Article printed in community newsletter raises concerns

The Skinny, a community publication sponsored by the Municipality of Jasper, aims to connect Jasper’s young adult population. It tries to promote an environment of positive community connectedness and a forum for all voices, according to its editor.

But does The Skinny do this? And who’s checking to make sure?

An article in the most recent issue of The Skinny followed up on a comment from Jasperite Darren Thom, about photos published in The Skinny of snowboarders doing tricks on fences at Centennial Park.

Thom wrote that he was concerned that The Skinny presented “a photo shoot featuring the misuse of municipality property. Especially when you’re trying to encourage your target audience to have respect for the town and property within it.”

In response, contributor Peter Wilson wrote an article that appeared in the March 20 issue, called Public Space: Use or Misuse? He wrote, “I have to point out that using public space to whichever end we please is an integral part of our basic freedoms.”

Some community members came forward, concerned Wilson’s piece would encourage more snowboarders to do tricks on public fences or disrespect other public property, when The Skinny is meant to encourage positive behaviour.

Editor Bob Covey decided to publish Wilson’s response. “We’re trying to create a positive environment where people have creative freedom to say constructive things about the community and I think that article was completely within that realm,” he said. “We’re not trying to tell people how to act.”

But copycat behaviour can have a strong effect, which is why the Jasper Community Team, of which Covey is team leader, is undertaking a social norms marketing campaign in an attempt to adjust misconceptions locally.

“Peer influence is pretty big, especially among young people,” said Ryan Verge, young adult outreach worker for the Municipality of Jasper. “So if people think their peers are engaging in a certain behaviour, then they’re more likely to engage in it as well.”

Covey said he answers to council when it comes to what goes in The Skinny, but Jasper’s councillors disagree about the article’s contents.

Coun. Mike Day said Wilson was very careful to indicate that there was no damage done. “It wouldn’t seem to me to be encouraging vandalism, it’s encouraging positive, non-bar activities,” Day said. “I think if there’s no damage being done, if there’s no vandalism occurring, and people are utilizing recreation equipment, then I can’t see the problem with it.”

Coun. Brian Skehill called the photo shoot of the snowboarder doing tricks on fences in Centennial Park an “isolated incident.”

“That fence is not made to have people snowboard on top of it,” Skehill said. “I don’t agree with a bunch of people going down there and using the fence for snowboarding... I don’t think it’s okay for people to be doing something of that nature.”

Mayor Richard Ireland said so far, there hasn’t been an issue for council to address regarding The Skinny. “Council as far as I’m aware has not reviewed the content of The Skinny prior to publication, so it’s a bit of an unknown,” Ireland said. “It’s an issue that certainly has come up and we will have to consider it, but to date we have not been sitting as any sort of editorial board.”

Thom, who initially pointed out the snowboarder’s misuse of public property, said Wilson has blown the situation out of proportion. “They said they went out of their way to ensure no permanent damage was done... Did they encourage anybody else to go out and do it without taking any precautions?” he said.

“I just wanted to say think before you print stuff because you guys are influencing the community.”