New home found for decorative construction hoardings

A herd of multi-coloured caribou have been spotted in Jasper again.

A set of plywood boards, painted with images of caribou, have been attached to the fence surrounding the construction at Parks Canada’s Information Centre.

The hoardings were originally painted by Jasper Elementary School students to be put up at the Alpine Summit Seniors’ Lodge as it was being built. “After that we donated them to the municipality with the idea that they could use them whenever,” said Ursula Winkler, who spearheaded the project.

Last May, The Fitzhugh reported that the herd had been moved to Jasper’s environment services department for storage. “Parks picked up on it and put them around the Info Centre,” Winkler said. “I’m happy to see them up and hope there’s enough life left in them to go on to the next thing.”

The project was born from Winkler’s concern for Jasper National Park’s caribou herd. “It was just an idea to make the place look more beautiful, rather than have just a hole in the ground,” she said.