Wayne Robinson wants you to get out. And to help you do it, he’s started the JILL Program (that’s short for Jasperites Intentionally Living Life). The goal of the program is a simple one­ — to encourage young employees new to Jasper and the mountains to get active and enjoy themselves on the trails, streams and rocks around town — safely.

“We want people who are here to really experience what Jasper is all about,” said Robinson, a four year resident of town who works as a guide for the Jasper Adventure Centre. “This is something for Jasperites, an option for people.”

Robinson first fell in love with the mountains while living in Calgary, and since moving to Jasper has earned his hiking guide certification from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. He’s convinced that once people get out into the mountain environment, they’ll be hooked for life.

“There’s just way too much to see and do,” Robinson said when asked if he had a particular thing that kept him in Jasper. “You can’t possibly do it all in a lifetime, which is discouraging, but at the same time you’re just so excited to get out there and do as much as you can, and visit places and revisit them.”

New arrivals to Jasper tend to visit and revisit certain places, Robinson observed, but instead of names like Maligne Lake, Tonquin Valley and Celestine Lakes, these locales have titles like Pete’s, the Downstream and the De’d Dog. 

“This is about providing alternatives,” Robinson said. Not knowing people are interested in going on a ride or taking a canoe out for the day is a major barrier to people breaking away from the bar scene, he added.

That’s one major attribute of the program — no barriers. There’s no fee to be a member, and anyone can post information on the JILL board that’s already been set up in the Activity Centre.

“People can post info looking for hiking partners and sign up for events,” said Robinson.

For those who want to do more than head out independently, the JILL program will provide. Robinson has a series of skill-building sessions already lined up, starting with a simple orienteering session later this month that will impart the basics of using a map and compass to find your way. Later in the summer, beginners’ climbing and mountaineering courses will be on offer at a reduced rate from local mountain guide Peter Amann, and aspiring shutterbugs will have a chance to take a mountain photography course.

As participants develop their outdoor skills, they will have the chance to put them into action through a series of “Detours”. Admitting that he got inspiration for the name of this element from TV’s “The Amazing Race”, Robinson presents the Detours as a chance for people to challenge themselves in Jasper’s scenic surroundings.

“Every week we’ll have a new one starting in the second full week of June. It’s just an objective and how they get there is up to the person. They can ride, hike, even canoe if it’s possible.”

Bringing back photographic evidence and a detailed description of the exploit will earn the successful participant points towards a prize at the end of the summer. Robinson is still looking for prize donations, from those business types with a philanthropic bent.

The Detours will involve some element of risk, as with any outdoor activity, but they will progress in concert with the skill sessions. For example, the first detour is predicated on being able to use a compass, so those interested in participating ought to take in Robinson’s first training session.

“Everything that we’re doing is in a guidebook and requires no technical gear,” he said. “We just want to empower people to do it for themselves.”

Although Robinson conceived the idea and is the primary organizer, he’s partnered with Community Outreach Services to make it happen.

“He approached me with the idea and we’ve collaborated on it since then,” said Paul Schmidt, the outreach worker for young adults, the population targeted by JILL.

“Our biggest hope is that anyone who is moving to Jasper and has plans to do stuff like this will now have a chance to do it. Right now, the most obvious place to meet people is at the bar, so this is giving people another option.”

Robinson believes that more active staff are better staff and will be more likely to return to Jasper year after year, giving employers an added sense of stability as they make summer plans.

“They’ll take some ownership for the park and they’ll be better stewards. The program will also provide them with an introduction to the geography and heritage of the park, which is a big thing for me.”

The other significant aspect of the program is safety. By teaching new arrivals the dos and donts of wilderness travel, not to mention riskier activities like scrambling and canoeing, Robinson hopes that he’ll be able to help prevent tragedies on the trail. That sentiment is echoed by Steve Blake. Blake, currently the resource conservation manager for Parks Canada, worked in public safety before taking his new position, and he admits that the seasonal staff are a source of concern for Parks.

“They are, mostly because they’re coming from a different context, and common sense tends to mean different things in different contexts.”

Having a program like JILL encouraging responsible activity is a good thing, Blake believes.

“A program like this is a good tool,” he said. “It’s great for people to get out and experience the park. We want to work closely with the program.”