Parks Canada marks 100 years as an organization this year and June’s theme is Aboriginal Partnerships. 

According to their website, www.pc.gc.ca, Parks is presenting Canadians with projects, programs and activities set up by Parks Canada and Aboriginal groups and communities to highlight the rich cultures of the country’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. 

According to Parks Canada, when the Inuvialuit Final Agreement was signed in 1984, it heralded a new era for Parks Canada and the country’s Aboriginal peoples. In an effort to respectfully protect and present traditional Aboriginal values in national parks and national historic sites, protected areas are being created and managed in close collaboration with the peoples who traditionally occupied these areas. Since 1984, that support has led to the creation of nine national parks including Torngat Mountains, Canada’s newest national park. 

As part of these celebrations, Jasper hosted Aboriginal Day last week. See this week’s Fitzhugh for coverage of the many events that were held in the community.

The Fitzhugh and Jasper National Park continue to bring you special profiles, featuring the people that live, work and play in Jasper.

Noriko Stevens, Parks Canada

Q: Where did you originate from, how long have you been here and what brought you here? 

A: I am originally from Tokyo, Japan. I would say my husband is the reason that I am here. I moved to Jasper in the spring of 1998. In the fall of 1995, I was travelling around Canada on my own. I started out in the east and then had two weeks to spend in the west, visiting Banff, Jasper, Kamloops, Vancouver and Victoria. I took the Brewster bus tour from Banff to Jasper and on that bus I met Mark, the driver guide. When the Brewster bus stopped in Lake Louise, I wanted to see Plain of Six Glaciers, which the Japanese guide book said was only a 40 minute walk. I started walking and soon I realized that I was not getting any closer, but I didn’t think how wrong the information could be and I didn’t want to give up! Sure enough I did not make it even when I ran pretty much both ways. I was late and the last person to get back on the bus. When I told Mark the story, that caught his attention. He asked me out for dinner that night, and took me out to Maligne Lake the next day. Three days after we met he proposed to me, and we got married in 1996.

Q: What do you love best about living in a national park?

A: I love being surrounded by the beautiful nature and people. Growing up in the big city of Tokyo with so many buildings up against each other, I find that keeping nature preserved like this is very precious. Also I think that this nature brought so many beautiful people together in this area, who all care about the environment. They make me happy to be around and give me good education and encouragement.

Q: How do you make a living and how do you see that as a role in the park?

A: I work in the Parks Canada revenue office, and I get to work both in front of and behind the scenes. I send invoices and collect payments and work as an administrative assistant. I also reconcile all the revenue in this Park, such as gates, campground, Information Centre, Palisades and also Fort St. James Historical Site. 

Q: What are some of your favourite things to do in the park? On your own or with friends and/or family?

A: I love being outside, and doing many different activities. I love that I can take my dog for a walk right from the house to the woods in many directions, all without a car. In the summer season we are out camping almost every week either frontcountry or backcountry. I love the winter season as much as the summer season – biking, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and downhill-skiing are all activities I enjoy. I love watching the nature change from season to season. The slow, small blossoms in the spring make me smile.

Pierre Frigon, Jasper resident

Q: Where did you originate from, how long have you been here and what brought you here? 

A: I am originally from Shawinigan, Quebec. I came to Jasper as a summer student in spring of 1975. I worked seasonally for three summers until my studies were done. Then I came back to Jasper to live permanently in 1979. 

Q: What do you love best about living in a national park?

A: All of the wonderful things one would expect from living in a smaller, but very dynamic town in the Canadian Rockies. Clean air, unsurpassed scenery, bountiful wildlife, loads of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors, and amazing community spirit. But above all, I enjoy Jasper for what it doesn’t have.

Q: How are you involved in the community? 

A: I help out whenever or wherever I can, especially through my work at the Sawridge Inn Jasper – as the Sawridge is very involved in supporting our community in very many ways. The recent barbeque organized to help the victims of the Slave Lake fire is one example of that, and our community came to bat and helped out well beyond our expectations. I also volunteer on the marketing advisory committee for Tourism Jasper.

Q: How do you make a living and how do you see that as a role in the park?

A: As director of sales and marketing at the Sawridge Inn Jasper, I see my role in Jasper National Park as a very serious one. The decisions we make as marketers of this unique mountain town can greatly impact both residents and visitors alike. We must always be responsible stewards of the land and respectful of our esteemed resident population, whilst aiming to operate viable businesses. One of our primary responsibilities is to ensure visitors have a positive, unique and authentic visit to this area. Another is to ensure there is balance with the needs of Jasper residents at all times.

Q: What are some of your favourite things to do in the park? On your own or with friends and/or family?

A: Backcountry camping and fishing at Maligne Lake is by far my most favourite thing to do. This location is simply magical, rain or shine. A summer barbecue at either Lake Annette or Lake Edith remains a family favourite to this day. I never tire of taking friends for a weekend of camping at either Wabasso or Snaring campgrounds – both locations offer beautiful sites a short distance away. Although the old legs aren’t as co-operative as they once were, skiing at Marmot Basin was always a delightful way to spend a day in the park. And finally, sitting on my deck at home enjoying the gorgeous scenery whilst sipping on my favourite beverage is an activity I will never tire of.