The Jasper Local, September 1, 2020

ALTERNATIVE +

LOCAL + INDEPENDENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 // ISSUE 172

GETTIN’ BOW LEGGED // Jasper’s Michal Jurik struts his stuff above Bow Lake from Mount Jimmy Simpson Jr. in Banff National Park. // LADA D PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 172 // TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

EDITORIAL //

Local Vocal Two summers ago, I saved Jasper National Park from burning to the ground.

Maybe not exactly, but when I saw a trio of canoeists paddling away from an unattended, raging fire they had started at a Maligne Lake picnic area (in a designated fire pit, mind you), I took them to task for their carelessness. I was still figuring out my dad voice, so I was a bit anxious about a confrontation, but after impressing on them the basics of campfire safety and why it’s not a great idea to abandon a head-high inferno while the park’s fire hazard is at extreme, they got the message, paddled back and doused the flames.

At the time, I was shocked that these three dingbats could figure out how to get a campfire going if they didn’t even have the common sense to put it out after they grew tired of sitting around it at midday in August (go figure). However, what surprised me more was finding out the three were Canadian. Not to sound too judgemental, but I figured as citizens of this great, forested country, they should have known better.

If that lesson was annoying for me to learn, I have sympathy for my fellow Jasperites who have, this summer, discovered that Canadians are perhaps the most ignorant, least-respectful national park visitors JNP has had the displeasure of hosting in recent memory. The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing out people’s true colours and while of course the old saying about a few bad apples spoiling the whole bunch certainly applies, I don’t need a spreadsheet of survey data to know that the increased number of litterbugs, illegal campers and ad-hoc campfire starters this year is due to the fact we have many more stay-cationers than usual.

Oh how Jasper misses Ernst and Gertrud from Germany, whose campsite was always so tidy, who spent the day hiking and whose downtime was passed playing cards or thumbing through their wildflower guides. Now we’ve got Axl and Tawnya from Alberta, stumbling out of their RV an hour past check-out, chucking their masks in the Athabasca Falls parking lot before finding a server to leave a five per cent tip on six extra spicy Caesars.

As residents of a tourism community, we’re witnesses to these transgressions, and as petty and as pointless as it might seem to outsiders to get worked up about a few trash-strewn trailheads or a slight bump in incidences unbecoming of the national parks act, even the most patient among us have their breaking point.

Still, I think it’s wise to choose our battles. I might be willing to step out of my comfort zone if it looks like the forest is threatened by an unattended fire, but I’m not going to go all citizen-on-patrol if I see a family of ice cream eaters walking less than two metres apart without a mouth-and-nose covering.

It’s hard watching our town and the national park (most) Canadians love get disrespected, but in these trying times, while the world is in a generally heightened state of anxiety, I say kill ‘em with kindness. Show the passive bystanders that you’re willing to right someone else’s wrong by picking up garbage. Tell the frazzled grocery store worker how much you appreciate their dedication. Give your over-worked server an extra big tip. Buy the kitchen a round of beers.

The summer is almost over, and while many of us will be happy to say so long to Axl and Tawnya, we can’t say for certain that Ernst and Gertrud will be booking their campsite next year.

If we can count on anything, it’s that our own community support and goodwill will get us through.

BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

The Jasper Local //

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// LOCAL STUDENTS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 // ISSUE 172 // The Jasper Local // PAGE A3

Leap of faith// Kurtis Bruce impresses onlookers with a big old ollie during a Skate Jam August 30. The Jasper Skatepark Committee is edging ever closer to its goal of funding a new park and wants to keep the fundraising momentum going into the fall. Committee spokesperson Darrell Savage (bottom middle) is pursuing a provincial grant. He hopes the MOJ will help the cause by kicking in a portion of the funding. // BC

New routines for novel school year Administrators and staff at École Desrochers are doing their best to plan for the upcoming school year, trying to envision every potential COVID curve in the road so they can keep students safe, healthy and in school.

“It will be great to have the school filled with smiles and kids,” Principal MarieClaude Faucher said. “That’s what it’s supposed to be.”

It’s been six months since students were in classrooms.

When the COVID pandemic was declared, teachers, students and parents alike were sent scrambling.

Curriculum was delivered over the internet, typically on the Google Hangouts application. Faucher said although using the technology was enlightening, online learning was a poor substitute for the classroom experience.

“We believe it’s much better to have the students here at the school rather than online,” she said.

To keep them there, École Desrochers is implementing basic health and safety protocols. Students are to be screened for COVID symptoms everyday at home before coming to school; there will be mandatory masks for students when not at their desks; entry to the school will be in cohorts, in line; playgrounds will be cordoned off according to cohorts; and teachers will be ensuring adequate distancing between students while in the classroom.

“Physical education classes will be outdoors whenever possible,” Faucher said.

School materials will be assigned individually and disinfected when necessary.

The use of the library will change to prevent cohort mingling; so too will recess. In secondary school, teachers will move from class to class, while in high school, students will keep their computers at their workstations during the day.

Faucher says if it sounds strict, it’s only because the staff wants to be prepared.

Most of the changes to the 2020 school year will be in between the learning opportunities.

“The difference is mostly in the routines coming in and out of school,” she said.

But as much as staff will try to manage the requirements set out by the Ministry of Education, the roadmap is still being drawn up.

Parents have been asking Faucher what they should do if their child complains of mid sickness. Faucher admitted the school doesn’t have clear guidelines at this time.

“If someone’s coughing, we don’t have answers right now,” she said.

And so parents and teachers and staff are going to have to trust each other to make the right decisions—which is what the leadership at the school has always been about.

“We all want the same thing,” Faucher said.

“Keeping the school healthy.”

BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 172 // TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

LOCAL ADVENTURE

Re-released paragliding film reminding adventurers anything is possible On Saturday August 29, a lone paraglider soared over the Jasper townsite, craning necks and reminding the public that JNP is open to self-powered flights.

A lot happened. Innumerable close calls, including a near-miss in the North Saskatchewan River Valley wherein he lost his lift over—and subsequently nearly lost his life in—the river’s unforgiving torrent.

Conversely, he experienced the euphoric highs of taking flight over some of the

chain of razor thin peaks marks a huge progression for our sport,” he said. “I felt I had the helping hand of the universe.”

It’s not all ukulele playing above the clouds, however. Eventually, Jordan has to untangle his rigging cords from the deadfall of

him ache for the day when flying would be permitted in the park, but an accident in 2011 left Midwinter with a spinal cord injury. He would never walk again, however, he could still participate in the dream to fly over the Endless Chain. From his home in Calgary, Midwinter tracked Jordan’s progress, relaying weather reports and giving the solo pilot a tether of safety.

“Having Stewart involved made the journey feel more selfless and more mature,” Jordan said.

This wasn’t the first expedition that Jordan had embarked on. In 2010 he crossed Canada in a powered paraglider, raising money for children’s summer camps; in 2012 he helped a young African boy become the first paraglider in Malawi; and in 2016 Jordan flew solo from Vancouver to Calgary, the first paragliding journey of its kind.

Since 2015, the once-impossible fantasy of flying over the mountains of Jasper has become a reality for a niche group of dreamers and adventurers.

Meanwhile, the biggest dreamer of all, 39-year-old Benjamin Jordan, is showing fellow pilots and adventurers alike that anything is possible with the online release of his 2019 film, The Endless Chain.

Two years ago, Jordan flew his paraglider high over JNP’s Endless Chain Ridge, an audacious flight that was a first in paragliding history, and part of a crossContinental Divide expedition from the Montana border to the crown of the Rockies, in Mount Robson Provincial Park.

The quest took Jordan 52 days.

“I wanted to see if it was possible, what would happen to me if I tried,” Jordan said.

most wild terrain on the continent. The Dogtooth Range. The Blaeberry. The Columbia Icefields. The trip was part radical adventure, part soul-searching journey, Jordan said.

“I was trying to find an answer to a deep and meaningful question I was struggling with,” he said.

The film captures that struggle as Jordan grapples with long-pushed down feelings of inadequacy and fecklessness while simultaneously planning and executing the most daring series of self-sustained paragliding flights ever recorded in the Canadian Rockies. As he aims to find out what it means to be a man in the modern world, Jordan’s wing camera brings his audience up with him, riding high on life’s generous thermals.

“Flying over that 25-km long unbroken

his past experiences. He gets trapped by inclement weather, cut off from the outside world and hemmed in by indifferent, inhospitable massifs.

What he learned in facing that adversity was a reaffirmation of why he got into paragliding in the first place.

“I realized my fear was a placeholder for love,” he said. “If I wanted to feel more love in my life I needed to identify what it was I was genuinely afraid of.”

The Endless Chain has two protagonists— there’s Jordan, of course, but in the background of the expedition another pilot is along for the ride. Stewart Midwinter is today an activist and advocate for accessible living and biking but in the 1970s and 80s he was one of Canada’s pre-eminent hang glider pilots. A stint in Jasper made

And now he’s putting the cap on another adventure. When The Jasper Local spoke to Jordan, he was atop an unnamed mountaintop, preparing to put together the final two flights of his latest expedition.

He wouldn’t divulge details—a strategy designed to keep the trip free of outside expectations, but also to avoid any spoilers.

As a professional adventure filmmaker, he needs to keep a lid on the plot so he can maximize its marketability.

“I can say that in the tradition of how my expeditions have gone, this one is the next level,” he said.

Until that documentary is released, those who haven’t yet seen The Endless Chain can do so from September 9-16 as part of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival’s online series. __________________________ TO SEE THE AWARD-WINNING FILM, GO TO:

https://vimff.org/the-endless-chain-online or search VIMFF Endless Chain.

BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 // ISSUE 172 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B2

LOCAL COVID-19

COVID Check-in: Busy Beavers starting fresh with a clean slate According to Rockies naturalist Ben Gadd, a beaver can bring down a 25 cm aspen in a few short minutes.

Wendy Hall and Brittany Carl, owners of Jasper’s new cleaning service, Busy Beavers, can bring down the toughest messes in a few short hours.

for a socially distanced coffee and to plan out their day, a way to keep structured during COVID times. Out of the blue, the opportunity came up in conversation.

freedom, weekends off, evenings off and f lexibility,” says Hall.

A typical day for the Busy Beavers starts off with coffees and a morning meeting. Hall and Carl discuss the

explains that they primarily use Norwex cloths, vinegar and bleach (sparingly).

The demand for their service has shown to be high; typically the Beavers are scheduling new clients with a week’s notice.

“We do one-time cleans, weekly cleans and everything in between,” rhymes off Carl.

Originally working together at Jasper’s Wildf lowers Childcare Centre, Hall and Carl found themselves in a bit of a predicament when COVID hit.

“We really didn’t anticipate being able to go back to work at the daycare until at least September,” says Carl.

“We were looking for something to do.”

The two women knew they shared the same standard for cleaning after a big spritz at the daycare, but it wasn’t until a post inquiring about help sprucing up a tourist room popped up on the Jasper Buy and Sell that the wheels started turning for Hall.

Every morning, Carl and Hall were meeting at White Rock (the white rock on Connaught Drive, not the municipality in Greater Vancouver)

“We really didn’t anticipate being able to go back to work at the daycare until at least September. We were looking for something to do.”

DUST BUNNIES // BRITTANY CARL (LEFT) AND WENDY HALL INITIALLY STARTED BUSY BEAVERS CLEANING AS

Like a freshly polished bathroom, the future is looking bright for the Busy Beavers. Carl is looking forward to working hard this winter, but enjoying the freedoms that come with operating her own business.

She’s excited to be able to go the ski hill midweek, something she couldn’t do when she worked full time, Monday to Friday. For Hall, she’s looking forward to growing their business and getting in a few runs in at Marmot Basin as well.

A RESPONSE TO BEING LAID OFF BUT NOW SEE IT AS AN EXCITING NEW VENTURE. // BOB COVEY

“Wendy came to me and said ‘We can do this, we can do residential cleaning, no one in town does this,’” Carl said.

“It was only supposed to be until we got hired back, but working for ourselves is just so good, there is

day’s upcoming clients and talk a bit of strategy before packing up the car and heading off to the job.

One of the Busy Beavers’ goals is to try and clean chemical free. Hall

When it comes to cleaning for the people of Jasper, Hall sums it up nicely, she says that the Busy Beavers are trustworthy and able to clean just about anything.

“Trustable” she laughs.

EMILIE ST. PIERRE // thejasperlocal@gmail.com

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 172 // TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

FEATURE // LOCAL HISTORY // PHOTOS BY JOCELYN NADEAU

History in the Highlands: Discovered insignia recalls r

By Doug Olthof From time to time, events unfold that remind us that Jasper only feels like a bubble.

That we are, and have long been, inextricably connected to wider world.

Recently, of course, the event is question has been the COVID-19 pandemic. But on a hike out of the Tonquin Valley on August 23, I stumbled across an artifact from an encounter between Jasper and a different fight to contain a crisis of global proportions—one that took place much, much earlier.

to provide the Scouts with intensive training in winter mountain warfare, in preparation for a campaign to liberate Norway from the Nazis. With Canadian mountaineer Rex Gibson at the helm, the planners settled on Jasper National Park as the ideal winter training ground.

to skiing, they receiv elements of winter m During their four mo Rockies, members of would make first win such notable peaks a Andromeda, Snow D and Columbia.

From its inception, the Lovat Scouts were composed primarily of Scottish Highlanders whose experience stalking

Injuries during this time were commonplace, but

On a cool morning in late August, my friends and I left the Tonquin Valley Adventure camp en route to the Portal Creek trailhead by way of the Old Horn – Maccarib col.

Leaving the well-trodden Maccarib Pass trail behind, our route took us through pristine alpine meadows, loose scree slopes, exposed ridges and slidable snow patches.

The only signs of traffic that morning were the broad, cloven hoofprints of caribou and we enjoyed the euphoric sense of freedom that comes from picking one’s own “line” through demanding terrain.

It was only while moving through intermittent snow patches on Maccarib Mountain that I spied the first sign of previous human visitation. There on a boulder lay a tattered shred of red fabric bearing a brass insignia inscribed with the words “Lovat Scouts.”

I knew I had found something special.

PROMOTIONAL

I had first heard the name “Lovat Scouts” while skiing a beautiful circuit in the Bald Hills/Maligne Valley area.

Later, I came to learn that it was the name of a British Army regiment that had trained in Jasper during the Second World War. By the time I got home from the Tonquin Valley, relic in hand, I was desperate to learn more.

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The Lovat Scouts were a regiment first assembled in 1900 by Simon Fraser, Sixteenth Laird (Lord) of Lovat and Chieftain of Clan Fraser (the explorer and namesake of the river and the university was a distant relative). The Scouts saw their first action in the second Boer War in South Africa, gained renown during the Gallipoli Campaign in Turkey, and spent the early part of the Second World War guarding the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.

But in 1943, plans were developed

and shooting game prompted the regiment’s designation as the British Army’s first “sharpshooter” unit. But, while the Highlands of Scotland offer many challenges to the mountaineer (especially in winter), the Scouts could not have been prepared for the sights and experiences that awaited them in Jasper National Park.

Having no experience with skiing, the Scouts began their training on the grounds of the JPL golf course. They soon progressed to Whistlers and the Palisades and within weeks were skiing on the Columbia Icefield. In addition

“In 1943, pla

developed to p Scouts with i training in mountain w in preparatio campaign to Norway from t

there were few seriou exception took place their training on Jan

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renowed WWII regiment

ved training in all mountaineering. onths in the f their regiment nter ascents of as Athabasca, Dome, Kitchener

when Lance Corporal Sandy Collie died in an avalanche on Nigel Peak.

In April 1944, the Lovat Scouts began their return trip to Europe. By the time they arrived, the planned invasion of Norway had been called off and they were soon redeployed to Italy. While

And in Jasper, 76 years after their training mission concluded, there are still reminders of these brave men who tested themselves against the Canadian Rockies. These include still heavily-used trails that were improved for their training, as well as the beautiful Maligne Valley ski loop that bears their name.

But if you cast your sights on some of the less-traveled routes in the park and choose to take on terrain that would give a sporting challenge to a hardened highlander, you might chance upon some other reminders of the brave men of the Lovat Scouts.

ans were provide the intensive winter warfare, on for a o liberate the Nazis.�

us accidents. The e just 10 days into nuary 19, 1944,

European theatre, but they fought— and sometimes died heroically—in the battle against fascism. For that, the whole world owes them a debt of gratitude.

David Harrap//

harrap2017@gmail.com pursuing a retreating German army, many Lovat Scouts were injured or killed by landmines and artillery.

The Lovat Scouts were never to apply their mountain warfare training in the

And if you should be so lucky, please pass them along to Parks Canada, so they can make their way to the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives.

DOUG OLTHOF // thejasperlocal@gmail.com

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The Jasper Local // ISSUE 172 // TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

y a D ! t 8 s r r i F be m e t p Se

LOCAL COMMUNITY

WE’VE GOT THIS! Jasper Elementary School (JK-6) French Immersion (FRIM) & English Programs Principal: Jodi Campbell .......................780.852.4447 Jasper Junior/Senior High School (7-12) French Immersion (FRIM) & English Programs/ Virtual Options Principal: Mark Crozier .........................780.852.3316

QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Q. When are schools open in August to register my children?

A. Families can register for school on the website at any time.

As of Monday, August 24th, school staff are also ready to assist. Please visit the school’s website to register online.

Q. What special services are provided by GYPSD? A. GYPSD’s inclusive education system builds upon students’ strengths to achieve their fullest potential using targeted and specialized supports to meet their individual needs. Families should contact their school principal to learn more.

Q. Do we need to do the daily screening questionnaire every day?

A. Yes. Staff, children/students, visitors, and volunteers who will access the school for work or education, must self-screen for symptoms each day before they leave for school using the Alberta Health Daily Checklist. If they answer yes to any of the questions, they are required to stay at home and complete the Alberta Health Services screening tool. GYPSD trusts that families will keep their children home if they have any symptoms and do not require that this information be submitted to the school.

Q. Will my child have to wear a mask at school?

A. Mask use is mandatory for staff and teachers in all settings where physical distancing cannot be maintained. Students in Grades 4-12 will be required to wear them in all shared and common areas such as hallways and on buses. Exemptions will be made for students and staff who are unable to wear a mask due to medical or other needs. Two reusable masks will be provided to every GYPSD student. Mask use for kindergarten to Grade 3 students is optional.

Please visit the Division’s website on a regular basis to keep up-to-date with COVID-19 information.

EARLY LEARNING OPTIONS AT GYPSD GYPSD is proud to offer a diverse range of play-based learning options for children to thrive and grow in a nurturing and welcoming environment. Each school offers unique programs for 3 1/2 to 5 year olds; from part-time to full-time options. Spaces are limited and available on a firstcome, first-serve basis.

Education Services Centre 3656 1st Avenue, Edson AB T7E 1S8 Phone (780)723.4471 or Toll Free at 1(800)723.2564 Visit us at www.gypsd.ca or Like us on facebook.com/gypsd

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 // ISSUE 172 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B6

LOCAL HUMANITARIANISM

Jasperite presses on in Rwanda as adopted country takes preventative response to COVID pandemic For the last two decades, Jasper’s Jill Fenton has spent half of the year in Kigali, Rwanda, where she and her family have been teaching and, through their non-profit organization, Tools for Schools, helping improve the Rwandan education system.

international airports didn’t seem a good choice, especially for someone in my advanced age group. I had stocked up on supplies and during the total lockdown my friend Saudah made deliveries to my gate from her supermarket.

Most years, Fenton returns to Jasper at the end of April. When COVID-19 hit in March, however, those plans went awry.

How has your daily routine been affected?

Rwanda’s strict COVID prevention measures have enabled the country to keep its death toll low; only 19 people have perished from the virus and its deathper-100,000 people is 0.13 (Canada’s is 24.7 while in the U.S. the rate is 55.57) .

The Jasper Local caught up with Mrs. Fenton, who turns 76 this year, to find out how the pandemic is affecting her routines, her work and her community abroad. ______________ Where were you when the pandemic was declared?

I follow the news very carefully and anticipated a lockdown. On Monday, March 16, total isolation was announced in Rwanda. No moving and stay at home.

What were your immediate actions to keep safe?

I had already decided to stay here. It takes me three days to get back to Jasper via Amsterdam and Calgary. Congested

Even in the days of total isolation I get out in a limited way: At 5:30 a.m. everyday I take my dog for a walk around the housing estate in which I live, 4 km return. It is a wide road and although I meet other walkers we keep social distance, but greet each other in passing.

A community of early walkers and workers. We all wear masks.

How did the pandemic affect Tools for Schools?

The main work challenge was to get our Tools for Schools project for 2019-2020 finished. We had built and equipped two nursery classrooms and a school library at a school, in a remote rural area right on the Rwanda-Congo border. We had to renovate toilets, provide a rainwater catchment system and tank, water filter system and drinking water storage. We needed to finish! On Saturday, March 14 the concrete blackboards were painted and we were done!

What project are you currently focused on?

I bought a small laminator and paper cutter and had these ‘learning to read’ pull-apart sheets to make into books. I’m on my last 300 pages and should finish next week and then I’ll count up how many books we can give to schools next year.

How did the government of Rwanda responded to the COVID-19 crisis and how has it managed the threat of an outbreak since March?

The government was ready with a plan before isolation was announced. This is a country that has dealt with recovering from a horrendous genocide, and an ebola outbreak right on the border, in Congo.

There was a plan ready with clear and consistent rules with daily updates on social media, radio and television which everyone followed. Isolation has been slowly reduced now so people are returning to work in some sectors. Schools are still closed, and numbers attending church, weddings and funerals are severely restricted. Wearing a mask is mandatory, hand sanitizer or washing stations to be used entering and leaving buildings.

Often your temperature is also taken. There is a curfew from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Failure to follow the rules gives you a free ride to the nearest sports stadium or police station where you pay your fine and attend a program explaining the importance of the rules.

Can Canadians learn anything from Rwanda’s response, in both our schools and our communities?

Very different history, culture and dangers.

Here the people know and can see that the rules are to benefit all of us, for our safety. I think that it’s less the sense of the individual and more of the community. Here people work together for mutual safety and benefit. A lot learnt from dreadful previous experiences.

Has COVID-19 changed your commitment to improving education opportunities for Rwandans?

It’s not work when you love it. It’s a privilege and a joy to be useful. __________________________________ BOB COVEY // bob@thejasperlocal.com

This interview has been edited and condensed to fit this format

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