The Jasper Local February 1, 2020 by The Jasper Local

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thejasperlocal.com

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saturday, february 1, 2020 // ISSUE 162

IT IS YOUR DESTINY: EVAN OLTHOF AND DYLAN PAYANT BOOKPACK THE FINAL STEPS TOWARDS DESTINY PEAK ON JANUARY 25. // DOUG OLTHOF

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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 162 // saturday, february 1, 2020

editorial //

Local Vocal Readers familiar with winter access restrictions in the Maligne Valley might look at our news story opposite this page and wonder what the big deal is. No caribou sighted in the Maligne Valley again? No changes to the habitat closures? What a big nothing burger, you’re probably thinking. Perhaps…but perhaps not. Call us a bunch of tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorists, but we have a hunch there’s a bit more substance to this story than meets the eye. In fact it’s not just a hunch: we’re working to verify information that was passed along to us, from a trusted source, that avowed the Maligne Valley will be open to winter users come December 1, 2020. That’s a pretty big deal around here, where backcountry skiing from December to mid February is limited to a few avalanche paths along the Icefields Parkway. A statement from Parks Canada certainly didn’t confirm the information we inquired after, but they didn’t exactly deny it, either. We might be reading between the lines, but that’s sort of what one has to do in this age of corporate, always-onmessage communications. Paired with the way the Agency was rather unforthcoming about the captive breeding feasibility study that was taking place in the fall, it’s not a big reach to speculate that Parks Canada is looking at finding new ways to continue their legally-legislated mandate to conserve caribou while being forced to concede that the iconic animals aren’t coming back to the Maligne area. If true, it wouldn’t be an about face, rather a pragmatic admission that the herd—which four decades ago was healthy and robust—is no longer sustainable. In fact, they’ve said as much: at the last annual forum, JNP’s resource conservation manager suggested the Maligne herd is “likely to extirpate.” It would follow, one would think, that keeping winter users out of the valley to protect an extirpated herd makes about as much sense as keeping rafters off a river to protect a duck that doesn’t live there but then as we’ve seen, sometimes Parks Canada uses its own brand of logic. Case in point: two weeks ago, Parks blocked off Maligne Lake campsites for early June in anticipation of a late ice-off. (They’ve since

corrected that “clerical error.” Get ‘em while you still can!) I digress. The point is that although it may be too early for Parks to confirm the status of next year’s closures, there is an optimistic ripple in the winter user community

that Parks Canada is approaching caribou conservation in the Maligne Valley in an unsentimental, honest fashion. If only their press releases would say as much, I wouldn’t need this tinfoil hat. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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Fireworks add to wildlife stress Dear Editor,

Alberta has endured one of the coldest winters in years with record depths of snow. Many wildlife species will be struggling to stay alive. Meanwhile the Municipality of The Jasper Local //

Jasper, which often seems to forget that it is in a national park, promotes the use of fireworks that can only add to the stress of these animals – and Parks Canada, that has a mandate (Section 8.2

of the Canada National Parks Act) to protect its wildlife, allows the town to go ahead with this so-called ‘entertainment’. - Jill Seaton, Jasper

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

Bob Covey.................................................................................... bob@thejasperlocal.com Art Director

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Email us today.......................................................................... bob@thejasperlocal.com cartoonist

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saturday, february 1, 2020 // issue 162 // the jasper local// page A3

FIRE CHIEF GREG VAN TIGHEM’S ANNUAL FATBIKES AND BONFIRES J IN J FUNDRAISER FOR MS ATTRACTED A WIDE VARIETY OF PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. // DAVE BAKER

No caribou remain in Maligne Valley: Parks

Caribou have not been seen in the Maligne Valley in two years, but caribou closures remain in effect for the 2019/2020 winter season. The statement comes in the wake of inquiries about the lifting of winter access restrictions in the Maligne Valley. Parks Canada has said the seasonal restrictions will be reassessed following the 2019-2020 closure. Parks Canada has found no sign of caribou, leading scientists to believe the Maligne herd is gone. “Based on the lack of sightings of any caribou in the Maligne Valley over the last two field seasons, evidence suggests that no caribou remain in the area,” said public relations and communications officer, Steve Young. Through DNA analysis and

visual surveys, Parks has estimated that the Tonquin herd has 31 animals, and the Brazeau herd has 10 or fewer. An estimated 140 animals make up the A La Peche herd, in the northern part of JNP. In October, 2017, DNA evidence and observations in Hardisty Pass (part of the Maligne Range) indicated that the Maligne caribou herd had four members—an adult female and three younger animals. In March, 2018, the adult female—the last collared caribou in the Maligne herd— was found dead of unknown causes. At the time, it was unknown how many other caribou remained, but tracks at the site offered evidence that other animals had been present with the collared female. “It is possible that the three young animals are still in the Maligne range or have moved elsewhere,” the statement says. “However, five separate aerial surveys have failed to

locate any caribou or caribou tracks.” Three of those aerial surveys took place in the fall of 2018; two took place a year later. Despite the lack of animals surveyed, the current closure of caribou habitat in the Maligne Valley remains in effect until February 28. “[The closure] is monitored by law enforcement and violators may be charged under the Canada National Parks Act,” Young said. In November, The Jasper Local reported on Parks Canada’s assessment of an area near the Geraldine Lakes Road as a potential caribou rearing location. Captive breeding has been used as a caribou conservation measure in other parks in Canada; ongoing research into the feasibility of captive breeding was discussed at JNP’s most recent annual forum. Bob Covey //

bob@thejasperlocal.com

page B1 // the jasper local // issue 162 // saturday, february 1, 2020

local community //

Hinton rallies for stranded adventure cyclist Japanese endurance cyclist Masaaki Yoshino traversed the 666 km Dalton Highway from the top of the Arctic Circle.

He walked up—and down (because he burned out his brake pads)—the highest maintained pass in Alaska. He survived camping in -27 degree Celsius weather. He avoided getting charged by bears, he steered clear of massive wood bison and he managed to not get run over by enormous transport trucks speeding to the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. He managed all that, cycling more than 3,600 kms to Alberta en route to Los Angeles, only to have his custom-made fat bike stolen from outside his hotel in Hinton on January 19. “I was very shocked,” Yoshino said through a translator. “I didn’t understand what happened.” In fact, Yoshino still hasn’t gotten over his shock. However, the 33-year-old is no longer surprised that his bike was carried off. Instead, ever since he was contacted by Hintonite Courtney Lovestrom, who saw his plea for help on social media, Yoshino has been overwhelmed with the generosity that Lovestrom and her fellow community members have poured into

his plight. In a matter of days, a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $5,000—enough for Yoshino to get back on the road on a brand new bike. “I was very surprised, I didn’t expect that,” he said. Neither did Lovestrom. She vowed to help the stranded tourist when she learned about the stolen bike, but she didn’t expect her community to rally so quickly. “I can’t get over the response,” she said. “It’s just fantastic.” Notwithstanding the theft, Lovestrom has made every effort to make Yoshino’s time in Hinton fantastic, too. After reaching out to him and (with the help of a Japanese speaking Hintonite) learning about his woeful situation, Lovestrom not only spearheaded the fundraising campaign, she’s since given him the gold standard of Canadian hospitality. She’s put him up in her home, fed him dinners, and taken him to see the local sights—Maligne Canyon, Pyramid Lake and even 200 km south to Abraham Lake to go ice skating. “We don’t want what happened to be representative of this town,” Lovestrom said. “I told him people want to help you.” Hinton most certainly has helped. Thanks to the GoFundMe campaign, Lovestrom has been able

to get Yoshino set up with a new ride. Working with The Bench Bike Shop’s Randal Riddell, they have ordered a replacement bike. On January 30, they were expecting it to arrive any day. “Hinton is a community that can sometimes be hard to get to know but seriously all you ever have to do is ask and Hinton will step up,” Lovestrom said. The story has resonated with folks who have been heartened by A helping handlebar// Hinton’s Courtney the turn of events. Lovestrom reached out to help tourist Masaaki Yoshino replace his stolen bike. // Bob Covey Lovestrom and Yoshino have been think that their paths were somefielding reporters’ inquiries all how meant to cross. week. “Sometimes bad things happen “It’s been nuts,” she laughed. for a good reason,” she said. “I feel For Yoshino, who has seen a lot of that if this wouldn’t have hapeye-popping sights in the 3,600 pened Hinton would have been a kms between Hinton and the speck on the map of a very long northern part of Alaska, this might journey. be the most amazing thing yet. “Instead this is going to change “This would never happen in Jahis perception on what a bike tour pan,” he laughed. can be.” Lovestrom’s not so sure. She does bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

saturday, february 1, 2020 // issue 162 // the jasper local// page B2

Local arts and culture//

Jasper artist melds traditional techniques with technology Karly MacDonald always loved to draw. As a child growing up in Fox Point, Nova Scotia, the 32-year-old remembers drawing with her grandmother—they’d go to the ocean and sketch their hearts out. Then for her birthday one year MacDonald got an art briefcase. It was filled to the brim with every colour of crayon imaginable. “That’s when my art supply hoarding really began,” she laughed. These days, MacDonald’s artistic implements are no longer limited to crayons—as a professional animator, her stylus of choice is a high definition digital pen, which she uses to create characters, backgrounds and visual effects for a creative studio out of Toronto. But even though her digital skills are in high demand, MacDonald has also been keeping up a more traditional medium via the most popular social engagement outside of Wing Wednesday: Paint Night. “It represents two worlds colliding: bar life and art,” she laughed. Make no mistake, MacDonald has dipped her brush into both milieus—when she first came to Jasper nine years ago, she landed a summer job with Mountain Galleries, where she began a traditional art tutelage with arts promoter, painter and producer Wendy Wacko. During her second stint in

the Rockies, three years later, she elected to explore the Jasper night life, tending bar and serving drinks at the Athabasca Hotel and Marmot Basin. While she is glad to have checked those experiences off of her Jasper bucket list (she wouldn’t have met her fiancé otherwise), eventually, her inner artist came calling. To answer it, MacDonald joined the Jasper Artists Guild. There she struck up relationships with local artists who not only helped her to display and sell her work, but gave Karly MacDonald has been able to find work as a professional animator while her the impetus to produce also producing personal work for the Jasper Artists Guild. Her Paint Nights have been a popular way to introduce new artists to a new passion. // bc art that was more personal “Quite a few people who had never something else entirely. in nature. picked up a brush before in their “The personal work is what keeps “Even though they’re painted life now love it and come to every me going,” she said. “If I go too digitally,” she revealed, “I really one,” she said. long without painting or drawing I try to work the brush strokes in a MacDonald continues to expand actually get depressed.” traditional way.” her own horizons, too. Last month, She shouldn’t have to worry about As this newspaper hits the streets, that anymore—the local demand for she exhibited a solo feature at JAG, MacDonald is putting her own spin showcasing more than three dozen on another traditional expression Paint Nights has been extremely pieces, her trademark vibrancy high. A combination of the casual of the heart: marriage. She’s curpopping off of every canvass. setting, diversity of participants rently in Hawaii with her husbandWhile her animation-inspired char- to-be and their two best friends. and beginner-friendly vibes have acters practically begged to be cud- You can bet that, just like when she packed local pubs and restaurants dled, her landscapes and scenics with beer-sipping, brush-dipping used to visit the ocean with her stole the show, their subtle textures grandmother, she’ll be sketching regulars, as MacDonald teaches participants to create, step-by-step, fooling the naked eye so that the her heart out. viewer found it hard to decipher if an 11x14-inch landscape painting they can then take home with them. the medium was oil, watercolour or bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

JASPER SKYTRAM REDEVELOPMENT INFORMATION SESSIONS Please join us to learn more about a concept plan for redevelopment of the Jasper SkyTram: JASPER

EDMONTON

Tuesday, February 11

Wednesday, February 12

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Sawridge Hotel 76 Connaught Drive Jasper, Alberta

4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Hilton Garden Inn West 17610 Stony Plain Rd. NW Edmonton, Alberta

For more information: Toll Free 1-888-975-0181 JasperSkyTram.com

page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 162 // saturday. february 1, 2020

FEATURE story // by Bob covey

THE STORIES ABOUT FORMER JASPERITE KEN WALLATOR ARE JAW DROPPING. Perhaps the most incredible one took place on the limestone cliffs on Cirrus Mountain. Wallator was establishing a new route in the Weeping Wall area when he took a hard fall and landed on a ledge. His back was broken, but since he was alone, he had to self-rescue, which meant first climbing up back up to a rappel station, rapping down the face, then dragging himself out of the bush to his car. Wallator then drove to the Icefields campground, where he used a payphone to call for help. Falling off of that mountain in 1991 didn’t kill Wallator, but he didn’t survive another, nastier fall—a fall down a dark hole of depression, mental illness and loneliness. The legendary mountaineer died sometime between December 14, when he posted a desperate notice on social media and December 21, when mounties discovered his body by the sand dunes near Brule, AB. Mountaineers are often vaunted for their ability to “suffer,” and Wallator certainly had that trait in spades, using his grit, determination and toughness to scale some of the most daunting walls in the Rockies. But to those who knew him—including family members from whom he had estranged himself for years— Wallator’s internal suffering was not heroic, it was tragic. “Ken became very distant,” his older brother, Calvin Wallator said. “He was not a happy guy. He had been struggling for 30 years since he lost his girlfriend.” On December 11, 1988, Wallator and Heidi Schaefer were climbing Mount Belanger, a 3,060 metre peak south of Jasper when they

stopped to take a photograph. They had just got off the face, finishing the technical part of the climb, when the cornice they were standing on gave way. Schaefer fell 480 metres down the side of the mountain. He climbed down to her, but she died in Wallator’s arms while he carried her through a snowstorm towards a climbers’ hut. “He struggled a lot after that,” remembers his sister, Carol Henderson, who recalled Ken being nursed back to health by their mother after Wallator’s Weeping Wall accident. “Our mother could see he was emotionally very hurt.” In the late 1980s, Wallator was becoming known as one of the most bold, talented alpine climbers coming out of the Rockies. Ice-climbing icon Will Gadd, who grew up on the same street as Wallator and who, along with Gadd’s father, Ben, helped get Wallator into alpine sports, said his friend was incredibly strong, both physically and mentally. “He could put up with a lot of adverse conditions that would stop a lot of other humans,” Gadd said. “He generally ran towards things that other people ran away from.” Take Wallator’s first ascent of the northeast face of Storm Mountain in Banff with Tom Thomas, for example. Wallator famously offered a free rope to anyone who could repeat it. Or his first ascent (with Tim Friesen and Charles Scott) of an alpine route on the south face of McArthur Peak in Alaska. Or, perhaps the most legendary of all, his 16-day

self-propelled push in the middle of a February deep freeze to bag the first ascent of Mount Clemenceau’s north face (with Thomas and G. McCormick). “That’s as remote as it gets,” said Jasper climber and friend to Wallator, Dana Ruddy. “The story goes they ran out of food four days from the road.” Ruddy was too young to climb with Wallator in Ken’s heyday, but he recalls Wallator reaching out in 2013 to tie in together, Wallator

trying to rekindle his passion after getting into trouble with the RCMP and falling into a dangerous scene. It was good to see the then-45-yearold getting straight, but Ruddy said there was still a person hurting deep down. “I do think there was some resentment there,” Ruddy said.

Strong, solitary and suffering: REMEMBERING THE MAN AND THE MOUNTAINEER, KEN WALLATOR “I think there was a chip on his shoulder.” Wallator was always supremely individualistic. That may have led to his isolation in his later years, but early in the Jasper climbing community, where most people with alpine aspirations were cut from the Alpine Club of Canada cloth, Wallator’s renegade style made him stand out. “He was the first local dirt bag climber,” Ruddy said. “He was the guy working odd construction jobs to make enough money to live in his van and climb.”

“I think one of the tragedies is that we’re never going to know how many routes he did.” Wallator may have felt he was looked down upon by the up-andcoming guides of the day. And Ruddy said he probably was. But that didn’t mean Wallator stopped pushing the limits. “He was the guy that said F-you, I’m doing it my way,” Ruddy said. “I think people were jealous of his accomplishments, that he was far exceeding theirs.”

Gadd went as far as to say Wallator, had he been a bask-in-the-spotlight type, could have been one of the best known climbers in the world. “He was as good or better than anybody in the world,” said Gadd, who himself has been called the best ice-climber of his generation. “I think one of the tragedies is that we’re never going to know how many routes he did.” From a young age, Wallator stuck to himself, his sister said. Henderson, who was 13 years his elder, remembers him being the easiest kid to babysit; he was content to play by himself for

hours, happily occupied with only his imagination. And although he went out for hockey and other team sports, he was much happier in solitude. “I remember he tried hockey but eventually asked mom to just get him a pair of cross-country skis,” Calvin Wallator said. Scrolling through his Facebook feed, Wallator did indeed seem to be most comfortable in companionless pursuits. He posted photos of himself soloing moderate-grade ice climbs, hanging a fishing rod over a row boat or sitting by a campfire with a beer. Having said that, most Jasper

climbers from 20 years ago would remember that Wallator always had his dog with him. Jesse the Mountain Dog went everywhere with Ken, including, as Calvin remembers it, on top of Mount Edith Cavell. “Ken took him in the bush a lot,” Henderson said. Sometime in mid- December, Wallator went back into the bush and never returned. Before he did, he left a final, despairing message to those who knew him. Ruddy was among many who went out looking for his old friend, skiing into little known trailheads west of Jasper, where the sound of trains shunting through the Miette Valley echoed off the unsympathetic mountains. In the wake of Wallator’s death, his family is trying to remember the happier times in their brother’s life. Like the time they hiked into Jacques Lake in 1977—a nine-yearold Ken’s first overnight trip in the backcountry. Or the ski tours into the Fryatt Valley. “When he was on his A game, his love was the mountains and climbing,” Calvin said. “He would open up to you and talk about his adventures.” His sister, whom Calvin credits (along with her husband, former park warden Ed Henderson) for getting Ken into outdoor activities, remembers a shy little guy with steely blue eyes. “He could do marvellous things with stone and wood. He was passionate. He was creative.” And he was suffering. Calvin said it’s hard to reach out when family members close themselves off. Back when Wallator experienced his trauma, there was no such term as PTSD. Tough guys didn’t ask for help. “Nowadays guys are more apt to come forward when they’re hurting,” he said. “I think Ken probably wished he had.” bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

SUPPORT FOR PERMANENT RESIDENTS & REFUGEES

You have questions. We have answers. 627 Patricia St. | Monday to Friday | 9am-4:30pm settlement@town.jasper.ab.ca 780-852-8070 Jasper Settlement Services

page B5 // the jasper local //issue 162 // saturday, february 1, 2020

Snow Removal Parking Pilot Project The Municipality of Jasper is trialing a new system to let residents know where to park during snow removal operations. All streets in town have been color coded with a red side and a blue side. When there is a snow storm in the forecast, the Municipality will notify the public which side to park on (either red side or blue side) and when.

What color is my side of the street? • •

Look for red or blue reflective tape on street signs, fire hydrants and stakes Check the map on the municipal website

How will I find out which side to park on? • • • •

Sandwich boards downtown and at major intersections Municipal website and social media (including The Fitzhugh’s Facebook page) Email or text message alerts (sign up at jasper-alberta.com/NotifyMe) Ask a neighbour!

Once a block has been cleared and heavy equipment has left the area, you can park back on that side of the street.

jasper-alberta.com/SnowRemoval Questions?

Contact the Operations Department at 780-852-3040 or operations@town.jasper.ab.ca.

Local Business

local wildlife //

saturday, february 1, 2020 // issue 162 // the jasper local// page B6

Local shooter Simone Heinrich was all a-flutter when she captured her latest images of wild birds in JNP. The Stellar’s Jay, Great Grey owl and juvenile bald eagle paused just long enough for Heinrich to snap some incredible photos. FOllow her on insta: @simoneheinrichphotography

VALENTINE’S DAY FEBRUARY 14TH

PRIME RIB DINNER $29.95 780-852-2260 PAPAGEORGESJASPER.COM

WINTER MAGIC FESTIVAL A winter festival experience for the entire family!

Come and feel the magic!

FEB 8 FEB 9 FEB 9-15 FEB 10 FEB 10 FEB 14 FEB 15 FEB 15 FEB 15 FEB 15 FEB 16 FEB 16 FEB 16 FEB 17 FEB 17 FEB 17 FEB 18 FEB 19 FEB 20 FEB 22 FEB 22 FEB 22 FEB 22 FEB 22 FEB 22 FEB 23 FEB 23

Switzer Park Winter Activities Switzer Park Winter Activities Cup for Compassion Winter Wonderland Storytime Sign Making Workshop - B-A-L Valentine’s Day Concert Switzer Park Winter Activities Nordic Skiers Chili Loppet Ryan McNally in Concert Battle of the Badges (Fire/RCMP) Archery Fun Day Switzer Park Winter Activities Bonhomme Carnaval Switzer Park Winter Activities Family Day Snowshoe Family Day Free Admission Family Hot Chocolate Social Hinton Film Club Screening Sensational Snow Globes Growler Fat Bike Race Switzer Park Winter Activities Escape Room Polar Dip Axe Throwing (at the Museum) 18 Hole Mini Golf Switzer Park Winter Activities Lantern Festival

William A. Switzer Park William A. Switzer Park Various Restaurants Hinton Municipal Library Hinton United Church The PATH / West Fraser Guild William A. Switzer Park Hinton Nordic Centre The PATH / West Fraser Guild Steve Hotchkiss Arena Gun Range William A. Switzer Park Nordic Centre William A. Switzer Park Kelley’s Bathtub Dr. Duncan Murray Rec Centre Hinton Municipal Library The PATH / West Fraser Guild Hinton Municipal Library Maxwell Lake William A. Switzer Park Gateway Community Church Dr. Duncan Murray Rec Centre Northern Rockies Museum Gateway Community Church William A. Switzer Park Maxwell Lake Oval

11:00am - 4:00pm 11:00am - 4:00pm 7:00am - 3:00pm 6:00pm - 7:00pm 6:00pm - 9:00pm 7:00pm - 9:00pm 11:00am - 4:00pm 12:00pm - 4:00pm 6:30pm - 10:30pm 6:15pm - 7:45pm 12:00pm - 4:00pm 11:00am - 4:00pm 12:00pm - 4:00pm 11:00am - 4:00pm 1:00pm - 3:00pm 1:00pm - 4:00pm 6:00pm - 7:30pm 7:00pm - 9:00pm 6:00pm - 7:00pm 10:00am - 4:00pm 11:00am - 4:00pm 1:00pm - 5:00pm 4:30pm - 6:30pm 1:00pm - 3:00pm 1:00pm - 5:00pm 11:00am - 4:00pm 5:00pm - 8:00pm

For Event details visit this link: www.hinton.ca/773/Winter-Magic-Festival

QR SCAN HERE for Event Schedule

Liquor Lodge is Hiring liquorlodge.ca/pages/careers

Apply in person or send your resumé to

megan@liquorlodge.ca

LIQUOR LODGE

306 Connaught drive, Jasper, AB 405a Patricia street, Jasper, AB

For more information:

Don Engerdahl, Event Coordinator (780) 865-6055 events@hinton.ca