The Jasper Local January 15, 2021 by The Jasper Local

ALTERNATIVE +

LOCAL + INDEPENDENT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021 // ISSUE 180

HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN // Skating has been the perfect pandemic activity in Jasper National Park. Talbot Lake was host to this serene scene on January 10. HANNA RAE MACLEOD

thejasperlocal.com

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

PAGE A2 //

The Jasper Local // ISSUE 180 // FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021

EDITORIAL //

Local Vocal If there was ever a microcosm of Jasper’s dilemma as a tourism town in the midst of a pandemic, it might be at Marmot Basin, where ski hill staff are everyday performing the delicate dance of welcoming guests to enjoy the slopes while at the same time doing their best to keep the health and safety of the community as the foremost consideration.

I, for one, believe Marmot Basin’s VP, Brian Rode, when he says Marmot Basin’s number one priority is keeping people as safe as possible. However, I also know when skiers and snowboarders are riding high from their sweet lines and are rejoicing the fact that they’re breathing the glorious mountain air, their innate human desire to socialize is oftentimes overriding their observations of Alberta’s COVID-19 health measures. It’s a sad statement on our collective ability to figure out right from wrong when people can’t recognize their own privilege and resist the temptation not to congregate with their ski boots on, but I think we can all agree the bar is being set pretty low these days. Is anyone surprised that Marmot Basin has had to contract a private security firm to mitigate the mustering, or that on more than one occasion, the local RCMP have been called in to help convince the revellers to break it up? Undoubtedly, Marmot Basin is broadcasting the rules loud and clear. Huge signs placed all over the mountain remind guests to keep their distance, wear a mask and wash their hands. There are also unique protocols in place so people can access chalet services and avoid crowding. Some were surprised to learn that guests could enjoy their cafeteria food indoors—Why should Marmot Basin be allowed to offer dine-in service when no other restaurant in the province is afforded the same opportunity, these folks crowed? But ski hills were given the green light by the province to operate in a safe manner, and to the best of their ability, ours is doing so. Admittedly, if you’re not up there (and as of this writing, I haven’t been), the optics aren’t always great. Limitations on how people can actually get to the mountain (no shuttle services, way less carpooling) mean the parking lots fill up faster, which creates an early bird rush, which, if you get a look at the lift line to the Canadian Rockies Express between 8:30 and 9 a.m., creates a sense of overcrowding. Optics aside, once the chairs start loading, it’s easy to see that even on this season’s busiest days (December 28 had 3,200 tickets scanned), there is plenty of social distance available on the mountain. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not wearing rose-tinted goggles. I know Marmot Basin still has a bottom line. Do I find it shifty, for example, that Marmot’s lower mountain webcam, which points directly at the CRE/Eagle Express

maze and which typically gives a good gauge of how long the lines are, has been taken offline? A little. But bearing in mind the propensity for online trolls to make a COVIDcontaminated mountain out of a masked-up molehill, I also think it’s completely understandable that ski resorts might not want to advertise their continued popularity in these restrictive times. And I do feel bad for the visiting skiers who, on three occasions so far (December 28, 29 and January 9), loaded up the boards anticipating a day of shredding, only to be told there was no parking and that they’d have to either wait it out or turn around. But again, I’m not going to scream bloody murder at Marmot

The Jasper Local //

Basin. I recognize there’s only so much they can do. In these unprecedented circumstances, when Alberta’s restrictions on gathering, plus a foot of new snow, give a whole new meaning to the phrase “No friends on a powder day,” we should be grateful to have any opportunity to get outside and play. Furthermore, it’s on us, the delicate dancers in a vulnerable town which relies on economic stimulus from the same visitors who could potentially pass on a life-threatening disease, to observe the rules and show compassion for those folks trying their best. There’s no dilemma in that.

BOB COVEY // thejasperlocal@gmail.com

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

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

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

Nicole Covey........................................................................ nicole@thejasperlocal.com Advertising & Sales

Email us today.......................................................... bob@thejasperlocal.com Editorial Cartoonist

Deke............................................................................................deke@thejasperlocal.com

facebook.com/thejasperlocal

@thejasperlocal

// LOCAL GOVERNMENT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021 // ISSUE 180 // The Jasper Local // PAGE A3

BIG MITTS TO FILL // Mayor Richard Ireland says an election year is a chance for council to tie up loose ends. // BC

Mayor looking forward after tumultuous year It took a pandemic, but the Alberta government is finally recognizing the contributions Jasper and other tourism municipalities make to the province.

That’s one silver lining to the COVID-19 situation, according to Jasper’s mayor. “Overall [the pandemic] has allowed the municipality and the province to form a greater degree of alignment than we’ve had in the past,” he said. By spring, that alignment will materialize in the form of a Municipal Operating Support Transfer, funding that all Alberta municipalities will receive to help cover costs incurred by the pandemic. However, Jasper, Banff and Canmore will share an extra $10 million—an important acknowledgement from the province, Ireland said. “There was a realization that tourism communities were hit harder than most,” Ireland said. Reflecting on the year that was and anticipating the year ahead, Ireland noted several projects that will change the landscape of

the town for the better, he hoped. STAFF HOUSING A 40-unit affordable staff housing project was top of mind for Ireland as the municipality has just recently applied for a Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) federal grant. Jasper Local readers will recall that the Jasper Community Housing Corporation has been trying to find partners to build staff housing on the GA Parcel adjacent to the Connaught Drive Petro Canada. The number of units for the RHI proposal has been modified since our last report but the principle of prioritizing for low-income staff remains the same. Word on Jasper’s success should come by the end of the month, Ireland said. The fasttracked funding is dependent on the project being “shovelready.” UNFINISHED BUSINESS With municipal projects in the works as a fall election approaches, Ireland said council is cognizant of “loose ends” that would ideally be tied up before the writ is dropped.

“It’d be nice to take advantage of this council’s effort and knowledge,” he said. A paid parking pilot program has recently landed on council’s agenda package for consideration; and through the downtown sidewalk seating pilot project, council is dealing with expanding private use of public space in the Central Business District. “I think there’s an opportunity to finish the job and not leave it for an incoming council,” Ireland said. PANDEMIC PLAUDITS Ireland is proud of Jasper’s response to COVID-19. While he is somewhat concerned that local authorities don’t know the cause of the alarming spike of cases in December, Ireland said the community’s response has nevertheless been admirable. “There was a concerted response to that local spike and it appears to have been tremendously successful,” he said. BOB COVEY // thejasperlocal@gmail.com

PAGE B1 //

The Jasper Local // ISSUE 180 // FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021

LOCAL HEALTHCARE

Valerie Bartziokas, Joanne Boyd, Silvia Herrera Morones, Ornesto Tassoni, Jessica Worth, Bernadeth Carlos, Erica Chen, Edith Vinta amd Summer Huang were some, but not all, of the Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge staff who helped support residents during a December outbreak of COVID19 in the home. // Supplied

“It was amazing to see how they stepped up” ALPINE SENIORS LODGE STAFF GRATEFUL TO BE THROUGH DIFFICULT DECEMBER Perhaps no group of community residents were more happy to see December 2020 in the rearview than the staff and residents of, and family members connected to, Jasper’s Alpine Summit Seniors’ Lodge. A COVID-19 outbreak at the seniors lodge and adjacent Designated Assisted Living facility was declared on November 29. CAO of the facility, Kristen Chambers, admitted she felt that, up until that point, the facility was dodging bullets. “We were expecting it to come but when it hit with that first case…it absolutely took my breath away,” Chambers said.

By December 7, there were eight active cases at the lodge. A week later, there were 18. Sadly, three residents died before the caseload began to drop and the good news of recoveries allowed families and staff to rest easier.

Evergreens staff have the proper supports. Providing that level of critical care takes a toll, she said.

Now, having had a bit of time to reflect since the outbreak, Chambers said her main takeaway of the incident has been the remarkable dedication of the staff.

Outbreak measures meant that residents couldn’t interact with one another. Staff were committed to keeping residents engaged, stimulated and hopeful, but it wasn’t always easy, especially at Christmas.

“We had staff who worked days on end,” she said. “These are people who have to go back home to their children and families.” Related to that point, in the future, Chambers wants to ensure that

“Had this been sustained for months and months we’d be hitting that burnout,” she said.

“We tried to keep things as festive and as upbeat as we could,” she said. When the realities of the situation were at their most dire, Evergreens staff and administration committed to open communication with all of

their partners, including OHS, AHS, WCB and families of the residents. Still, it was layer upon layer of stress, Chambers said. “There were a lot of sleepless nights,” she recalled. A month later, Chambers is grateful for the team’s ability to keep their spirits up. “It was amazing to see how they stepped up and were really unwavering of their support of the site, all the way through,” she said. “There were some tough jobs and tough conversations and really hard days. Everyone made sure the residents had the support that they

COVID downtime allows for arena upgrades

have been built four inches higher than the previous version. Since these new ones aren’t made of plywood, they won’t rot out.

The Jasper Arena is ready for ice, as soon as ... you know COVID has brought team sports to a halt, but over at the Jasper Activity Centre, the break in action has given contractors and staff the opportunity to complete a suite of improvements to the arena and curling rink. Wayne Hansen, senior superintendent from Prologic Construction Ltd., had been in Jasper since the summer. On January 7, Hansen bid farewell to the municipal staff, local contractors and other Jasper residents he’d come to get to know in seven months on the job. “I feel like I met everyone in town,” he laughed. Even the site itself gave Hansen a feel for the living history of Jasper. After subcontractors tore up the arena’s old cement slab, they drilled down beneath the sand and gravel to find a layer of organic material—dirt and straw, decades old, possibly remnants from when pioneer Jasper outfitters Tom McCready and Tom Vinson had horse stables in the area. Parks Canada

“I was having trouble keeping screws in them,” Bridge admitted.

Wayne Hansen of Prologic Construction was the senior supervisor of the recent arena and curling rink (shown here) upgrades. // BC

had horse barns nearby too, before the rink was built in 1960, so the straw could have come from there, but either way, the organics had to go.

details, Peter Bridge, was thoroughly impressed.

“Otherwise it settles out and affects the slab,” Hansen said.

No longer will Bridge have to make multiple sheets of ice to compensate for the high and low spots of the old cement slab, which, after 28 years, was not only showing its age but posing a potential safety hazard. Same idea for the boards, which have been replaced with flexible dashers that provide injury-preventing “give,” and which

The 200 x 85-foot slab, poured by Reward Construction (the same concrete specialists who did Rogers Place Arena in Edmonton), is now ready for ice. Laser-levelled to within 2.5 mm, known stickler-for-

“I’m itchin’ to make the ice on it,” Jasper’s arena manager said.

Eventually, when hockey is permitted again, spectators will notice that the glass is higher, making the rink better at keeping pucks contained to the ice surface…and to help keep crazed hockey parents better contained to the seating area (yes, that’s a thing). Fans will also notice the not-so-scalding temperatures coming out of the overhead heaters, thanks to the new, more efficient aluminum tubes Jasperite Gary Hilworth and his crew installed. What the public won’t see, however, is the heating and cooling system underneath the skating surface, nor will they notice the safer refrigeration system which uses less ammonia than the previous one. The next phase of the arena upgrade is to install a new ice rink compressor and relocate the room which houses it.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021 // ISSUE 180 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B2

LOCAL DOWNTOWN

Boutique clothier keeping on the sunny side If she wanted to, Karen Jacobs could make a laundry list of ways her retail business has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. But Jacobs, who’s owned Jasper’s premiere clothing boutique, Mountain Air, for the last 10 years, isn’t that kind of gal. “It’s not all doom and gloom,” Jacobs said. For one, the mild weather this winter has been stellar. The days are getting longer. And spring is coming. “Getting outside has been a lifesaver,” she said. More to the point, the pandemic has brought local retailers together, Jacobs suggested. She and many of her fellow

business owners support each other in part by keeping tabs on what each other are carrying. That way, if a customer can’t find what they’re looking for in one shop, staff know where to send them to get what they need. “I think we’re all trying to do our part to support local,” Jacobs said. Mountain Air’s wholesale buying habits have changed, too. While she’s always had an eye on supporting Canadian companies where she can, since last spring, Jacobs’ business decisions consider factors such as whether or not the clothing she’ll carry was made by workers receiving an ethical wage, and whether or not the producers of the brands she works with are supported by fair trade relationships. “[The pandemic] has made me more aware of the stories behind the brand,” Jacobs said. “We’re making sure they’re putting the planet first.” Similarly, she, along with other local business owners, have been cognizant of which clients have been putting Jasper

Back to basics for entrepreneurial dreamer Dwaine Gilzene dreams big. Always has. And whether it has been moving to Canada, becoming a permanent Canadian resident, meeting and marrying his dream partner, or opening up his own restaurant, the 35-year-old has been able to achieve those dreams. You can see the culmination of those realized ambitions when you step into his family-owned business, The Spice Joint. And you know by talking to the entrepreneur, that next to that braised oxtail in his small commercial kitchen, he’s got more dreams in the slowcooker. “One day at a time,” he’s fond of saying. Even so, it’s been hard for the Jamaican ex-pat to have his plans tempered by the coronavirus pandemic. He loves to work, and the provincial operating restrictions have forced him to put his constantly-forming ideas on the

first. It’s become abundantly clear how important our regional markets have become, Jacobs said. How to successfully transition to online retail has been less clear. Jacobs can’t keep a lot of stock in her small store; processing returns is a challenge; and simply sending products out to customers can foil her best-laid staffing plans. “Standing in line at the post office to send something out? How do I mitigate those costs?” she said. Like businesses all around the world, Jacobs has had to find the positive takeaways in all of the upheaval, while being willing to adapt. But admist the unknowns, such as: when will Alberta’s health measures relax? When will international tourism return? And will online shoppers come back to brick and mortar locations? is an even more interesting pandemic problem for a boutique clothier: Will customers who’ve gotten used to wearing yoga pants ever want to put on a pair of jeans again?

backburner. Business has been slow, of course, but it was made even more difficult over the holidays when contact tracing precautions forced him to shut the doors for a spell. “There’s no sugar-coating it,” he says. “It’s been hard.” However, even though he dreams big, Gilzene is a realist. He knows you can only play the cards you’re dealt. “It is what it is,” he said. And what The Spice Joint is, is more than a restaurant. It’s a community. And that’s what’s keeping Gilzene and his wife from not giving up on their dreams. “We’re a collective group,” he said. “It’s hard to find the words to explain how the town has supported us.” Like many businesses in Jasper, The Spice Joint is adapting to the health measures as best they can. They’re packaging their famous Jerk Sauce. They’re selling merchandise. They’re doing take-away, so Jasper can still get their pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches, their chicken and shrimp quesadillas and their jerk chicken. “We’re still here,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere.” Take-away has filled a gap for The Spice Joint, but the

Dwaine Gilzene has felt the love from Jasper. // File photo

biggest take-away for Gilzene has been to stay the course. He’s faced adversity before and he’ll surely face it again. Right now, it’s back to basics. “The flame inside of us will never go out,” he said. “We’re going to use what we’ve learned to push ourselves forward.” One day at a time.

YOUR FAVOURITE ACTIVITY. YOUR FAVOURITE DESTINATION. YOUR NEW FAVOURITE WAY TO GET THERE.

WWW.G R I F F I T H S F O R D.CA 553 Gregg Avenue, Hinton Ab | 780.865.3354

We’re only 45 minutes away Certified Pre-Owned

2017 FORD FOCUS TITANIUM Low kms, complete set of winter & summer tires. Finance as low as 2.9% OAC.

Parts + Service deal Free battery inspection 15% off if battery required Wiper blades for $19.99

Introducing

the ALL NEW

Subscribe to griffiths ford’s channel on youtube

2021 BRONCO SPORT, BadLands Edition 4x4

Plenty of storage for your toys and plenty of power to get you there. An exciting edition to our Ford family.

Serving Jasper for 50 Years

• AMVIC Certified • Carfax Verified History

• Financiable • full tank of fuel

PAGE B3 + B4 //

The Jasper Local // ISSUE 180 // FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021

CORONAVIRUS CATCH-UP // INTERVIEWS BY BOB COVEY

From A to Z: Transportation company shifting gears In any other winter, if the Icefields Parkway closes for Parks Canada avalanche control work, SunDog Transportation and Tours owner, Paul Hardy, spends the day on the phone. Often his passengers are coming from, or going to, the airport in Calgary, and if his SunDog buses can’t utilize the parkway, Hardy and his staff have to reroute folks through Edmonton, organizing drivers in Banff in Calgary and generally mucking up his day so his customers’ trips can continue uninterrupted. “In a typical year when the parkway gets closed it’s a lot of juggling,” Hardy said. This year, when 30 cm of snow fell on the south highway January 13 and Parks Canada closed the road, because SunDog’s bus schedule has been severely reduced, instead of juggling, Hardy went skiing. “If I have to look for a silver lining that would be one of them,” he acknowledged. “But I’d much rather have visitors moving around, borders open and people on vacation.” As a business created to focus on Jasper’s international tourism market, SunDog has been one of Jasper’s hardest-hit companies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Hardy built out SunDog Transportation and Tours to weather the expected ups and downs of different visiting markets—indeed one of SunDog’s strengths as a business has been its diversity. However, never could he have guessed that international travel would come to a stop across the entire globe. “Do you ever forecast all of [the international markets] going away during the same time?” he said. “No.” In March, when the pandemic was first declared, Hardy and his team

were focusing on operating in a limite capacity, within the (albeit fluid) guide local health authorities. He need to kn many passengers could he transport a steps his drivers needed to take to ensu guests were safe.

He knew SunDog’s wildlife tours wou suffer out of the gate, but during a tim when domestic travel was discouraged when hospitals were deferring appoint and when no one was visiting their fam members, the transportation side of th business presented challenges at every junction. As a result, Hardy had to lay bulk of his staff—about 45 employees. he’s operating with about 35 per cent o COVID contingent.

“At a very best scenario our busses are operating at 50 per cent [occupancy],”

To stop the bleeding, SunDog, like ma businesses in Jasper, took advantage o the government supports, including th federal wage subsidies, but Hardy kne business model for the immediate futu to Jasper weren’t as liable to book a trip guides’ wildlife interpretation—he kn themselves around the park. In respon SunDog could pivot from providing a itinerary, to encapsulate a family’s full

“We were thinking of it A to Z rather t explained.

As a result, SunDog has created partn activity providers.

Pandemic can’t stop the Video Stop When the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Jasper in March, VideoStop owner Kevin Lazzari wasn’t taking any chances. As soon as he heard the news, Lazzari dead bolted the door to his Patricia Street business.

Fortunately, he wasn’t stuck in a long term lease, and, as luck would have it, a warehouse space had just become available. Soon, Lazzari and his son were relocating his huge inventory into a second floor space in the Stan Wright Industrial Park. By August, he’d moved in. But while the rent was affordable, without a downtown retail

“Those first few days and weeks were crazy,” he recalled. “No one knew how risky things were.” When the national park closed its services and Jasper effectively shut down for two months, Lazzari’s DVD rental, electronics and skateboard shop followed suit. But to adapt his business model to the pandemic-affected retail landscape when health measures eventually relaxed, he started looking for guidance. Lazzari’s first call was to Jasper’s Colleen Chalifoux, whose flower shop, Elysium Florals, was going through a similar reckoning.

Jasper’s Kevin Lazzari has moved the VideoStop online. // BC

PROMOTIONAL

“It became my favourite time of the day,” he said.

PROFESSIONAL

ONLINE

ADVERTISING INNOVATIVE

SALES@OUIPRINT.COM

& SIGNS

BANNER

APPAREL

LABELS

STAMP

PRESENTATION

EDMONTON 780 865 3212

Things measu restau which perspe watche

/////////////

Soon, Lazzari, too, was going mobile. He drove all over town to deliver an internet cable here, a pair of earbuds there. He was surprised to discover a new part of the business he really enjoyed.

Common Sense ADS MARKETING with FORMS PRINT DETAILS Uncommon IDEAS Results DESIGN CREATIVE

In M for v whic into

Unlike chang custom certain “It’s m Bangl who n but he after m “Now

“Colleen was doing deliveries pretty much right out of the gate,” Lazzari said. “I messaged her and asked her ‘how does this work?’”

FOR YOUR COMMERCIAL INSPIRATIONAL MARKETING AND PRINTING NEEDS

As the pandemic wore on, the writing seemed to be on the wall for his Patricia Street location. In just two months, he saw shopping habits had changed. In-store traffic was lagging. His numbers were way down. If there was going to be a second wave of coronavirus, he didn’t think he’d be able to weather the storm. “I realized we’d created new buyer habits,” he said. “Every business in Jasper had been closed for two months and we were telling everyone to go online.” That’s where he decided he needed to be, too.

MO location, Lazzari had no way of letting people know what he had in stock. He had to get his inventory online, and quickly. “I was basically starting a new business,” he said. Eventually, he found a website platform that suited his needs and he started the huge job of uploading his inventory. Next came learning the social media tools to market his products to his customers. “I’d never even used Instagram,” he laughed. He learned. And he’s still learning. Because long before social media, long before he bought the Video Stop business from Sam Koebel, and even before he was sweeping up popcorn at the Chaba Theatre while still in high school, Lazzari discovered he had a soft spot for the movies. “I love this business,” he said. “I want to keep it going.” Locals can help him do just that by checking out his new website, videostopjasper.com

Whi hav coro wor bee sale

More than to Sta Jaspe retail the ir

To pre canna govern THC cream outlet

“It’s b Irelan for a l

ed elines of now how an the sure their

uld me d, ntments mily he y y off the . Today, of his pre-

e ” he said.

SILVER LININGS // Paul Hardy, whose transportation business was built to serve a diverse in-

any ternational market, is grateful that Albertans are rediscovering their backyard. // BOB COVEY of “I think we’ve become better at lots of things and that we’ll continue he with a lot of these things when international travel comes back,” he ew he had to start rethinking his said. ure. He knew regional visitors ip to Maligne Lake or covet his But by no means is Hardy discounting the importance of the regional new Albertans would simply drive guest. In fact, Hardy hopes that similar to this past summer, 2021 will nse, he started asking himself how continue to open Albertans’ eyes to the accessibility and the beauty a small part of an individual tourist’s of Jasper National Park. He hopes that their experiences this year will l vacation package. sow the seeds of repeat visits. than certain components,” he “This has been an incredible opportunity from a regional awareness standpoint,” Hardy said. “In a pandemic, Jasper is a pretty good place to social distance.” nerships with accommodation and

his just in: Jasperites still love pizza

March, with less opportunities visitors to dine-in, pizza joints, ch specialize in delivery, leaned o the coronavirus-affected market.

gs changed again in December when full lockdown ures came into effect (no dine-in at all) and more urants got into the curbside pickup game, but hever way you slice it (triangles, preferably), from his ective as owner of Northface Pizza, Brady Bangle has ed the pandemic’s pendulum swing.

e some local shops, Bangle’s revenues haven’t ged drastically from last year, but the way his mers patronize the Connaught Drive parlour nly have. more concentrated,” he said. “There’s no late rush.” le doesn’t shed many tears for the 1 a.m. rowdies no longer pour into Northface after the bars close, e does miss the sound of the cash register ringing midnight. it’s hardly worth staying open past 1,” he said.

Having delivery service hardwired into the business model helped when new COVID measures came down, but Bangle’s not sure if anyone can really get used to wearing a mask for nine hours on a hot kitchen line. “It’s not ideal,” he said. But he’s not denying the importance of the rules—he’s seen his fair share of those types since March. “You’d be surprised how many people come in clueless, sitting down, expecting to eat,” he said.

Northface Pizza’s Hunter Bos on delivery. // BOB COVEY

annabis shops budding amid lockdown

OST LOCAL RETAILERS ARE GOING ONLINE. CANNABIS CAN’T.

ile other industries ve been put through the onavirus grinder, the rldwide pandemic has en good for cannabis es.

e Canadians bought legal weed in 2020 they did the year previous, according ats Can, and while sales at Spiritleaf er aren’t exactly blazing, the cannabis ler is doing regular business, despite rregular number of visitors in town.

event minors from buying it, online abis sales outside of the AGLC’s own rnment website is illegal. So to get their bath bombs or extra strength body m, customers still need to visit local retail ts.

been fairly steady,” store manager Dave nd said. “I think we’re a needed resource lot of people.”

If judging his latest quarter against a similar, pre-lockdown financial period is like comparing apples to oranges, what is tangible evidence about the market’s growth is that Ireland’s customer base is becoming evermore diverse. His staff sees more seniors these days, for example, attributable, at least in part, to the fact that the government has legalized more products containing THC. “We’re seeing people who don’t want to smoke return to cannabis,” Ireland said.

SpiritLeaf’s Dave Ireland. // SUPPLIED

PAGE B5 //

The Jasper Local // ISSUE 180 // FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021

LOCAL EDUCATION

CRE PPE // Shayfer Gluck, Nick Milne and Jeppe Nielsen are ticket control staff at Marmot Basin who help guests navigate the Canadian Rockies Express lift maze and remind people of ski hill safety measures. // MARMOT BASIN PHOTO

Educators and students adapting to online learning Most years, returning to school after the Christmas holidays is a bit of a drag—for students and teachers alike. But at Ecole Desrochers, when the calendar rolled to January 11, 2021 and students and teachers reconvened after weeks of not seeing each other in person, by and large, the entire school body was jubilant. “The teachers were thrilled,” principal Marie-Claude Faucher told The Jasper Local. “We were happy to have the kids at school.” In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Alberta government mandated Grade 7-12 students to transition to online learning on November 30, while elementary classes continued in-school until December 18. Coming out of the holidays, teachers held online classes for all grades from January 6-8, so it was with a fair amount of relief, Faucher said, that the government stuck to the January 11 return to in-person classes. “At school is definitely always our first choice,” she said. Having said that, almost a year after students and teachers were first required to go online, the way both groups have been able to adapt has been

nothing short of remarkable, Faucher said. “It’s amazing. It’s kind of like wearing a mask. It’s natural to them now.” What’s difficult, Faucher said, is when teachers have to navigate a hybrid teaching model. Occasionally, if they are required to isolate because they are showing symptoms of COVID19 or have been in contact with others who are sick, students have to stay home and learn. Meanwhile, the

rest of the class is at the school. Working within the two different frameworks presents many challenges, Faucher said. “It’s not just a matter of giving the student a computer and they connect. It’s more complicated than that,” she said. The way teachers educate is different in person than over an app, Faucher said. And while teachers are trained to do both, and the same basic philosophies apply to either, mixing the two doesn’t always work. “You adapt strategies for your lessons, one way or the other,” she said. “When you try to do both at the same time it’s so much work.” As the teachers and the government figure out their best practices, Faucher said the fundamentals of their profession will continue to guide them. Teachers have to find that fine line of challenging students while motivating them. They have to verify there is progress being made. And they have to do it in an organized, efficient manner. Much in the same way that teachers and administrators, like Faucher, are approaching the new world of online learning.

LOCAL WILDLIFE

FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2021 // ISSUE 180 // The Jasper Local // PAGE B6

Inquisitive ravens, feisty elk and curious sheep have been enjoying the mild winter weather thus far. Recently, Jasper wildlife photographer Simone Heinrich captured these critters in their best light. If you haven’t already purchased your 2021 calendar from Simone, we’re only two weeks into the new year... you’ve still got time! (Resolutions for being punctual can wait). While we’re offering PSAs, hear this: You can support our journalism and photographers like Simone by going to www.patreon.com/thejasperlocal // @SIMONEHEINRICH PHOTOGRAPHY