The Jasper Local June 15, 2017

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thursday, june 15, 2017 // ISSUE 99

SPRING IN THEIR STEP // THESE TWO ELK FAWNS WERE INTRODUCED TO EACH OTHER EARLY IN LIFE

BY THEIR MOMS, WHO WEREN’T FAR AWAY.// SIMONE HEINRICH

Tour of Alberta won't disrupt downtown: LOC The ATB Tour of Alberta festival will be hosted at Robson Park.

Hosting the festival adjacent to the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre gives organizers a central location while limiting road closures, according to local organizing committee co-chair Christine Nadon.

“The LOC has worked closely with the Tour of Alberta in an effort to find the balance between hosting an exceptional event and yielding the most benefit for the community,” said Nadon.

In 2015, some members of the community were dissatisfied

after road closures in Jasper’s downtown disrupted business-as-usual. Those concerns have been taken into account for the 2017 event, Nadon said.

“The racers will be on their way and outside the townsite before mid-day, alleviating delays and concerns for visitors travelling to Jasper on the Friday evening before the long weekend.”

The Tour of Alberta is Canada’s highest ranked professional road cycling stage race. In 2015, Jasper hosted stages two and three. This year, Jasper hosts the tour’s opening stage. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 99 // thursday, june 15, 2017

editorial //

Local Vocal It happened again.

Another member of the public safety community took his own life.

The tragedy took place in Revelstoke, B.C., but the mountain rescue circle is a small one. Many people throughout the first responder community—including those in Jasper—are feeling the heavy loss.

Suicide is incredibly complex. We know that people who experience suicidal thoughts are suffering with tremendous emotional pain, yet suicide cannot be attributed to any one single cause.

Suicide is not about a moral weakness or a character flaw. Suicide isn’t necessarily about mental illness or depression, either. Suicide is the result of actions taken to deal with intolerable mental pain. People who consider suicide feel as though their pain will never end, that suicide is the only way to stop the suffering.

If this all sounds despairing, that’s because it is.

Suicide is devastating. Suicide shatters communities.

But on the other side of despair is hope. And hope is central to suicide prevention.

According to the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, the majority of suicides can be prevented.

This same organization tells us that only a small number of suicides happen without warning. When we realize those two things, we become empowered to take action.

“We” means everyone: individuals, organizations and people at all levels of our community. Because that’s another key component to suicide prevention: everyone getting on board. Talking about suicide as a community is the only way we’re going to eliminate the stigma surrounding it. Talking about suicide as a community is the only way to increase awareness of what to do when you or someone you know experiences thoughts associated with suicide. Talking about suicide as a community is the only way we’re going to be able to spread the knowledge on how to identify those at risk.

Of course it’s not easy to talk about. Particularly in the wake of tragedy, it’s difficult to sort out our feelings.

After a suicide, we experience the shock of the news but aren’t able to express the depth and complexity of our emotions. Most people push those emotions down.

But it’s time to let them out.

Where do we start? We can start by celebrating the lives of those who passed from suicide and grieving our loss. From there, we can get equipped: we can find out how to talk about suicide in a non-judgemental way; we can learn how to create a suicide-safer workplace and learning environment; we can share with friends, family members and colleagues important suicide prevention information. CASP is a great place to start.

Suicide is despairing. But on the other side of despair is hope. As long as suicide prevention is the responsibility of the whole community, there will be plenty of hope in Jasper and throughout our connected circles. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

More advocating for seniors necessary Thank for your June 1 editorial regarding the forgotten seniors of Jasper. Seniors Week 2017 came and went without any waves for the 65-plus population of Jasper. There was a Wine and Cheese put on by COS the Friday before that was fabulous, successful and very much appreciated, but for June 5-11 ... nada!

As you mentioned, our little community goes above and beyond for many events, but we have been surprised by the lack of events/appreciation for those that helped shape this town. There are more than 250 seniors in Jasper and it seems as though nobody is advocating for them, certainly in terms of organizing Seniors Week events. The senior locals of Jasper have been the founding members of a lot of things in our little mountain town.

Seniors should be celebrated and receive a pat on the back for their efforts, time and countless hours of dedicated work.

While Alpine Summit and Pine Grove

Manor always seem to be the “hub” for the seniors community in town, the fact of the matter is that these buildings are home to just a small fraction of the seniors in Jasper.

On the behalf of Alpine Summit residents, we would like to recognize three awesome events that were generously donated by local businesses: Jasper Tour Company’s Wildlife Tour; a scrumptious lunch at Earls in the Rockies; and Jasper Raft Tours’ glorious float down the Athabasca River. Seniors also had a visit from the daycare and an entertaining evening of musical talent by Grace Kohn’s students.

We hope that next year more local businesses and the Municipality of Jasper can jump on the wagon and have one heck of a party for these amazing individuals. ~ Julie Des Becquets and Meghan Gifford

The Jasper Local //

Jasper’s independent alternative newspaper 780.852.9474 • thejasperlocal.com • po box 2046, jasper ab, t0e 1e0

Published on the 1st and 15th of each month Editor / Publisher

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// Local science

thursday, june 15, 2017 // issue 99 // the jasper local// page A3

BISON MOTHER AND CALF ENJOY THE SUNSHINE IN BANFF NATIONAL PARK’S REMOTE PANTHER VALLEY. BISON WERE RETURNED TO BANFF’S BACKCOUNTRY IN EARLY 2017, COINCIDING WITH CANADA’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CONFEDERATION. // KARSTEN HEUER, PARKS CANADA

Banff buzzing after birth of bison The future of bison restoration is alive in Banff National Park’s backcountry.

Ten bison calves are healthy and doing well after being born between April and May, according to Parks Canada biologists.

“For the next few months, the calves will stay close to their mothers as they navigate their new world,” said project manager Karsten Heuer.

The $6.6 million initiative saw 16 bison transported from Elk Island National Park to a corner of their former range in Banff. There they were kept in a large holding area.

This spring, as biologists had hoped, the herd’s population jumped to 26. “[The calves’] arrival is key part of the project as it will help the herd anchor to the landscape and adopt it as their new home,” Heuer said.

The bison’s reintroduction comes after 140 years of being absent from the Panther Valley. Many factors led to their disappearance in North America, but over-hunting was the main cause. Parks Canada says that the reintroduction of bison will have net ecological gains as well as cultural ones.

“They’re iconic in terms of representing wilderness,” Heuer told The Jasper Local in January.

Not everyone is as excited about the project as Heuer. Former Jasper wildlife biologist Lu Carbyn has suggested the management-heavy approach is antithetical to Parks Canada’s principles.

“There’s a degree of artificiality [to the project] which you try to avoid in national parks,” Carbyn has said.

But Heuer, having recently witnessed the birth of the 10 calves, is buoyed by what he sees as the perfect harmony of environment and animal.

“The grass is just starting to sprout, the leaves are starting to come out on the bushes, it’s like an orchestra is playing out here. It shows us these animals are adapted to this place.”

The bison will be kept in the area for two gestation periods, or 16 months, so they can bond to their new home. In spring of 2018 they will be released to explore the full 1,200 sq-km reintroduction zone in the remote eastern slopes of Banff National Park.

“So far, there’s been no hiccups,” Heuer said. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page B1 // the jasper local // issue 99 // Thursday, june 15, 2017

Local wildlife //

Double trouble: Jasper runner has harrowing encounters with protective wild animals There are two wild animals in Jasper you don’t want to surprise in the bush: a bear with cubs and an elk with a calf.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she yelled, as the bear charged directly at her. The bear stopped just short of her, as Copp retreated backwards towards the steep embankment that overlooked the railway tracks and the highway, far below. The hill was too steep to descend backwards, so Copp turned around

pavement as I was that morning,” Copp said.

Copp has logged thousands of kilometres on hundreds of runs all over Jasper’s vast trail network. That morning was terrifying, but she chalks it up to bad luck, bad timing and plain old statistics: you spend enough time in the forest and

BEARY SCARY //JASPER ULTRA MARATHONER WENDY COPP TOLD THE JASPER LOCAL HER STORY OF RUNNING INTO A HORMONAL ELK AND AN AGGRESSIVE BLACK BEAR ALL IN THE SPAN OF FIVE MINUTES ON THE PYRAMID BENCH. // SEAN ALLEN PHOTO // VALERIE DOMAINE BLACK BEAR PHOTO

On Monday June 5, Jasper ultra runner Wendy Copp ran into both.

“Hi there Mrs. Elk, sorry to disturb you, I’m just passing through!”

and looked over her shoulder. Within seconds, the bear charged again, huffing as it came.

“No!” she screamed, turning around to face it again.

“No! No! No!”

Again the bear stopped short. It then attended to her Copp was up early that morning, eager to start a cub once more, while Copp tried to escape down the long trail run that she hoped would start her week hill. off on a positive note. She had planned to go for 25 to 30 kilometres on the Pyramid Bench, but as she Trying to negotiate the steep terrain, her body stopped for a photo on the Edge of the Bench trail spiked with adrenaline, Copp slipped, falling hard (2B), she noticed rustling in the bush beside her. on her side and sliding down the embankment.

It was a female elk. Copp knew that female elk in As she flipped onto her stomach, Copp grabbed at the spring time are hormonal and vegetation and sticks to arrest her unpredictable and knowing they can fall. To her horror, she could hear be dangerous, she prepared to give it the bear charging a third time.

“I could feel her a wide berth.

Gaining her footing, Copp jumped up and again screamed and waved breath on my face“ “I figured I could easily bushwhack a her arms while the bear huffed little through the forest and get past and clawed the ground directly her,” she said. between them. There was no place Talking to the elk gently as she to run. moved into the woods, Copp found the forest thick “I could feel her breath on my face,” Copp recalled. “I with fallen timber. When she stepped on a branch thought she was either going to lunge at me or swipe and it cracked loudly, the animal bolted to attention. at me with her paw.”

“She stared at me, tilting her head to the side and After what seemed like an eternity, the bear turned walking straight toward me,” Copp recalled. and ran back up the hill.

Her heart racing a little by now, Copp changed Sprinting in the opposite direction, Copp reached course, electing to move back to the trail from for her phone and dialed 911. She was convinced the where she had come. She could see the light getting bear would be back and figured if she got through brighter through the trees as she began to emerge to Parks Canada dispatchers, rescuers could at from the bush. least pinpoint her location. Adding to her sense of “All I need to do was take a couple of steps and I urgency, a train impeded her route across the tracks would be on the trail.” toward the highway. Eventually she got through to a As she did so, however, a loud growl startled her. dispatcher. Copp and the dispatcher kept in contact From the corner of her right eye she saw brown fur. as she reached the bottom of the slope and waited Turning her head she saw a large black bear, no for the train to pass. After an excruciating wait for more than eight feet from where she stood. Backing the train, all the while looking up the slope for the away quickly, Copp saw the bear shoo her cub up a bear to return, she was able to run to the highway. nearby tree before turning to face her.

“I have never been so happy for my feet to feel

you’re bound to encounter some wildlife.

“I am forever thankful that we all left that morning relatively unharmed,” she said.

Will the encounter stop her from trail running in the future?

On the contrary: she was out the next week. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

GOATEE LOCKS // MOUNTAIN GOATS, AS OPPOSED TO BIG HORN SHEEP, ARE IDENTIFIABLE BY THEIR NOT BEING BIG HORN SHEEP. // VALERIE DOMAINE

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Thursday, june 15,, 2017 // issue 99 // the jasper local// page B2

Local literature //

Jasper Wild pays tribute to park's protectors

GEORGE MERCER’S NEW NOVEL PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON JASPER NATIONAL PARK DEVELOPMENT // SUPPLIED

“We’re kind of loving this park to death.

Too many people in my opinion.”

So says park warden John Haffcut in George Mercer’s newest novel, Jasper Wild, the third and latest instalment in Mercer’s Dyed in the Green series.

And while Jasper Wild is set against a familiar backdrop, just as recognizable in the book are the attitudes, opinions and values of the characters which populate it. There’s Haffcut, a battle-hardened pragmatist who sees the erosion of common sense as inversely proportional to the increased number of park visitors. There’s Marion Seawell, the staunch conservationist who takes local superintendents to task for neglecting the national park mandate. And there’s Ben Matthews—who assumes the lead role in all three Dyed novels—the principled, eager and impulsive new recruit through whose eyes and ears readers discover

Jasper’s charms, quirks and corruptions.

Mercer should know. He spent 10 years as Jasper National Park’s wildlife specialist before leaving to Gulf Islands National Park in 2004, where he retired.

Now working full time as a writer, Mercer took on poaching problems in 2014’s Dyed In The Green; wrote about bureaucratic bungling in last year’s Wood Buffalo; and now with Jasper Wild, tackles the increasinglyrelevant topic of development in Canada’s protected places. Jasper Wild’s main characters eventually go head to head with an international mining corporation intent on carving off a piece of the park for itself.

“There is still a small minority of people who are pretty ignorant of the values of parks and protected areas and still think that we can run roughshod over the earth and take whatever we need,” Mercer says.

Mercer doesn’t apologize for taking strong positions through his fiction. In fact, that’s the whole idea. His books are intended to offer an access point for readers not familiar with national park issues. By weaving conservation themes into a page-turning mystery—replete with unrepentant poachers, greedy developers and corrupt managers—Mercer hopes to draw more attention to the issues close to his heart.

“It’s a personal thing,” he admits. “I feel very strongly that development in our national parks should be strictly controlled.”

If you’ve read his other books, it should come as no surprise

TREE’S COMPANY // THIS CINNAMON BEAR SOW AND HER CUB PUT ON AN ACROBATIC PERFORMANCE NEAR MEDICINE LAKE JUNE 13. // BEN WAXER

that Mercer’s landscapes shine brightly in Jasper Wild. Like Matthews in the novel, Mercer recalls being awed by the majesty of the Maligne Range when he took his first trip there. And as for the Tonquin Valley, like Warden Haffcut says: “Once you see the Ramparts, you’ll never want to leave.”

Even still, it is the people, more than the landscapes, which give the work its texture.

Long time locals will find in the novel’s supporting cast curious amalgamations of several Jasperites who have left their mark on the community

in various ways. Moreover, even though Mercer inserts a disclaimer which says any resemblance to actual people is purely coincidental, readers who are familiar with the Jasper Environmental Association will recognize in the Marion Seawell character the sharp wit and the critical eye (not to mention the refined British accent) of the JEA’s longstanding treasurer, Jill Seaton,.

“Somebody has to give this place some backbone,” Seawell tells her audience in one early scene.

Mercer, for his part, wears his respect for Seaton’s backbone— and that of her late husband, Basil—on his sleeve. He even dedicates the book to the couple.

“She’s my local hero in Jasper,” Mercer says of Seaton. “I wanted to pay homage to the people who fight for what they believe in.”

Now that Mercer is a full time author, fiction is where he fights for what he believes in. And he’s not done yet. Even as he maps out his marketing strategy (a selfpublished author’s work continues well after the book is printed), he’s looking ahead to the next three instalments of Dyed in the Green.

Until then, readers can pick up Jasper Wild at the Friends of Jasper National Park and on July 15 during Parks Day, visit with Mercer as he signs books. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 99 // Thursday, june 15, 2017

FEATURE // STORY BY CORY WALLACE // PHOTOS BY 24H OF FINALE

After coming within 3.5 minutes of the World 24 HR Solo title in New Zealand last year I went back to the drawing board to figure out a way to end Australian Jason English’s seven year domination of the sport.

Having raced a bike for 17 years and chased this 24 Hour World title since riding my first world champs in Canmore in 2008, it was about time.

It had been a rollercoaster ride through 10 different 24 hr Solo races with some catastrophic meltdowns. From a dislocated shoulder, foggy vision, exploding stomachs, big crashes or just plain exhaustion there have been some trying moments. In 24 HR racing there are a plethora of x factors which play into every race as you can ben in the best form of your life but even not having a

quickly aborted as the traffic on course was blocking any big gains and the midday sun was starting to roast my Canadian blood. The decision was to drop back and cruise for the next four to six hours, waiting until the course opened up and the air temperature began to drop.

It was a sweet course, with a nice mixture of singletrack and fire roads and a solid 12-14 minute power section on the back side which I could really diesel through and hurt the other riders.

The Italians had organized a huge party surrounding the race, in particular on one bermed descent where they set up a beer gardens with loud speakers. The

“The best thing to do is only race one of these a year so you forget how hard the last one was.”

good sleep in the days leading up to an event can derail things pretty fast.

This year the race was a gong show for the first six hours with more than 350 riders on a short 9.5 km course, causing some intense traffic jams. Australian Jason English, USA champ Josh Tostado and a couple of Europeans went out hard on the opening laps but I eventually reeled them in and was soon pushing the pace. I gained a small gap and felt strong but I was also going through the matchbox pretty fast. This effort was

large crowds were blowing off horns, throwing beer around and smashing carbon bikes against the barriers to make noise. It resembled a rowdy hockey stadium and brought back some good memories of my younger days.

Mid afternoon some cloud cover came in and the trails were opening up a bit so I upped the tempo, slowly pulling away from the other riders, leaving only Jason and I to ride a few laps together before dropping him on the long diesel section.

Just eight to nine ho knew it was early, bu had the best legs in t to go for it before wh good.

The gap grew lap by was word Jason w minutes from bein to feel the early eff cautious, but opte momentum and tr as this would be a me and put him o

responded.

Jason has probably l seven times over the to get one back on hi

The thing about 24 h there’s no easy way. T is only race one of th forget how hard the l six hours to go the st feeling of being pois It was alarming for a overdid my homema

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THE WAIT IS OVER JASPER’S CORY WALLACE CROWNED WORLD 24 HOURS SOLO CHAMPION and was overdosing on something, so I switched over to water to flush the system. It was like trying to ride a bike with the worst hangover ever, mixed with numbness and weird body aches all over the place.

ours into the event I ut I was confident I the race and decided hile the going was

lap and soon there was just eight to 10 ng lapped. Starting fforts, I was a bit ed to keep the ry to catch Jason an emotional lift for on the ropes. Around midnight I closed in on him.

“How’s it going buddy?” I asked.

“Hurtin’ a bit mate, how are you doing?

You must be loving this!” he

lapped me six or e years so it was nice im.

hr Solo racing is The best thing to do hese a year so you last one was. With tomach went and the soned quickly sunk in. a few laps as I likely ade electrolyte mix

The diet was now down to 50-100 calories of Cliff shot blocks an hour and maybe 50 calories of cardboard. My pit crew had made up some mini buckwheat crisp bread sandwiches with some cheese in the middle but it had the worst consistency of anything I’d every eaten. They’d pop these in my back pocket to soak in all the dirt, sweat and sogginess before I’d try stuffing it down my throat. It was shocking how little went into the body during the last six hours, but there was no way I was letting this one slip away. There was a certain level of suffering going on the last few laps but I kept thinking of my Uncle Dale who passed away this spring after years of going through cancer treatment. This suffering I was dealing with was nothing compared to what he must’ve fought through, always with his head held high as he kept on living his life to the best he could.

Having a 40-50 minute lead on Jason was solid but that can dissolve away pretty quickly in 24 Hour racing as the meltdowns can be game ending.

Eventually the hours ticked down and I was on the home stretch. Normally I’m stoked when I’m in the lead and can see the finish line in sight but this seemed surreal to finally by closing in on a goal I set so many years back. The Italian race organizers had spent most of the weekend organizing the party around the race and it made for a hell of a celebration coming across the finish line to claim my first World Title! The journey I took to get here over nearly a decade is one I will never forget.

After a solid two month altitude training camp in Guatemala this spring and a restful month at home in Victoria B.C. dialing in the fitness, the mind and body were better then ever this year.

The pit crew was A+ with my buddy and 24hr veteran Leighton Poidevon and Hiran from Radical Lights manning the pits. I can’t thank these two enough for volunteering themselves and coming over to build our dream team. Running Radical Lights during the night kept my eyes fresh as these lights are untouchable.

Also having two nearly identical Kona Hei Hei full suspensions—both running great—in the pits made a huge difference as we swapped bikes six to seven times throughout the race.

Huge thanks to all my family, friends, sponsors and supporters who have stood behind me over the course of all these years of racing to pull this dream in as it takes a full team effort to pull something like this off! Winning the World Solo 24 hour Mountain Bike Championships fulfilled a long hard fought battle and I’m proud as hell to be bringing this title back to Canadian soil!

cory wallace // info@thejasperlocal.com

24 HOURS OF STATISTICS

µµ In total Wallace stopped for appx five minutes over the 24 hours.

Most laps he rolled through, only grabbing bottles. There were two stops of about one minute each to put on and take off lighting systems. µµ Wallace’s body went through 42 water bottles, and around 8,000-9,000 calories. µµ Wallace had laser eye surgery two years ago but it left him with blurry vision so he wore one contact lens to see clearly in one eye and kept the other eye free to decrease the risk of having both eyes cloud over. Twelve vials of eye drops were used to keep the eyes moist and functioning as this has derailed a few races in the past. µµ Total kilometres were approximately 380 km, about 40-50 km below normal which he attributes to all the traffic on course. µµ Total vertical meters climbed were around the height of Mount Everest (appx 8500- 9,000 metres). µµ Another Jasperite killed it at the 24 Hours World Solo: Andrew Bovard placed third in his division (Men’s age 40-44).

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page B5 // the jasper local // issue 99 // Thursday, june 15, 2017

Local leisure //

BATTER UP! // CELINE STANKO FROM THE JPL DUSTY CLAMS BLOOPS A SINGLE OVER THE HEAD OF PARKS CANADA BEAVERS’ INFIELDERS JERRIME TREIBER AND MAX DARRAH. SLOWPITCH SEASON IS IN FULL SWING IN JASPER. // BOB COVEY

Local golfer to represent Jasper at Alberta Open Nick Cloutier loves the pressure.

And on June 19, the 35-year-old golfer is going to feel the heat like never before.

That’s when Cloutier tees up his first drive at the Alberta Open. The premiere event will be packed with the best professionals and amateurs in the province. Cloutier can hardly wait.

“I love feeling those butterflies,” he said between chips at the Jasper Park practice facility. “I love the pressure.”

here in Jasper himself, will be Nick’s caddy for the Alberta Open. Nick says he wouldn’t want anyone else on his golf bag.

“It’s cool to be able to share this experience with my brother,” he said. “Ty has really helped me get to where I want to be and where I want to be going.”

Ultimately, Cloutier would love to be going to the Canadian PGA Tour—the winner of the Alberta Open gets a free pass for one tournament. In reality, his goal is more modest.

To qualify for the Alberta Open, which takes place at the Sundre Golf Club “It’s the deepest field in June 19-22, Cloutier had golf in this province,” to have nerves of steel at he said. “I’d be happy a tournament qualifier in with a top 25.”

Stony Plain. The course was GO IN THE HOLE! // NICK CLOUTIER HAS INVESTED TIME AND ENERGY INTO HIS GOLF GAME AND HAS QUALIFIED FOR Cloutier has been soaking wet but somehow the THE ALBERTA OPEN. HE SAYS IT’S AN HONOUR TO REPRESENT THE JASPER PARK GOLF COURSE. // BOB COVEY long and straight off greens stayed rock hard and the tee; his irons have at World Juniors in West Palm back into the game. bumpy. Needing to place in been consistent. Where he Beach, Florida. the top 23, Cloutier knew that a “It’s such a beautiful golf course needs to continue to work is par on hole 18 could put him in But that was a long time ago. here in Jasper and we have a lot with the flat stick and around contention. After he knocked in When he of good players the green. his putt, he found out that he and moved to here too,” he “In the long run, on the green five others came in seven-over.

“It’s such a beautiful Jasper for a said. “Those is where tournaments are won,” He just made the cut. housekeeping two things got golf course here in he said. job in 2002, my competitive “Scoring was really tough,” he Although he’s originally from Jasper and we have juices flowing.” said. “There were scratch golfers he was drawn Ontario, Cloutier is proud to to the world making 92 that day.”

The other factor a lot of good players be golfing for his adopted class golf was his younger Originally from Petewawa, in club. When he hears his name course, but here too.” brother, Ty. The the Ottawa Valley, Cloutier grew tournaments pair spend a lot of and the Jasper Park Golf Club up playing competitive golf. weren’t really time together—on announced on the first tee, he’ll As a junior, he played for Team try to savour the moment. on his mind. That is until two the golf course in the summer, Quebec (his home was closer to years ago, when something “That’s a cool feeling,” he said. and in the winter, on the hockey Montreal than Toronto) and he inside him said it was time to get rink. Ty, a former club champion even represented his country bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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Thursday, JUNE 15, 2017 // issue 99 // the jasper local// page B6

Local angling //

Bouncing your way into Pyramid Lake’s native lake trout fishery Every year I anticipate the May long weekend fishing opener in the Mountain Parks. While there are a number of options available for fishing, my sights are always set on one place: Pyramid Lake.

There are so many things that draw me there.

I love that Pyramid Mountain stands sentinel directly to the north, its multicolored rock often aglow in the low evening light. I like that the lake trout in Pyramid are native, and that the lake is self-sustaining. I like that Pyramid lake trout are honest. I put in a day’s fishing on the lake and I will catch lakers. If I catch a half dozen fish, it’s a good day. Some days I catch more, occasionally I catch much more. I have had days where it was never more than five minutes between bites!

Pyramid Lake is one of my favourite fisheries.

There are a lot of ways to catch lake trout in Pyramid, but here is my go-to method: Get a two ounce bottom bouncer, tie a 6 foot leader of 10 lb fluorocarbon off of that and on the end attach an F5 flatfish in your favourite colour. Put that rig in the water and slow down the pace of your boat until the flatfish is lightly shaking side to side. For me that’s around 25 per cent power on my electric motor. The boat has to be going super slow. Next, drop the rig down to the bottom and perform this slow troll around the deep areas of the lake. Do this and every single day there will be a laker or five that will line up and take a shot at the hook. My favourite flatfish patterns are the rainbow trout and the green frog patterns. Both have scored exceptionally well on Pyramid’s lake trout. That said, I’m sure most any flatfish will work. Just get it deep, and slow troll it. To increase my hook ups when using the flatfish, I replace the original flatfish treble hook with one a size larger. The wider gap of a slightly larger hook seems to help me hook and hold more fish, so I can bring them all the way to the boat.

Using that same bottom bouncer, I have changed

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things up and tied on a walleye spinner rig. I like to clip the hook off and tie on a Jasper favourite, the double shrimp fly, which I pick up by the dozen at On-Line Sport and Tackle. I run the larger fly sizes and this matches up well with the size and appetite of the average Pyramid laker. Typically there are two of us in the boat, so one of us will run the flatfish, while the other runs the spinner and fly. It usually doesn’t take long before someone connects.

On a side note, bottom bouncers are made of lead, and lead is a no go zone in the park; using such materials can lead to tickets and fines. But—and this is an important but—anglers can use lead if it is heavier than 50 grams.

In our case, two ounces equals 56 grams, so the bottom bouncer described above is permissible.

That said, clear your tackle box of any lead materials, such as split shot, that weighs less than 50 grams, because even possession of such tackle in the park can lead to a ticket.

// THE F5 FROG GREEN FLATFISH CATCHES ANOTHER. MAN IS THIS A GOOD LURE! BOTTOM BOUNCERS ARE AN EXCELLENT TOOL TO GET YOUR LURE DOWN AND IN FRONT OF THE EYES OF MOUNTAIN LAKE TROUT.

There you have it. These are a couple of winning presentations that have steered me to some fantastic days fishing on Pyramid.

Wayne and Leonie Brown enjoying quality time on the water.

If you’re looking to get into the game when it comes to mountain lakers, this is an excellent way to start.

Fred Noddin calls Edmonton home, where he works as an aquatics biologist. He recently earned his MSc in Ecology at the University of Alberta, and has spent the last decade involved in the study of Alberta and NWT fisheries. Fred comes to the mountains at every opportunity, for the fishing, the scenery, the hiking, for the wide open spaces and for the amazing people.