The Jasper Local, June 15, 2020 by The Jasper Local

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MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 // ISSUE 167

Strike while the iron’s hot // Jasper’s Dan Young knocks one close on Hole

thejasperlocal.com

3 at the Fairmont JPL Golf Club. Locals and visitors have been getting back into the swing of things since the course opened June 1. // Bob Covey

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 167 // MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

EDITORIAL //

Local Vocal You many have noticed things are rather…strained…at Jasper Municipal Council meetings these days.

While perhaps not immediately apparent, anyone who has been viewing the public meetings over Zoom the last couple of months will have noticed an uptick in tension amongst participants. Not being privy to the private, “in-camera” sessions that seem to take place more frequently than with Jasper councils past, it’s difficult to know exactly how we got here, but I suspect it’s not as big of a mystery as some might want to believe. People like to gossip about power struggles and ego trips and whose interests are influencing whom, but being (marginally) less cynical than those theorists, I’ll chalk up most of the friction right now to the uncertainty of living in a pandemic, a lack of effective communication and a desire to get things right. And really, what should we expect from our council and administrators as they dutifully log on each week to manage the future of our community during a world wide health crisis and recession? That they won’t make mistakes? That they’ll have all the answers? A municipality is not immune to the changes that have affected every business and household across Canada. Times are tough right now. We shouldn’t expect to get out of this storm without our boat being rocked.

But then again, municipal councillors, like all public officials, have to be prepared to face uncomfortable criticism if they are making unpopular decisions. Particularly when those decisions have such deep ramifications; particularly when they go against the advice of the chief administrative officer, and the mayor, who, after two decades of service, has built considerable community capital among residents; and particularly when there’s no clear plan in place for stepping up community service levels now that Alberta has enacted its Phase Two strategic relaunch.

Having said that, what steadies the ship on To sail the good ship Jasper into its next port will take efforts on all turbulent seas is its captain and crew. Undermine sides. But it’s incumbent on councillors to demonstrate a willingness their leadership, question their capabilities, to listen to their constituents, be genuine and transparent in their or disrespect the many responsibilities they communications, and work to rebuild the trust and the relationships hold and you’ll sow the seeds of mistrust. Not that have started to fray in our uncertain times. For as long as we to put too fine a point on it, but when council share a community, we will always have many more commonalities to repeatedly ignores the recommendations of their unite us than competing interests which divide us. // BOB COVEY senior administration and places unreasonable The Jasper Local // Jasper’s independent alternative newspaper demands on municipal staff, they risk having a 780.852.9474 • thejasperlocal.com • po box 2046, jasper ab, t0e 1e0 mutiny on their hands. A ship—a ship in which Published on the 1st and 15th of each month we all sail together—won’t make its next port Editor / Publisher under those conditions. It may not even float. Bob Covey..................................................................................bob@thejasperlocal.com That’s not to dismiss the pressures that come with Art Director being an elected official. They have the extremely Nicole Covey........................................................................ nicole@thejasperlocal.com difficult job of considering the interests of the Advertising & Sales Email us today.......................................................... bob@thejasperlocal.com municipality as a whole and then defending their decisions to all who disagree. And there are Editorial Cartoonist Deke............................................................................................deke@thejasperlocal.com plenty of folks who aren’t exactly using Robert’s facebook.com/thejasperlocal @thejasperlocal Rules of Order to let their views be known.

// LOCAL VISITORS

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 // ISSUE 167 // The Jasper Local // PAGE A3

Meet Stew Winkelaar (and Baby Jack) They’re from Edmonton, but living like tourists while temporarily in Jasper for his wife’s job. And guess what Banff? They like Jasper better.

Megan Warren

Stew Winkelaar got laid off just in time to start his new full-time job: exploring Jasper with his son, Jack. Winkelaar has always wanted to come to Jasper, but a visit was always outside his budget. Now, his wife is a heavy equipment operator working on the Whistlers Campground renovation, so his family gets to be here for 11 days and back home in Edmonton for three days at a time. He’s making sure to take full advantage of his time here—he and Jack go for three walks a day, two hours each. He’s been everywhere: Annette, Edith, Old Fort Point, Pyramid,

and of course, the Info Centre lawn, where Jack likes to watch the trains every morning. “We just go all over the place,” Winkelaar laughed. “I’ve lost like 15 pounds!” He loves walking around town, but is even more smitten with the lakes nearby. For his first two weeks in Jasper, there was hardly anyone around. He and Jack went up to Pyramid Island and had the whole island to themselves. Of course, this will start to change as Jasper gets a little bit busier, but Winkelaar is still thrilled to be here while the park is quiet. “There was nobody, and now there are a few people,”

he said. “It kind of sucks, but I like people around too. Even when it’s busy, this place is still better than Banff.” The people he did run into, mostly locals downtown, have made him feel welcome. “This place has an awesome old small town feel,” he said. “It’s much less busy than Banff, and very friendly.” Winkelaar is unsure when he’ll be able to get back into his field, but in the meantime, he’s happy to spend his days wandering through the park with his favourite adventure buddy. MEGAN WARREN // thejasperlocal@gmail.com

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 167 // MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

LOCAL FINANCES

Budget breakdown 2020: How did we arrive here? Jasper Municipal Council voted 4 to 3 to go against administration’s recommended zero per cent budget increase, instead adopting a more austere financial plan to reflect a pandemic-affected economy. The Jasper Local explores some of the issues surrounding that process. By Bob Covey

to pay with a focus on the business community, who were faced with the reality of having to reduce their expenses. Obviously when we reduce the tax envelope it has a disproportionate effect on the business community.” So council’s cuts aren’t benefiting the least vulnerable on the backs of the most vulnerable, as some have suggested? On the contrary, Butler says, the commercial ratepayers not only pay the lion’s share of the community’s tax envelope, but are also the town’s

rescind two motions—one to approve a 12 per cent tax cut and another to shave almost a million dollars from the budget—because he felt the public wasn’t well-enough informed. After the pandemic was declared, council met One such portrayal, which he has been at pains to behind closed doors for two weeks before emerging rebut, suggests Jasper Municipal Council’s April 7 with recommendations to be voted on. The deluge motion to reduce the 2020 tax requisition by 12 per of public input—much of which expressed concern cent is categorically linked to their May 5 motion to that Jasper’s services would be much more expensive cut $982,000 from the 2020 budget. to reboot next year if they were slashed so deeply this year—convinced Wilson to try to get council Not true, he says. back to the drawing board. He, in agreement People assume, he said during the May with administration’s recommendations, was 12 regular council meeting, “that if we advocating for a zero per cent tax requisition reverse the tax reduction we’d have all from last year. this money to provide these services.” “I believe the motions were made without The spirit of the tax reduction motion, sufficient information as to where these cuts he explained, was that because of the would come from and what impact they COVID-19 pandemic, people are not would have in our community,” Wilson said. going to be able to pay their taxes. The Wilson’s motions to rescind were ultimately spirit of the budget reductions motion, defeated, but the question of sufficient he went on, was that the town’s revenues public engagement has lingered. Butler, will be compromised and that as a who introduced the motions about the Clockwise from top consequence, expenses will have to be cut. tax requisition and the workforce/service left: Councillors Helen “The process of digging ourselves out reductions, with the support of councillors Kelleher-Empey, Bert of a hole will be a multi-year process,” Jenna McGrath, Helen Kelleher-Empey, Bert Journault, Jenna McGrath, he said. “As such, we’ve chosen to give Journault and Rico Damota (who supported Paul Butler, Rico Damota, people a little bit of a break this year.” the former, but not the latter motion) Scott Wilson (Mayor RichBut if he understands how people might admitted some of the cuts took community ard Ireland in the middle) major employers. draw links between taxes and budgets, members by surprise. Nevertheless, he will still “The process of Butler is “mystified” as to another “The hard reality is that residential tax argue for them. digging ourselves narrative making the rounds: that those payers get a screaming good deal in “The cuts to the budget are necessary,” he said. councillors who voted for the cuts are Jasper,” Butler said. out of a hole will “Council is elected to make these decisions.” intent on not just giving people a little Communication gap? be a multi-year Proactivity over patience bit of a break, but giving businesses The 27 letter writers who voiced their a very sizeable break—at the expense If Mayor Richard Ireland had it his way, those process. As such, concern that services in Jasper would of residents, whose services will be decisions wouldn’t have been made quite so hastily. we’ve chosen to give be irrevocably altered hardly saw the compromised. Ireland advocated for a wait-and-see approach, deep cuts to the budget as a screaming arguing that it was premature to forecast revenues people a little bit of a “I struggle to understand that,” Butler good deal. The letters poured in ahead when everything, including Alberta’s relaunch said in a June 10 interview. “We were break this year.” of the May 12 council meeting, when strategy, was so day-to-day. trying to reflect the community’s ability Continued on B2 councillor Scott Wilson moved to

Municipal councillor Paul Butler takes issue with the way recent council decisions have been represented in the public narrative.

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 // ISSUE 167 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B2

LOCAL FINANCES

Budget breakdown 2020: And where do we go now? “It seems to me we will never know less than we know today,” he said on May 12, supporting Wilson’s motions to rescind. “My position has been to go with a zero per cent budget…and come back to this question in the fall or later when we have some actual figures. We will see how the recovery is going, we will see what ability our taxpayers have to pay. If necessary we can forgive taxes.” But the majority of councillors voted for a proactive approach. Butler said some councillors were advocating for a 15 per cent cut, some for 10, before landing on 12. “We picked a number,” Butler said. “It was admittedly a shot in the dark.” Councillor Jenna McGrath explained her thought process at the time: “In my mind I wasn’t protecting businesses or large corporations in Jasper, I was making a sociallyminded decision to help as many people as I could without knowing the full magnitude of what’s to come,” she said. Impact remains to be seen The full magnitude of the pandemic is one thing, but at the moment, the full magnitude of the cuts to the budget is the more immediate question at hand. Administration is currently preparing a report illustrating the impact of the budget reductions, although because it is being prepared in camera alongside Council, details of exactly what information that document will contain have been scant. Needless to say, Council will soon have to reconcile with the ramifications of their decisions— whether those ramifications will show up in decrepit infrastructure, unkempt grounds or depleted reserves. Butler’s motion has some built-in flexibility and already, some of the proposed reductions have been walked back. After Council agreed that daycare is a critical service, for example, administration proposed alternate funding solutions (which, by and large, means drawing down reserves). Significant line items in bylaw and protective services have been taken off the chopping block. The Jasper Artists Guild will get custodial help after all. And the public

washrooms on Connaught Drive, originally slated for closure because the resources to clean them were not earmarked, are now open. “This is a plan-for-the-worst, hope-for-the-best budget,” Butler said. “We said at the beginning this would be a rolling, make-it-up-as-we-go, ongoing process.”

Alberta’s Phase 2 Relaunch was accelerated to June 12. //BC

Phase Two Relaunch In short order, council—and subsequently, administration—will be once again making it up as they go. On June 9, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney took the province by surprise and announced that Phase Two of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy would be accelerated to begin June 12. Included in the relaunch is the green light to open public libraries, community halls and fitness and sports facilities. Which begs the question: if the provincial government says it’s ok to open the Jasper Fitness and Aquatic Centre and other facilities, does the money exist in Jasper’s budget? The short answer is no, it would seem, but without making a hard commitment one way or the other, Butler said a decision will have to be made about further drawing down reserves. “I’m not saying when we will open,” he said. “We can’t ignore the fiscal realities. But we’re trying to make intelligent decisions as we go along.”

Expensive cuts? Jasperites can only hope that the decisions made thus far will look intelligent in retrospect. There are red flags. Inflation is bound to go up, meaning it’s going to be more expensive to deal with future debentures than if we were buying or borrowing right now. Potential severance payments for municipal staff who have been laid off will surely factor into the overall cost savings, as will the cost of rehiring and retraining for those positions, should they become available again. It remains to be seen how municipal assets requiring regular upkeep— things like sports fields, green spaces and flower beds—will be resourced (experts know they cost more in the long run if you let them go to seed). And hovering over all of this is the fact that according to a 2016 asset management study, town managers should be putting away a total of nearly $4.5 million each year, just to ward off infrastructure deficit. Those savings weren’t being accrued before COVID-19; it’s unlikely they will start in the foreseeable future. Butler knows all of this. He says council is prepared to live with their choices. And as much as it’s easy for residents to glom onto a certain “narrative” regarding those choices, they haven’t been easy ones to make, he said. “Layoffs and other workforce reductions have been really significant,” he said. “I make no bones that they were deep and brutal.” Furthermore, Butler thinks there will be more difficult conversations to be had. “We have to be willing to have discussions about priorities.” So far those discussions have been delayed—in part because administrators have spent so much time rejigging the budget to find the $982,000 Council insisted be stripped. Making the operational budget match those cuts has been a massive undertaking, and it remains to be seen if that staff time will be documented when the report detailing the impact of the 2020 workforce and service reductions is made public. BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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PAGE B3 + B4 //

The Jasper Local // ISSUE 167 // MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

FEATURE // COVID CHECK-IN

Marmot Basin: Brian Rode Marmot Basin’s Brian Rode doesn’t need to talk about the spring ski season that could have been, that should have been, that would have been.

Regardless, instead of the 150 cm base of snow, R and those staff that remained were focused on th employees who were laid off seven weeks earlier planned. Helping Canadians navigate the govern support systems, assisting international staff g to the other side of the world and shutting dow mountain safely took priority.

Thirteen weeks later, as the snow sluices down mountain in spring torrents, Rode and the team Marmot Basin—like many of us who are hopin more certain times— are looking to next winte the details of the ski experience may well be di think reduced seating in the chalets, physical d barriers and more rigorous health and safety p But Rode believes that the essence of skiing an snowboarding will remain.

“People’s passion for the purity of skiing won’t Rode says. “That connection to the mountain, terrain, to the fresh snow…that won’t change.”

“I think a lot of Jasper’s intrinsic qualities, those elements natural to Jasper, are more important to people today than they were last year.”

Closing down the ski hill was certainly a disappointment, but when the lifts made their last rotation on March 17 it was the right decision. Still…it stings a little. “The conditions were the best they had been in a long time,” Rode said.

Those same values are why Rode thinks Jasper destination will bounce back, too.

“I think a lot of Jasper’s intrinsic qualities, those natural to Jasper, are more important to people they were last year,” he said.

What makes him so sure? Gut instinct, a 100 ye of skiing in Jasper National Park and a quick gla surroundings.

“I’m optimistic that skiing will survive for all th we’ve always done it.” BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

Mountain Air: Karen Jacobs Despite a five-customer limit in her store, COVID-19 has made Karen Jacobs’ job a whole lot busier. Everything a shopper in Mountain Air might have touched or tried on goes to a rack in the back, where it gets steamed and left to sit for 24 hours. This requires constant vigilance on Jacobs’ part—“Did they just try on that shirt? Is there a chance they may have touched that sweater?” On the way in, customers are asked to take a mask from a box Jacobs has provided. While most people are happy to comply, “not everyone’s into it.” “It’s tough,” Jacobs said. “It’s more work. In my store, I like people to touch things, to try things on. It’s part of the experience.” Just before COVD-19 hit, Mountain Air joined other local retailers to form the Jasper Association of Retailers. Since then, it has been a network for local businesses to share information, resources, and support to get through this season.

“It’s banded us together as a community of small retailers,” said Jacobs. “Just to be able to refer people to other places is great, and to know that it would be reciprocated. If I don’t have something, please find it here in town instead of finding it online. That’s how we’re going to survive.” Jacobs kept Mountain Air running door-to-door service during the COVID shutdown. Even with all of the extra work necessary to keep everyone safe, she is relieved to finally be able to open her doors again. “It’s been a stressful couple months,” said Jacobs. “There are a lot of unknowns that are scary. I’m hopeful, and you have to be optimistic. You can’t have a doom and gloom outlook. Although it’s hard, we’re optimistic going forward.”

MEGAN WARREN // info@thejasperlocal.com

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Jasper Rafting Adventures: Mark Howe

If there’s one thing Mark Howe can say for COVID-19, it has made his busses a heck of a lot cleaner. Jasper Rafting Adventures’ COVID-19 relaunch plan, like most businesses in town, includes a thorough cleaning of gear and buses after each tour—that’s five wipe-downs daily. It’s not just one bus per tour, either. The main concern when figuring out how to run this season was how to physically distance on a raft, so they plan to minimize the number of people on buses and rafts to uphold physical distancing guidelines. This will mean more vans and rafts for each trip.

Of course, getting wet is the whole point at JRA.

Last year, the Whistlers campground closure and constant rain made for a slow rafting summer. This year, Howe expects business to drop 60 per cent from last year’s numbers. Most of his clientele are Canadian anyway, but now of course JRA will expect only rubber tire regional traffic, a demographic unlikely to raft in subpar weather. “If you’re in Jasper once or twice in your lifetime, if you want to go rafting, you’ll go rafting,” said Howe. “If you’re regional and you want to raft on a sunny day, you’ll wait until next summer when you might catch one.” Despite this, Howe is optimistic about JRA’s recovery. He’s already had a “great weekend—for this summer!” with a group of 10 coming through during opening week.

“It’ll be a decrease in numbers and less efficiency,” said Howe. “But the dashboards won’t be dusty, that drives me insane!” Face coverings will be required on the bus, and everyone will face forward in the rafts to avoid breathing toward each other’s faces. There was some debate as to whether masks should be required on the rafts, but masks are much less useful (and comfortable) when wet.

“We’ll get it back,” said Howe. “Not 2017 levels any time soon, but hopefully this year will be the bottom. I think it will be at least 2022 to get back to 2018 levels, but we’ll be here. Let’s get some people here, let’s go rafting.” MEGAN WARREN // info@ thejasperlocal.com

sper Motorcycle Tours: andace Broughton it out.”

what Candace Broughton of Jasper Motorcycle ays about COVID-19. The phrase, befitting of a ycle shop, suits JMT’s relaxed atmosphere, even in dst of a pandemic. Like many Jasper businesses, the opened June 3rd after a ed shutdown on March pite some logistic cations (how can staff ents stay six feet apart otorcycle?), they have out their summer lan for keeping people while keeping the n the road. rly simple, once we got ds wrapped around run the tours,” said ton. he honour of being OVID-19 safety ol guinea pig on a ride up to Marmot Basin. Before e, JMT driver Rob Logan outfitted me in all the al gear—chaps, helmet, gloves, leather jacket. We ore a motley tube, which fit well under bike helmets coverings. Logan wore a retro-style helmet with a visor, which both acted as a mask and allowed me to m on the ride more clearly than a full-face helmet. e cruised up to Marmot Basin, Logan always on kout for bears and for corners on which to “fly the ” (when the driver leans far enough over to lift the from the ground). he ride, they took my gear to the back, where it aned after each ride and sits unused for a couple

of days. The bikes are wiped down, too, so everything is clean and safe for the next riders. Drivers will also be screened for symptoms before work each day, and staff can be tested regularly now that Albertans can be tested asymptomatically. Since many of the tour groups that book up JMT have cancelled for the summer, they’re hoping more regional motorcycle traffic will come through town. “I’m thinking maybe there will be a rise in local motorcycle traffic,” said Broughton. “Bikers like to support bikers, so hopefully they’ll come in and buy a sticker or a hat.” JMT aims to welcome lots of locals on rides this summer. This season, local kids 12 and under can ride free with a paying adult. They also hope to hold a hospital staff appreciation day, so that those keeping us healthy can feel the wind in their hair. “We’ll have to really try to come with a plan to just get the bikes moving, and we will offer discounts and deals wherever we can,” said Broughton. “Maybe we’ll have special days. We’ll just try to roll with it, make a few bucks, pay some bills. “Ride it out.” MEGAN WARREN // info@thejasperlocal.com

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 167 // MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020

LOCAL HEALTH

Recovered COVID patient urges Jasperites to focus on facts of virus, not fear moderate disease. The Blakes fell into both of those categories. Without taking away from the devastating death toll, Ange said it’s important to focus on the data.

Many of us are COVID-19 curious these days. However, in the case of Jasper’s Ange Blake, she’s become completely engrossed in the subject. “I’ve become a COVID nerd,” she said. Under normal circumstances, Blake, a registered nurse, would take a professional interest in developing information about a new disease—particularly one that affects her caseload in the Diabetic Clinic.

“People fixate on the deaths,” she said. “95 per cent of people do well.”

But Blake is paying special attention to coronavirus communiques in large part because she has first-hand experience with the virus. She was the third person in Jasper to have contracted the disease. The second was her husband, Steve; he got sick five days after spending time in close quarters with international guests at the B.C. heli-ski operation he guides at in the winter.

Further, Blake feels strongly that our health care system is prepared. This is an important message because local hospitals are seeing lower patient numbers, presumably because people are scared to visit. Blake says that trend could have its own negative implications. “If people aren’t getting screened for cancer or not going to their physical therapy appointments, immunizations or diagnostics, there’s a health care cost to that,” she said. “People need to know it’s safe to go to the hospital right now.”

“His symptoms were textbook,” Blake said. “Dry cough, a burning sensation in the chest and a lowgrade, 10-day, mild fever.” What was also textbook was that the Blakes had no idea Steve was ill as they shopped for groceries and supplies during the mid-March pandemic panic. However, the fact that they didn’t spread the sickness around quelled Ange’s initial fears of hyper-contagion. “It speaks to the dose, duration and intensity of the droplets,” she said. “You have to be exposed to someone for a longer time.” Such as living together. Even though the Blakes quickly became vigilant in their safety protocols— sanitizing surfaces; sitting, eating and sleeping apart; not sharing utensils and other common household items—the first two days after Steve returned from guiding, when they were not practicing physical distancing, is likely when Ange got sick. “It wasn’t acquired at work. I want that to be clear.”

“It speaks to the dose, duration and intensity of the droplets, you have to be exposed to someone for a longer time.”

Steve and Ange Blake were COVID-19 cases numbers two

and three in Jasper. Ange, a registered nurse, is telling people to ease their worries by getting the data. // B Covey

Furthermore, Blake said when she did start showing symptoms, although having COVID-19 was uncomfortable, she never felt unsafe. “Neither of us were saying we should go to the hospital or seek further care,” Blake said. The bulk of coronavirus cases in Alberta have shown up in people aged 35 to 55-years-old, and 80-95 per cent of people who contract COVID-19 end up with mild to

The Blakes were themselves in an Edmonton hospital recently. Steve has signed on as a blood plasma donor in a clinical trial to help doctors treat those with severe cases of COVID. Additionally, along with other Albertans who have recovered from coronavirus, the couple has been asked by Alberta Health Services to be part of cutting edge antibody research and serum testing. Through it all, Blake is choosing to focus on the public health system’s capacity to combat the illness, the changes to people’s health habits and the importance of being kind. “There’s a lot of good that comes out of this, I think it’s important to remember that,” Blake said. BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

LOCAL WILDLIFE

MONDAY, JUNE 15, 2020 // ISSUE 167 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B6

As snow lingers in the alpine and grizzly bears seek food sources and safety closer to town, Parks Canada has issued a bear advisory for Jasper National Park. Numerous close encounters, including eye witness accounts of a grizzly bear with cubs killing an elk calf in a Patricia street cul-de-sac before burying it near the adjacent Cabin Creek, have led officials to issue the advisory (Parks Canada has since moved the carcass to keep people safe). By circulating the alert, wildlife specialists hope to increase awareness of potentially dangerous situations that may arise. “Grizzly bears will aggressively defend their prey and their cubs,” the missive says. “Encountering a grizzly bear defending a carcass or their cubs is a very dangerous situation.” Wildlife photographer Simone Heinrich viewed these grizzlies from the safety of her car. In the case of the mother grizzly with three yearlings, she was across the lake with her telephoto lens. She reported all sightings to Parks Canada. // SIMONE HEINRICH PHOTOGRAPHY