The Jasper Local February 15 2017 by The Jasper Local

a lt e r n at i v e +

LOCAL + independent

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thejasperlocal.com

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wednesday, february 15, 2017 // ISSUE 91

MONICA LILLICO WAS AMONG A GROUP OF JASPER ROCK CLIMBERS WHO TOOK ADVANTAGE OF UNUSUALLY WARM TEMPERATURES TO GAIN SOME HIGH GROUND ON JUNO WALL, IN THE EAST PART OF JASPER NATIONAL PARK LAST WEEK. // TRISTAN NISSEN PHOTO

Avalanche buries public safety official A Parks Canada public safety technician had to be dug out of an avalanche after triggering a slide while evaluating snow stability. On Friday, February 10, after resource conservation personnel closed the Icefields Parkway for avalanche control work, a staff member was buried in a size 2.5 slide next to the road, just south of Parkers Ridge. The veteran technician wanted to assess the bottom of the avalanche-prone terrain known as the gravel slopes, on the west side of the highway descending Nigel Hill, according to visitor safety specialist Max Darrah. “That’s not uncommon, to evaluate the slab formations and determine control measures, if necessary,” Darrah said.

The evaluation was part of JNP’s larger task of eliminating the risk of natural avalanches that have potential to reach the roadways. As part of regular protocol, while one team member obtained a profile from the area with the least overhead hazard, another spotted. When the slope released, the avalanche path was 250 metres wide and the debris pile was nearly two metres deep.

“He was pushed over and buried, the emergency spotter dug him out within a minute,” Darrah said. “It was a close call, a reminder of the reality of working so closely with avalanches.” After the incident a storm came in, grounding the helicopter team over the weekend. Both the Icefields Parkway and the Maligne Lake Road re-opened late Monday afternoon.

bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

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page A2 // the jasper local // issue 91 // Wednesday, February 15, 2017

editorial //

Local Vocal The elephant in the room

I’ve got to hand it to councillor Gilbert Wall: he speaks his mind. When he told local violinist and alternative history-purporter, Monika Schaefer, that her political ideas make him uncomfortable, he echoed what many people attending last week’s committee meeting were thinking, but were too timid to say. Schaefer’s interpretations of historical events‚ as espoused in last summer’s now infamous “Sorry Mom” YouTube video, made a lot of folks squirm— and not because they’re all mindless drones, programmed to believe whatever Hollywood says. The truth is, most would rather spend their energy on matters which are more pressing, pleasing or pragmatic to discuss. But even though I admire Counc. Wall for his unvarnished straight-talk, I also have to concur with Ms. Schaefer’s statements that one should not be punished in public for one’s thoughts. Particularly when decisions are made in, or on behalf of, our democratic institutions, we must be willing to err on the side of freedom of speech (so long as it doesn’t incite violence), however “misguided” or “poisonous” we judge those expressions to be. To quote my favourite podcaster, “Freedom is a Golden Rule thing folks, and you don’t get it if you don’t give it.” Avalanche or autobahn?

I feel as though I should address this issue’s tardiness. Picture this: You are in Calgary for a Wednesday funeral with plans to return via the Icefields Parkway on Friday; there’s plenty of time to meet your Tuesday morning newspaper deadline. Alas, the good men and women tasked with keeping our highways avalanche-free close your planned route home. The disruption is initially projected as lasting two days, then three, then four—before landing on three and a half. Normally, the solution would be to take the long way around; inconvenient, but not impossible. However, what’s making the decision difficult as the closure is extended is the fact that you have a 10-month-old baby whose safety is your main priority and whose tolerance for time spent in carseats maxes out at three hours. My decision was to not embark on what surely would have been 10 hours of QE2 snow squalls, Hwy 16 black ice and numerous rest stops, much of which would have been backed by a soundtrack of gasping, heart-wrenching screaming. This choice meant the paper would be late, but my family’s safety (and sanity) would be much more certain. That’s the rationale. I hope you see it was rational. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

KMC gets flak, but rail gets a pass?

Dear Editor, Thank you for your reporting on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project open house (February 1 Jasper Local). I support Kinder Morgan and the Trans Mountain Expansion not just because my husband works for KMC, but because of the fact that KMC is one of very few companies that actually care about their employees, their safety as well as protecting the environment. It is easy to lump all oil companies into one big barrel and label them as bad but the fact is that, just like people, not all companies are the same. Companies make mistakes (like

sending new hires out to head up an information night in an area they are not familiar with), but KMC will work harder than anyone else to ensure that their employees are living and working in the safest environment possible. There are other companies in town that don’t take the environment or their employee’s safety even a little bit seriously. I find it highly frustrating that both rail companies seem to fly under the radar, but the big bad pipeline companies get the bad label. Personally, I would rather a company that is as transparent at KMC ship product than that product be shipped via truck or train where the safety record

The Jasper Local //

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// Local government

Wednesday, February 15, 2017 // issue 91 // the jasper local// page A3

Council gets an earful on busking Local violinist Monika Schaefer appeared in front of municipal council’s committee of the whole meeting February 14 to argue that one’s political beliefs and historical interpretations should be of no consequence when it comes to being awarded a busking license in Jasper.

Schaefer was denied a permit to play her violin last summer during the Municipality of Jasper’s second busking pilot project. The administrators of the program, David Baker and Marianne Garrah of Jasper’s Habitat For The Arts, told The Jasper Local in August that the attention Schaefer attracted last summer for a YouTube video she posted could have negatively affected the success of the busking pilot. “We felt that the Habitat has a responsibility to make the project successful rather than controversial,” Baker said at the time. In the video, Schaefer suggests that widespread beliefs about World War Two are false, including the Holocaust’s main tenet that six million Jews were murdered. Baker and Garrah were at the February 14 committee meeting to report on the busking project so that council could discuss the program’s future. They explored the pros and cons of how the pilot project worked, with some discussion on whether the preferred approach would be a designated busking “zone” or several “busk stops” spread throughout Jasper’s commercial business district. They did not mention Schaefer’s 2016 application and subsequent inquiries after the Habitat’s permit refusal. Schaefer said the Habitat has subordinated their role to that of a “thought police entity,” and suggested that the wrongdoing against her be acknowledged. “I have never used my violin stage as a soapbox,” Schaefer said. Councillor Gilbert Wall voiced his

VIOLINIST AND ACTIVIST MONIKA SCHAEFER IS NO STRANGER TO EXPRESSING HER VIEWS, BUT SHE DOESN’T MIX POLITICS AND MUSIC, AND HOPES BUSKING PERMITS WILL BE DETERMINED BY MUSICAL MERIT. // FILE

discomfort with the situation, saying he had a hard time separating Schaefer’s musical talents from her “misguided” political and historical views. “It’s the elephant in the room,” Wall said. “I do think it’s relevant at some point.” Ireland said he sensed that all parties agreed that the 2017 pilot, were it to go ahead, should include an audition format in which permits were awarded by a selection committee, but warned Schaefer that such a format would always contain a degree of subjectivity. Schaefer recalled Garrah’s earlier point that Jasper is a world stage. “If a few local individuals have a problem with this it does not serve the community well,” she said. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

// Letters cont.

speaks for itself. I live in fear that another Lac Megantic disaster will happen again, but this time either in our beautiful town

or in one of the many towns along the railway. I am a pipeline supporter and am not ashamed of it. When/if protesters make

their way to town you can bet that I will be just at loud and annoying, protesting right back at them. - Amber Homan, Jasper

page B1 // the jasper local // issue 91 // wednesday, february 15, 2017

Local mountain life //

Getting up, standing up, not giving up the fight Recovering climber to headline Mountain Safety Night Ryan Titchener is standing tall these days. It’s been seven months since the Jasper rock climber was paralyzed from the waist down after a freak accident in Bugaboo Provincial Park, and three months since he said goodbye to the staff at Calgary’s Foothills Hospital, where he spent 18 weeks

In January, Titchener started putting miles on the stationary bike at the gym and recently hit another benchmark when he walked independently in a swimming pool. Incredibly, just last week, Titchener cruised around the Canmore Hospital using hiking poles. His physiotherapist, former Jasperite Todd Wolansky, has been fine-tuning Titchener’s gait. “Walking is quite a science,” Titchener said. “It’s something we take for granted everyday.”

// LOUISE COLEMAN-BRADFORD AND THE JASPER QUILTERS GUILD CREATED AN ELABORATE QUILT AS A FUNDRAISER FOR INJURED CLIMBER RYAN TITCHENER. DONORS SKETCHED OR PAINTED IMAGES OF HOPE AND INSPIRATION FOR TITCHENER. COLEMAN-BRADFORD THEN INCORPORATED THOSE MESSAGES INTO THE QUILT BLOCKS. THERE ARE 48 BLOCKS IN ALL. // BOB COVEY

recovering from 14 broken ribs, a punctured lung and a broken spine.

One thing Titchener isn’t taking for granted is time. His doctors have indicated that 12 months after an accident marks the point where the best window for regrowing neurological pathways starts to close. To make the most of that opportunity, Titchener has been cranking up the workouts, targeting the muscles he’ll need to be strong in order to do all the activities he plans

// PARALYZED 7 MONTHS AGO, RYAN TITCHENER CAN NOW STAND ON HIS OWN FOR SHORT PERIODS.//BC

“Walking is quite a science, it’s something we take for granted every day.“

Now, Titchener, who shocked medical staff and supporters by walking out of Calgary’s Foothills Hospital under his own steam, is once again defying the odds as he intensifies his rehabilitation program with the goal of one day climbing mountains again.

“Come spring I’m hoping to be out of the wheelchair most of the time,” Titchener said. If that sounds crazy coming from a guy whose spine was snapped by a 300 kg boulder at the top of one of North America’s classic alpine routes, you haven’t been paying attention to Titchener’s postaccident progress. Since his first hours out of the operating room, the 32-year-old has repeatedly surpassed expectations. From registering off-the-charts results on strength tests, to gradually gaining feeling back in his legs, Titchener’s hard work has meant his recovery thus far has gone as good as anyone could have hoped for, his doctors tell him. “The joke around the hospital is that I’m getting a new wheelchair soon but I’ll be walking before I get it,” he said.

to re-learn. At home, Titchener is diligent with his resistance bands and even when he’s taking a rare couch break, can switch on // TITCH IN HIS DAILY THERA-BAND AND ELECTRODE ROUTINE.//BC an interferential current machine, a portable device temporarily by helping run the classroom which uses electric signals to stimulate component of an Avalanche Skills Training nerve cells and help build muscle mass on course in Calgary and at 6:30 p.m. on March his legs. 2, will headline a Mountain Safety Night at “In the last six weeks I’ve grown my calf the Jasper Legion, helping the local chapter muscle by a quarter inch,” Titchener said. of the Alpine Club of Canada and Jasper “They’re going from chicken legs to turkey Life get the word out on different facets of legs!” playing safe in the mountains. It hasn’t been all leg presses and TheraIn the meantime, whether he’s riding his bands, however. Titchener has been out on stationary bike, finding his balance in the adaptive ski equipment—both cross country pool or simply just flexing his toes up and and downhill—and has even hit Canmore’s down, to those surrounding him, Titchener’s bouldering gym, which he admitted was determination to walk again will mean he’ll extremely difficult. Likewise, he’s been able always stand tall. to take his mind off of the recovery process bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

wednesday, february 15, 2017 // issue 91 // the jasper local// page B2

Local safety //

Honouring his memory by living the lifestyle he loved On February 10, a public safety technician was buried in an avalanche while assessing snow pack conditions near Parkers Ridge. He was dug out by his colleague and was ultimately unhurt, but the incident bears similarities to a tragic accident that took place more than 15 years ago and which created a deep wound in the community.

Fifteen years ago this past January 13, Lori Rissling-Wynn was on her way home after a short ski tour with friends. Her husband, Mike Wynn, a park warden who ran Jasper’s water rescue program, was in the field, assessing snowpack stability and avalanche hazard in the Parkers Ridge area. Rissing-Wynn had also been at Parkers; she and warden Mike Eder had spent a mellow morning skinning on low-angle slopes, Rissling-Wynn with her two-year old son, Joey, on her back. After lunch, satisfied they’d got some fresh air despite the cruddy ski conditions, she and the group called it a day. Eder and Rissling-Wynn, who both lived at Sunwapta warden station with their respective partners, along with several other Parks Canada colleagues, were driving back to the station, approximately 35 kilometres north of Parkers Ridge, when they noticed a convoy of rescue vehicles rushing by in the opposite direction. “I thought ‘that’s strange, the roads are bare, it’s unlikely that it’s a [motor vehicle accident],” she recalled. Back at home, the radio was abuzz with emergency calls. Soon, RisslingWynn realized the calls were to do with her husband’s field team. Wardens Wynn, Randy Fingland and Brad Romaniuk had been caught in an avalanche after performing their snow study, they learned. “I realized something serious was

going down and that Mike was involved,” she recalled. Rissling-Wynn’s friend, Ange Blake, whose husband Steve was a friend and colleague of Mike’s, had also heard the news. Blake drove to Sunwapta station not long after the report went over the radio. Moments later, Blake and Rissling-Wynn sped to the accident site. When they arrived, a rescue helicopter was just taking off, with Wynn inside. Rissling-Wynn was told not to lose hope, that Mike was on his way to hospital. Rissling-Wynn learned that her husband had been buried for 20 minutes but that he still had a pulse. “It felt like I had been kicked in the gut,” she said. “Until that point I hadn’t realized how serious it was.” // WARDEN MIKE WYNN, PICTURED WITH HIS SON JOEY, DIED IN AN AVALANCHE WHILE CONDUCTING EVALUATION AND FORECASTING WORK ON PARKERS RIDGE IN 2002. ON THE The incident had indeed been 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH HIS WIDOW REMEMBERED A MAN WHO LOVED THE serious. After completing their ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH HE WORKED AND PLAYED. // LORI RISSLING-WYNN assessments, while skiing down from the test location on what seemed like (who was still nursing at the time) her friends wondered if she’d go back a benign slope, a large avalanche with friends, drove back to Jasper the east to be with her family. However, released above the group, burying following day. In the coming weeks, as painful as it was, it was important them. Romaniuk’s situation was as she attempted to put the pieces of for Rissling-Wynn to spend time in the least critical; after being carried her life back together, Rissling-Wynn the places her husband loved. 50 metres tried to come to “We made a commitment to raise downhill by the terms with what Joey in Jasper,” she said. “It didn’t “I was just in so much shock. avalanche he had happened. feel right to walk away.” was able to dig It was not a quintessential “I remember being himself out. He Today, Rissling-Wynn lives in avalanche slope. It seemed quite confused then freed and Canmore with her husband, former remarkable he was killed.” about where the resuscitated an Jasperite and avalanche professional, accident happened,” Jordy Shepherd. Joey, now 17-yearsunconscious she said. “I was just Fingland. Next, old, is a whitewater paddler, freeride in so much shock—I still am. It was Romaniuk began to dig Wynn out. skier and participates with a search not a quintessential avalanche slope After he extracted him, he provided and rescue program at his high and it seemed remarkable that he was school. CPR until Fingland was strong killed there.” enough to assist. The pair continued Although it brings much heart-ache to administer CPR until the rescue Rissling-Wynn said she needed to to Rissling-Wynn that Joey will team arrived from Jasper. get more detail on how the incident never know his father, it brings her occurred. Only by analyzing the After Wynn was flown out, Risslingjoy to know he’s following in Wynn’s incident from a skier’s point of view Wynn and the Blakes took a Parks footsteps. By living life the way she could she start to turn the page. Canada helicopter to Lake Louise and Wynn intended when they first and waited for a ride to the hospital. “What really helped was seeing an started their family, she is honouring aerial photo of their up-track, their her late husband’s memory. “Those minutes seemed like hours,” snow pit, the trigger point and the she recalled. “You try to remember what fills you debris path. It was helpful to form it up and carry on doing that,” she said. That night, just after midnight, in my own mind,” she said “It’s a way to keep his memory alive, warden Mike Wynn succumbed to Rissling-Wynn is originally from to keep it tangible.” his injuries in a Calgary hospital. Ontario. After the accident, a lot of bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com Rissling-Wynn, who had left her son

THE JASPER PARK CYCLING ASSOCIATION IS A LOCAL VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING ALL DISCIPLINES OF CYCLING WITHIN JASPER NATIONAL PARK. WE’VE PARTNERED WITH THE JASPER LOCAL TO BRING YOU BI-WEEKLY CYCLING TIPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY RIDING IN JASPER.

“WHERE TO?” This open ended question is one

debated by all cyclists at the start of any ride, taking into account the weather, the group, trail conditions, time constraints, etc. Add to this the number of amazing options available to cyclists in Jasper and this debate can take a while, often being settled on the trail.

In the winter, trail conditions take on a whole new meaning with snow and variable temperatures quickly changing trails. Initially, a few early fat biker adopters could be found snowshoeing loops on the bench to make the trails more rideable for their fat bikes. Parks Canada then got behind the fat biking movement and has since been doing a great job of flat packing trails for bikers and hikers up on the Pyramid Bench and around the Lake Edith area. This has given bikers a number of great options and more consistent trail conditions. For those looking for an introduction to fat biking, cruising out to the Moberly Bridge via Big Horn Alley, then working your way along the Athabasca River or around the lakes back to Old Fort Point is a great option. It has all the thrills and views of a great ride,

without a lot of elevation gain. The Pyramid Bench provides more loops and elevation, making for endless challenges. Wendy Hall from Freewheel Cycle had this tip for a great ride: “I love going up Trail 2 to 8c and then taking the fire road to Cabin Lake. It’s so beautiful up there, plus on the way down you get the best view in the park at the top of the clearing above the switchbacks on Trail 3, I call it ‘The Hills Are Alive.’” Check out the Parks Canada Trail Report or ask anyone at our amazing local bike shops for more information.

page b3+B4 // the jasper local // issue 91 // wednesday, february 15, 2017

BUFFALO SOLDIERS // STORY BY BOB COVEY

WILD BISON DESTINED FOR BANFF ARE PREPARED FOR LOADING AND TRAVEL AT ELK ISLAND NATIONAL PARK’S BISON HANDLING FACILIT

Archaeological evidence indicates that before they were wiped out by 19th Century hunters, the plains bison (genetically identical to the wood bison) were prolific in much of what is now Jasper National Park. Wildlife biologists presume bison would have migrated seasonally from the plains to the Rockies, but there have been strong indications in the way of skulls, bones and other remains to suggest the Athabasca River Valley would have been home to a resident bison population, too. “Buffalo Prairie, just south of town, is named for a reason,” says Wes Bradford, a retired wildlife specialist for Parks Canada. “There would have been bison all throughout the Athabasca Valley.” In May of 1978, in an effort to repopulate some of the best natural bison range in the Rockies, and also to spread out the bison gene pool in western North America, Parks Canada, along with the Canadian Wildlife Service, brought in 28 bison to JNP from Elk Island National Park, where a source population of approximately 450 animals had been located for decades (and still is). The 28 animals were trucked to Rock Lake, on the east side of the park border, then flown by helicopter to Willow Creek, near the park’s north boundary, where the plan was to release the herd into their historical range. Different ages and sexes of the animals were selected to live in a 14 square-kilometre fenced holding area, and Parks Canada staff were tasked with taking care of the animals, which included checking on their health and giving them hay, a diet the

// THE BANFF BISON REINTRODUCTION PROJECT WILL HOLD THE ANIMALS FOR TWO CALVING SEASONS // LU CARBYN

bison would eventually wean off of in favour of natural food sources such as grasses, willows and sedges. As such, in August of that same year, Parks lifted the gate on the bison pen. The PARKS CANADA STAFF WELCOME THE AR animals were // DAN RAFLA // PARKS CANADA free to make a home in the muskeg-rich country of north Jasper National Park where, two centuries earlier, their ancestors had done so.

“For a while we would get the occasional call from people who would say ‘I’m not sure if you’re going to believe us, but we think we saw a bison today out by Talbot Lake,’” he laughed. “Well as a matter of fact yes you did!” “Historical evidence of bison showed they stayed for the summer and winter,” Bradford said. “The intent was hopefully for those bison to stay within the Snake Indian drainage.” But the bison didn’t stay. Not long after the pens were opened up, all but two of the bison started making their way north. Twenty-five animals sauntered over Glacier and Desolation Passes, out of the park, and eventually made their way as far as Grande Cache and Grande Prairie. There, the bison got into trouble; the 2,000 pound animals broke down ranchers’ fences and got into farmers’ crops, creating enough of a nuisance to force the project’s end. “Farmers and ranchers were not happy,” Bradford recalled. While some of the escapees were darted, corralled and shipped back to Elk Island, others eluded biologists’ recapture efforts and had to be destroyed.

BISON HAVE BEEN REINTRODUCED TO BANFF NATIONAL PARK AFTER 140 YEARS, BUT THERE WAS A TIME—ALBEIT BRIEF—WHEN NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST LAND MAMMAL ROAMED THE MONTANE MEADOWS OF JASPER NATIONAL PARK.

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TY. // JOHANE JANELLE // PARKS CANADA

RRIVAL OF BISON TO BANFF NATIONAL PARK’S PANTHER VALLEY

Meanwhile, the rogue members‚ the two bulls who had gone south when the rest of the herd went north, set up shop in the Athabasca River Valley, where biologists had originally feared conflicts with roads, rail and other human activities. Things didn’t necessarily turn out that way. One of the bulls, according to Bradford, lived in the lower Rocky River area for four years before disappearing from scientists’ radar, while the other, according to author and naturalist Ben Gadd, was last seen in 1984. “Too bad the animals had not been a cow/bull pair,” Gadd notes. There was more bison drama in Jasper National Park a few years after the Canadian Wildlife Services project ended. According to Bradford, 14 animals escaped from a bison ranch near Hinton and found their way into the Fiddle River Valley. From there they got a taste of freedom at Utopia Lake, but then meandered back down into the Athabasca Valley, where half a dozen of the animals were eventually recaptured. Three or four were killed in a collision with a train, but two bison—like the rogue bulls from Willow Creek—split off and remained in the lower Athabasca Valley. Again, like their Willow Creek counterparts, one animal died within a year but the other, a cow, stayed on, moving between the Rocky River drainage and the Devona Flats area on the north side of the Athabasca River. She remained in that willowy wonderland for the better part of 10 years. “You used to see her all the time in the spring at the east end of Talbot Lake,” Bradford recalled. “She’d be feeding on the sedges, up to her belly in water.” She was last seen in 1994, however, in the years leading up to her death, park wardens and

dispatchers would occasionally field calls from baffled visitors who weren’t sure if they were seeing things. “For a while we would get the occasional call from people who would say ‘I’m not sure if you’re going to believe us, but we think we saw a bison today out by Talbot Lake,’” he laughed. “Well as a matter of fact yes you did!” Knowing the mistakes of the Jasper bison reintroduction program, Bradford has high hopes for the Banff experiment, which is utilizing younger animals for the $6.6 million program, and which will not release the bison until after two calving seasons, or 16 months. “If you think of it, they’re going to let the bison have a few generations of calves and probably never turn those original animals loose,” the retired wildlife specialist said. “I think what they’re doing there is bang on.” Moreover, since the JNP experiment, successful bison reintroduction programs have been established in Northern British Columbia, Northern Alberta and the southern part of the Yukon between Whitehourse and Haines Junction. “If you look at those programs they are quite successful, there’s bison all up and down the Alaska Highway,” Bradford said. “I’ve seen them along that stretch myself. They’re great to see.” bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

Correction: A January 15 article that mentioned JNP’s bison reintroduction history said the bison which remained in the Athabasca Valley until 1994 was a male, which is incorrect.

BISON WERE SELECTED FROM ELK ISLAND NATIONAL PARK’S CONSERVATION HERD // JOHANE JANELLE// PARKS CANADA

page B5 // the jasper local // issue 91 // wednesday, february 15, 2017

Local community //

A community that dines together, shines together Every community has its own institutions: rules and practices that smooth out the sometimes challenging experience of sharing space with thousands of other free-thinking individuals. They include laws and regulations, but also unspoken rules of politesse—holding the door, waiting in line, or the uniquely small-town practice of saying “hello” to those you pass on the street. In Jasper, they also include the institution of Community Dinners. Initiated by Community Outreach Services (COS) in 2003, Community Dinners were organized to address the needs of underemployed workers during a slow start to the winter tourism season. Those first dinners were spearheaded by Adult Outreach Worker Patrick Mooney and attracted 50 to 80 people. It was immediately clear that interest extended well beyond the ranks of idle lifties and clientless ski instructors. Since those early days, the dinners have become an established tradition; a weekly opportunity for Jasper residents—including Marmot Basin staff, senior citizens, administrators, business people, families, students, and community members from all walks of life—to gather, break bread, meet new people and get to know their neighbours. Attendance now regularly tops 400. From the outset, Community Dinners have been about connections and inclusion. They have played an important role in highlighting the rich and diverse cultural heritage contained within this small Rocky Mountain town. Over the years, Sunday diners have been treated to Korean banquets, French feasts

//JASPER’S FIRST SYRIAN REFUGEE FAMILY, HASSAN AL AZEM AND OMAYEA EL MARRAWI, ALONG WITH THEIR DAUGHTER, REHAM AL AZEM, HELPED ENRICH JASPER’S CULINARY CULTURE ON FEBRUARY 5 AT THE COMMUNITY DINNER, PREPARED BY THE ROTARY CLUB. // ASHLEY KENNEDY

and Indian repasts. These events achieve more than just sharing the gastronomic traditions of our multicultural neighbours; they inscribe those traditions as part of the cultural fabric of our community.

“When we include new people and new practices in our community, we go through a process of become a new whole.” Such was the case on February 5, when members of the Rotary Club prepared a Community Dinner under the guidance of Jasper’s Syrian residents. That evening, Jasper’s culinary culture was enriched by the delectable traditions of one

of the world’s oldest continuous civilizations. More than 500 people filled the multi-use hall of the Jasper Activity Centre to enjoy generous helpings of tisyia, harrak espawo and good conversation. Much of the conversation centred on the food. The array of dishes on offer tantalized many and challenged a few. Bold and sometimes unfamiliar flavours pushed some of us outside our comfort zones, but it’s only by stepping out of those comfort zones that we can experience the full breadth of what life has to offer. No one expects that everyone will like everything. The benefit is in the trying. Events that bring a diversity of people together for a common purpose have the effect of making the community whole. This is the literal meaning of the word “integrate” (i.e. to make whole). When we include new people

and new practices in our community, we go through a process of become a new whole. Strong communities are those that can embrace that process and, through it, become stronger. In recent decades, Jasper has proven more than capable of evolving and growing with the ever-changing “people-scape” of our community. At this moment in history, it is more important than ever that we recognize and build on that history of welcoming, including and growing with the newcomers who come to call Jasper home. Institutions like Community Dinners represent a foundation from which to embrace new traditions and new perspectives while holding true to the principles that make our community strong. ___________________________ Doug olthof // info@thejasperlocal.com Community Development Specialist Jasper Community Team

Local art //

Angler-cum-artist hooked by imagination-inspired imagery

“It took me at least 20 tries before I was happy with this one,” Tremel says, pointing to a dramatic, cloudcovered scene on a lake that bears a striking resemblance to Maligne.

or photograph,” he said. Now, Tremel knows a piece is successful not when he’s nailed the precise details of the original sketch or photograph, but when the painting he’s been creating for hours suddenly works. Like hooking that two-pound trout in a spot on the // FISHERMAN, WATERCOLOURIST AND FORMER BROADCASTER GEORGES lake you TREMEL CASTS HIS LANDSCAPES TO JASPER ART-LOVERS FEB 23 AT THE JASPER YELLOWHEAD MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES. //BOB COVEY weren’t sure held fish, the work “half inspired by memory, half realization that he’s onto something inspired by imagination.” often comes as a bolt out of the blue.

Many of Tremel’s paintings are like this: familiar yet possessing an

“When I started, I used to be too slavish, too tied to the actual scene

As a fishing guide, Jasper’s Georges Tremel has seen plenty of magic on the end of his fishing rod. Lately, however, Tremel has been making magic with the end of his paintbrush. On February 23, Tremel will debut Landscapes at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives. Thirty-five original watercolours will grace the JYMA’s Showcase Gallery. For Tremel, breaking out the brushes after a seven year painting hiatus has been a chance to hone the same qualities that make one a successful angler: patience, resignation to failure and the determination to try again.

ethereal, fantastical quality. It’s not by accident: Tremel considers his best

“It can come as a huge surprise,” he said.

What’s not a surprise, to Tremel at least, is that much of his work has been inspired by the scenes forever etched in his mind’s eye from his work on the water. Like a pike on Talbot Lake or a rainbow in Maligne’s Trapper’s Creek, Tremel’s landscapes leap from his brush to canvass thanks to 25 summers spent on local fishholding haunts. “If I weren’t guiding Maligne, I never would have imagined this,” he says, pointing to another work depicting a surreal setting. Whether he’s fishing or painting, Tremel says that he likes to pursue meditative activities. Far-removed from his jet-setting days as a CBC reporter, Tremel is happiest when channeling the magic of the Rocky Mountains with his wand of choice. Georges Tremel’s Landscapes debuts at the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives February 23 at 6:30 p.m. bob covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com

wednesday, february 15, 2017 // issue 91 // the jasper local// page B6

Local nutrition //

Fueling for Sport & Activity Did you know that, per hour, an elite ultra-marathoner can need up 90g of carbohydrates and can sweat up to 2.4L of fluid including 2,400mg of salt? Those are some pretty significant nutrition requirements…but why don’t we just start with the basics?

Aim to eat 1 to 4 hours before activity. The longer you have before exercise, the bigger and more complex your meal or snack can be (complex meaning, higher in fibre, protein, and fat) because you will have more time to digest it and prevent an upset stomach. If you’ve got 3 to 4 hours before sport, your food choices can be meal-size. But if you’ve only got about 30 minutes to an hour, it’s probably best to stick to something snack-size that is easier to digest. If you’re really short on time, you may even want to try something liquid like a shake or a cup of juice.

Exercise, activity, sport, movement - whatever you want to call it - is so important for your health and well-being. That being said, activity is also a huge stressor on your body. Exercise breaks down your muscle protein and red blood cells, uses up your stores of glycogen and pools of antioxidants, and causes you to sweat out fluids and electrolytes. In order to quiet some of this stress on your body and improve performance, you can focus on nutrition strategies before, during, and after sport.

BEFORE ACTIVITY

MEAL-SIZE OPTIONS: • Oatmeal with berries and a hard-boiled egg • Whole grain toast with peanut butter, banana, and honey // KIRSTEN OILUND // JASPER-NUTRITION.COM

Pre-exercise nutrition is key for fueling your working muscles for the activity that lies ahead, whether it be endurance, speed, or power. What you eat before activity also fuels your brain to support focus and concentration.

SNACK-SIZE OPTIONS: • Yogourt and fruit (or a small smoothie) • Crackers or pretzels dipped in hummus • An apple and 1% cottage cheese • Leftover rice and a few roasted chickpeas

To fuel before sport, you want to focus mainly on topping up your muscles’ glycogen (carbohydrate) stores and total body fluid volume. To do this you need to eat carbs and drink fluid, keeping in mind that everyone is different in regards to what they like to eat and what sits comfortably in their stomach.

IN GENERAL, A PRE-EXERCISE MEAL OR SNACK SHOULD MEET 3 KEY CRITERIA: A) Carbohydrate-rich: containing foods like

grains (crackers, pasta, quinoa, oatmeal), starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash, corn), pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas), fruit, and yogourt, milk or milk alternatives.

B) Moderate in protein and fibre, to help slow down digestion and provide a steady release of

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• Baked sweet potato with grilled chicken (or tofu) and cooked veggies

STAY TUNED – in the coming weeks we will cover nutrition strategies for during activity and for recovery after sport!

// KIRSTEN OILUND // JASPER-NUTRITION.COM

glucose into the bloodstream.

C) Low in fat to avoid stomach upset, since

high fat foods are extra slow to digest.

Last but definitely not least, it should be familiar! It is important to practice your fueling strategies in training so that you don’t get any surprises on competition day.

Kirsten Oilund is a registered dietitian and the owner of Jasper Nutrition Counselling. She is an avid runner, bootcamper and adventurer. She has been known to plan an elaborate campfire spread. Email her at kirsten@jasper-nutrition.com