I spent just one night at Wapiti Campground on the way from Ontario to the Northwest Territories in August 2015, rushed and late for my new job in Fort Smith, N.W.T.
As brief as it was, my first Rockies experience stuck with me the entire time I was north of the 60th parallel in Fort Smith, the gateway to Wood Buffalo National Park.
That adventure lasted just a few months, but luckily I landed a job at our parent company’s newspaper in Peachland, B.C., in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, at the start of May. My start-date of June 1, 2016 gave me three weeks to explore B.C. and Alberta so I spent the first five days taking in JNP.
The Okanagan was as beautiful as advertised, but the fact was I left my heart in Jasper. It tore me apart to drive away from the mountains, like I’d caught a snag on Mount Edith Cavell I couldn’t shake free.
But as luck would have it, I barely had time to settle down in Peachland before the great magnet found some space for me back in Jasper.
Local lute-lover Liam Cullen introduced himself to me at the bar at open mic at the Legion on Friday, as dozens of Jasperites have since I arrived. After he and (most of) the rest of the Athabasca Barnburner had finished their set, I thanked him for the tunes and told him why I’m here.
“Welcome home,” he said, even, simple and sure, and it felt really, really, right.
Kind of like when you pick up a copy of the Fitzhugh. It’s beautiful, smart and engaging, and for me at least, it always leaves you wanting more. Just like Jasper—it’s a captivating reflection of this magical place we are fortunate enough to call home.
I can’t wait to meet the rest of the Barnburners, and the rest of you locals. If you find a spare moment and you’re on the main drag, introduce yourself—our door is between Subway and the Jasper Brew Pub.
Failing that, you’ll be able to find me stalking Sulu at the Jasper Dark Sky Festival—George Takei is set to appear Oct. 21 in case you’ve been living under a rock, or next to a lake, all summer.
Just another dream come true in Jasper. Oh myyyy, indeed.
Craig Gilbert [email protected]
