Van Tighem’s trip begins
Greg Van Tighem is just days away from beginning his latest extreme cycling trip to raise money and awareness for the MS Society of Canada.
In his third end-to-end to end MS ride, Jasper’s fire chief will cycle the length of the Dempster Highway on a Kona Wo fat bike (his previous two rides were 2,700 kilometres along Highway 93 and 3,000 kilometres along Highway 16).
The Dempster Highway stretches more than 1,100 kilometres from Dawson City in the Yukon to Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories. The highway is famous for its high winds, temperatures that routinely drop below -20°C and the 200 kilometre section of ice road at its end.
Van Tighem left Jasper March 25, and will officially set off from Dawson City on the morning of March 28.
“I’m kind of anxious to get going,” he said from the road March 25. “It’s been a lot of planning and a lot of preparation, and now it’s time to put the rubber on the road and start pedaling.”
Armed with loads of winter survival gear and a satellite tracking device, Van Tighem said he hopes to make it 100 kilometres a day.
For hourly updates on his location, daily progress reports and photos from the road, check out his website at endms93.com, or his Facebook page at “EndMS93”.
Museum AGM
The Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives is hosting its annual general meeting Tuesday, April 7.
The hour-long meeting will take place in the museum’s Bridgland Room and will be followed by a presentation from Lucas Habib.
Habib was the park manager in Sirmilik National Park on Baffin Island. He will present a slideshow and talk about his experiences in Nunavut, beginning at 8 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to attend both the meeting and Habib’s talk.
Monthly book club
If you’re passionate about books and looking for an outlet for your literary pontifications, you still have time to read up for the next meeting of the Jasper Municipal Library’s monthly book club.
Each month the group reads a new book and then meets to discuss it. New members and new ideas are always welcome.
This month’s book is Sue Gruen’s Water for Elephants, which the club will discuss at its next meeting on March 30, at 6 p.m. at the library.
For more information, contact the library at 852-3652, or visit their Facebook page by searching “Jasper Municipal Library”.
