The gallery at the old firehall in town has kept the Fitzhugh’s reporters busy this autumn with what feels like a new exhibit, show or event every week.

It’s fantastic.

If anyone had doubts about culture in this town, the goings on in that building are surely proof. Thought-provoking notions, unique viewpoints, and creativity can all be found there, but most importantly, a social connection.

What better place to meet with neighbours for a friendly, intelligent discussion? Events at the firehall are the perfect opportunity to mingle, run into friends and meet new people.

Kudos to JAG and the brushfire gallery at the old firehall, for hosting sharp events time and again, and for maintaining the culture sought and appreciated by so many in this town.

Too soon to celebrate?

A party Saturday night for a biweekly newsletter put out in Jasper by Community Outreach Services as an attempt to connect with youth was a big hit. The gallery was packed and everyone had a great time.

The trouble is, the newsletter was developed to reach out to youth as a way to address the Patricia Street Predicament of late-night noise and vandalism in the busy summer season. Though the Skinny is fantastically popular, it doesn’t seem to be reaching the young seasonal workers, the ones most in need of a connection to this town. 

Even with the massive turnout to Saturday’s open house, many faces were familiar – people who live here year-round, who own homes and business, and who are unlikely to smash car windows or urinate on a sidewalk on the way home from the bar.

The risk then, with this newsletter, is that young transients will view it as a cliquey endeavour undertaken and contributed to by a close-knit group of local young adults. 

Was this venture a symbolic attempt to give residents the impression something’s being done to address the party-town feel Jasper takes on in the summer?

The Skinny may be a solid publication that represents the greatness of Jasper and the talented people who live here, but it’s important not to lose sight of why it was initially created.