Dam repairs
The Cabin Lake dam is in for some upgrades.
Last year Parks Canada had a dam review completed and now it is hiring an engineer to complete a further assessment, as well as come up with a design for the work—which, funding permitting, will be completed next year.
The upgrades are preventative, according to Barb Facrey, assets manager for Jasper National Park, and they’re being investigated to ensure the dam holds up during a worst case scenario—for instance, when there is high wind and high water levels.
“We know that we have to repair the weir,” she said, noting that other work might include adding material to the back slope to build up the dam or lowering the water in the reservoir—there is also the possibility of a combination of the two.
“It should be fairly routine,” she said. “We’re just trying to be a responsible custodian of the dam.”
Cabin Lake is located on Pyramid Bench on the way to the Saturday Night Loop. The lake is Jasper’s emergency water supply, so Parks and its engineers will be working closely with the municipality during the assessment and upgrades.
“We’re very cognizant of the town’s use of that lake,” said Facrey, noting that a Parks employee monitors the dam monthly to ensure it is up to snuff.
Smokey skies from B.C. fires
The smoke that’s been drifting around the park this week is from fires burning in Prince George, as well as the northwest fire centres of British Columbia.
There are currently no active fires within Jasper National Park.
There is no way to know how long the smoke will linger in Jasper, as it is dependent on weather and fire conditions.
Parks Canada is advising anyone with a preexisting health condition that is negatively affected by smoke and who is concerned about it, to contact Health Link Alberta to speak with a registered nurse. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-866-408-LINK (5465).
Hadfield tickets on sale now
The countdown is on until retired astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield touches down in Jasper for the Dark Sky Festival, and tickets are already flying out the door for his signature event.
On Oct. 25 Hadfield, along with the Daily Planet’s Jay Ingram, will take over Centennial Park for an evening of space and music.
The two-hour event, beginning at 7 p.m., will include a musical performance by Ingram’s band The Free Radicals—as well as a few numbers by Hadfield—and speeches by Ingram and Hadfield.
Tickets for the event are available online at www.jasper.travel/dark-sky-festival-2014/events. They are $89 each, plus taxes.
This year’s Dark Sky Festival runs from Oct. 17–26.
