian ecology of the Jasper region as well as any local biologist. It’s early on Sunday morning, and Ruddy is leading his friend Ken Walker and myself along a lesser-walked trail in the Pyramid Lake area. Birding is a passion he’s held for a long time, he tells me. His mentor and former neighbour, the late Roy Richards, took him on his first bird count when he was just sevenyears-old. “It was my first Christmas bird count. All I tallied down were ravens but I sure remember being excited,” Ruddy said. Since then, Ruddy’s excitement for birds hasn’t diminished much. His passion has taken him to places as far away as Florida and Wood Buffalo National Park. He’s observed countless species, including the rare whooping crane, however, the bird habitat he knows and loves best has always been right outside his door. Exploring this neck of the woods for several decades now, Ruddy often returns to the trails he was first shown by Richards. On these meanderings he has accumulated a deep knowledge and honed subtle observation skills— he can happily tell you which birds will arrive
Service Directory
saturday, August 1, 2015 // issue 54 // the jasper local// page B6
discovery of something new. For Ruddy and Walker, the merlin’s call signifies something larger. “There’s lots of them here now,” Ruddy says about the merlin. “That wasn’t the case when I was growing up because of the heavy spraying of DDT.” DDT and other poisons bioaccumulate through the food chain, making it especially deadly to merlins, which are highly successful hunters. The merlin isn’t the only one with honed skills. Ruddy’s practiced ear is impressive—but he is convinced that others can tune in too, if they take the time. “Birds are one of the easiest wildlife to observe” Ruddy says, “they’re practically everywhere”. Still, Ruddy admits that birding can be overwhelming, especially with the summer cacophony of overlapping voices. Rather than trying to learn with fancy technological tools such as iPhone apps or YouTube videos, however, Ruddy advocates finding a birding To Naturalist Gord Ruddy, birding is all about getting outdoors and observing. // mentor. bob covey “I was lucky that I got to follow Roy around,” he says. first in the spring and he has the innate ability to perceive the slightest flash of yellow amongst the Today, Ruddy is helping others discover the joy of birding. He makes himself available to thick shrubbery. others as a regular volunteer for The Friends of To Ruddy, the essence of birding is all about Jasper and helps out with Parks Canada’s bird getting outdoors and paying attention. This banding projects. His efforts help ensure that effort not only teaches one patience but also his local ecological knowledge won’t be lost, gives one a strong sense of place, he believes. but transferred to the next generation of those Suddenly, our conversation is silenced by the budding birders who are willing and enthusiastic high pitched laughter of what sounds like a enough to carry on the ways of a dedicated monkey, coming from somewhere up in the naturalist. aspen treetops. Follow Ruddy into the field next edition of The “A merlin” says Ruddy. “Actually two” exclaims Jasper Local to learn more about a local bird Walker, as a more distant call answers in the project happening behind the scenes. distance. We are all excited. For me it’s the fern yip // info@thejasperlocal.com