Jasper LIFE held its summer welcome barbecue last week, inviting new residents of all stripes to Centennial Park for some free grub.
Representatives from a host of Jasper organizations set up booths at the barbecue, which provided a venue for them to interact with some of the newest Jasperites in town.
Along with Jasper LIFE and the Friends of Jasper National Park, representatives from the Jasper Municipal Library, HIV West Yellowhead, Alberta Health Services, the Jasper Activity Centre, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Jasper Adult Learning Centre and Victim Services all made an appearance.
Parks Canada had a booth as well, and offered free toasted marshmallows to anyone who stopped by to learn about the park and fire safety.
And aside from a new appreciation for all that’s going on in Jasper over the summer, anyone who made it to all the booths and filled up their “passport” got to cash in on some scrumptious free hot dogs.
Although some ugly weather put an early kibosh on the festivities, several new residents still made it out to the event. The Fitzhugh spoke to a few of them, and got the scoop on what brought some them to town.
Andrew Doolan
Andrew Doolan made the trek from the big city into the mountains a few weeks ago. The Toronto native landed a job guiding with Maligne Rafting Adventures, and since arriving has fallen in love with the town.
“I’m from Toronto, right? So I’m not used to any of this stuff. I’ve never really seen much wildlife except some squirrels,” he said.
Doolan, fresh out of an outdoor adventure program at Algonquin College, heard from some of his classmates that Jasper was a premier rafting destination, so, driven by a love of the outdoors, he hopped in his car and made the trip out.
“I heard it was basically the best place to raft in the world,” he said, and he wanted to be a part of it.
Since arriving he’s already done some white water kayaking down the Sunwapta River, which he said has so far been a highlight. For Doolan, Jasper is the perfect place to scratch his outdoor adventuring itch, and he doesn’t think he will be heading back to the urban sprawl any time soon.
“I just fell in love with the outdoors and I can’t go back to the city now—I hate it,” he said with a chuckle. “I love it here—I mean, look around.”
Mckenzie Berendt
Mckenzie Berendt has only been in Jasper for a few weeks, but the new Parks Canada employee is already loving it.
Having recently wound down her first year of a geology and environmental sciences degree, the Canmore native was looking for summer work, so she applied under a government student employment program.
“I wanted to work for Parks but I wasn’t sure where, so I just applied through the program,” she said. When an opportunity to work on the restoration crew in Jasper came up, she jumped on it immediately.
Not only would she get to work outside in a national park all summer, she would get to work with a bunch of other students, and live with her crew in “Whistlerville.”
“I thought, like, why not? It’s pretty much the best summer job you can have,” she said.
So far Berendt said she has done some transplanting—moving trees into Whistlers Campground—and weeding around the park. She recalled meeting some black bears during her Parks orientation, and had fun at her fire certification course, setting up pumps and sprinklers to train in forest fire safety.
And when she isn’t battling mock blazes in the woods, she said she’s been checking out the trails on her bike.
“It’s great. I like mountain biking, and it’s been good so far,” she said. “It’s been pretty fun.”
Eduardo Lara
Mexican-born Eduardo Lara arrived in Jasper a few months ago, and can’t seem to find enough nice things to say about the town.
“It’s very nice, the people are very friendly, it’s clean [and] it’s safe—very safe.”
He said he enjoys living here because there’s always activities for new residents and, more importantly, he gets to hit the trails on his mountain bike.
Between attending the Jasper Junior/Senior High School and working at L&W Restaurant, the Grade 11 student said he has been getting the most out of his new mountain home, working the trails whenever he gets a chance.
“Finally, [I’m in] the mountains [and] I can use my bike on the trails,” he said.
He said his favourite places in town are Maligne Canyon and Lake Annette—even though he hasn’t braved the cold water for a swim just yet.
Lara said that when he graduates from Jasper Junior/Senior High next year he hopes to study civil engineering in Edmonton. After that, he said, he just might return to the Rockies.
“Maybe when I finally finish university I will return to Jasper. I like it here,” he said. Until then, he hopes to get the most out of his time.
“I don’t have experience yet,” he said, breaking into a big laugh.
Trevor Nichols
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