Community-based organization appeals for long-term funding

Canoe trips, ski touring, camping, and kayaking are just a few of the activities in which the Jasper Adventure Club for Kids (JACK) tries to get Grade 7 through 12 students involved. 

Formed in the fall of 2004, the primary organizers of the program are James Bartram, Terry Winkler and Anna DeClercq, all of whom made a presentation for council last week requesting $500 per year from the municipality over the next five years to help ensure the long-term viability of the program.

The yearly operating cost of the JACK program is approximately $2,000, not counting the volunteer hours that community members contribute to the program’s success. According to Bartram, current funding comes from both the English and French school boards, who contribute $500 each and Parks Canada, who contributes an additional $500.

Securing funding from the municipality will allow JACK organizers to plan “strategically,” said Bartram. “There’s a limit to how long you can stumble from year to year,” he said. “If we get secured funding, we can make a five year plan... you get a lot bigger bang for your buck... you don’t have to spend your time doing fundraisers and stuff, you can spend your time working with kids.”

Bartram added that the goal is to be “demonstratively collaborative. The school boards, Parks Canada and the municipality can all work together” and that’s a great message to send to the kids, he said.

Quick to dismiss the notion that Jasper is a really affluent town, Bartram said that “yeah, we’re an affluent town, we are, but kids have a lot of expectations... We don’t want money to be a barrier,” and that is why JACK has tried to eliminate any kind of user fee for participation.

Since its inception, JACK has been very successful, drawing envy from other organizations. At points, JACK has become a “victim of its own success,” said Bartram. Other organizations thought that JACK had all sorts of money and in fact asked JACK for funding, he said, but it’s a “bare bones organization.”

One of the great things about JACK is that it draws on and depends on Jasper’s wealth of social capital. “That’s another ace in our hand,” said Bartram. Whether former Olympic athletes, writers, teachers, or Parks Canada staff, JACK is embedding itself in the community’s fabric.

The idea is to “create more authentic learning opportunities and (get kids) to enjoy the place they’re from,” said Bartram. “It’s pretty uniquely Jasper. It’s one of the ways Jasper can really shine as a community.”

JACK relies on the co-operation, assistance, and initiatives of a whole host of community organizations including Parks Canada, Family and Community Support Services, Community Outreach Services, Jasper Jr./Sr. High School, École Desrochers, as well as parents and members of the community who volunteer time and resources.