Out Jasper received a big boost to their operations recently, with the confirmation of funding from the Alberta Lottery Fund’s Community Initiative Program. 

Abner Brown, one of the lead volunteers with Out Jasper, said they will be putting out a job posting soon to bring a full-time person to help organize and co-ordinate events and programs for the growing lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community in Jasper. 

Out Jasper is a fairly new program in Jasper, and currently sits under the umbrella of HIV West Yellowhead. Brown said they hope to eventually be their own non-profit, and the funding is a step in that direction. 

“It’s nice to have maybe a bit more liberty, and not have to answer to HIV West Yellowhead,” Brown said, on having a permanent position available for Out Jasper. “It’s very exciting.”

HIV West Yellowhead applied for funding on behalf of Out Jasper, which serves the Jasper, Hinton, Edson and Whitecourt region, but is mostly based on Jasper operations. Brown said the LGBTQ community is growing in Jasper, and there was a need for a non-profit organization to create events and bring people together. The organization now relies mostly on volunteer hours. 

“We kind of just realized there was a need for an organization,” Brown said. 

The group began by planning hikes and get togethers for the community, and eventually decided Jasper could use its own Pride Weekend.

Jasper is a unique community in that people visit, stay a while and move on. Out Jasper is able to welcome the LGBTQ community, no matter how long they plan to remain in town. 

“The nature of Jasper is people come and go,” Brown said. 

In 2008, the group interested in forming Out Jasper met and decided to host a Pride Weekend. A bit of hasty planning led to a great event attended by about 40 people. The loosely formed Out Jasper hooked up attendees with discount passes to Marmot Basin, and hosted a welcome party. 

“It was really just to see if there was an interest,” Brown said. 

And there was – so much so that a second event is being planned for this year. 

“This year we realized we could probably invite a lot more people.”

The Jasper Pride Weekend is set for Feb. 11 and 12. The fun will kick off with a Friday night mixer at the Skyline Lounge at the Lobstick Lodge. The night will feature a silent auction and wine tasting. 

On Saturday there will be an aprés ski celebration at the Caribou Lounge at Marmot Basin, but the evening is when the Pride Weekend really gets going. 

There will be a Mardi Gras-themed party at the Jasper Activity Centre featuring Rae Spoon and drag queens out of Edmonton. The queens will be putting on a two hour show that is not to be missed. The night will continue with music spun by DJ Seen. 

“I think it’s going to grow from last year, and there’s a lot of buzz in the city (Edmonton),” Brown said. 

More information on the Jasper Pride Weekend and Out Jasper can be found on Facebook.