Rafting Olympics cancelled
The Mark Oddy Golden Paddle Pentathlon, also known as the Rafting Olympics, was cancelled this year due to the closure of Old Fort Point Bridge, where the finish line was supposed to be.
The June 19 event would have marked the pentathlon’s 22nd year, but it will be on hiatus until 2014 when 2012 winner Jasper Whitewater Rafting will defend their title.
The Rafting Olympics consist of five events: rescue and slalom, sprint, raft flip and boat races. Competition rules also dictate that the winning team must also organize next year’s event.
No details on proposed closure modifications
Until an overall decision on the proposed winter backcountry closures is made, Parks Canada will not release details on what modifications it is considering.
The agency announced the possible adjustments last week, using changes to the closure boundaries as an example, but it won’t provide any further detail on where those alterations might take place.
“We put it out there to show people we’re considering their feedback,” said Alisson Ogle, noting that until a decision is made, Parks can’t be more specific.
The adjustments are to Parks’ proposal to delay winter recreational access to the Tonquin, North Boundary and South Boundary areas of the park, in an effort to protect caribou from predators like wolves. That proposal was made in February and a decision was expected in May.
According to Parks, the agency is still working toward a decision that will balance caribou conservation and quality winter recreational opportunities in the park.
PJ Day takes home prize
Marta Rode, the mastermind behind Jasper’s annual PJ Day to raise awareness for autoimmune diseases, is one of 10 people to win $10,000 from Telus’ Give Where You Live contest.
To enter, she submitted photos from PJ Day and wrote a description of the event. Then it was up to the world to vote on the photos and captions that inspired them. The photos with the top number of votes were then reviewed by judges who picked their 10 favourites.
“It’s really cool,” said Rode of being selected as one of 10 Canadians to receive $10,000 to give to a charity.
Because PJ Day isn’t yet a registered charity, Rode donated the money to the Jasper Heath Foundation, with the funds being designated to autoimmune diseases.
Ontario longboarder passes through Jasper
James Osmond arrived in Jasper earlier this week on a long-haul longboard adventure to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer.
The 25-year-old from Blue Mountain, Ont. had already travelled 2,000 km from Vancouver Island and he still had more than 7,000 kms left before he would reach his destination—Cape Spear, Newfoundland—taking him from one coast to the next.
Osmond is raising money for prostate cancer in memory of his grandfather who passed away in 2005. By the time he finishes his journey in September, he hopes to have collected $25,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
To support Osmond’s cause, visit thebigpush2013.ca or follow him on Facebook by searching “The Big Push to Prevent Prostate Cancer.”
