Images of Jasper were viewed by millions of Australians earlier this week, as the country’s No. 1 morning show rolled into Jasper to shoot live on location at Mildred Lake, Maligne Canyon and Marmot Basin.
Edwina Bartholomew, the Sunrise show’s weather presenter, arrived by train Saturday evening, along with her film crew and members of Travel Alberta.
“We took VIA Rail from Vancouver to Jasper and getting off here in town, it was just beautiful,” she said, admitting this is her first time in Canada and her first time “somewhere this cold.”
“It’s what you imagine a winter wonderland would look like. We don’t have anything like this at home.”
Sunrise is like the Today Show in the United States. It’s a news and current affairs show that airs each morning. Included in the show is a weather segment produced by Bartholomew and her crew, who film on location around the world.
“We do the weather all over Australia and about every couple of months we try to go overseas as well, just to show our viewers something else.
“Basically it’s just about people sitting back in their lounge rooms, watching TV in the morning and opening their eyes to somewhere else to go. I don’t think Canada needs more Australians, necessarily” she said with a grin. “You’ve got a few of them already, but we can throw in a couple more thousand, no one will notice.”
This is the third time Sunrise has filmed in Jasper. So this time, Bartholomew wanted to do something a little different. On the first day of filming, the crew set up on Mildred Lake, where they curled and played a game of shinny against “Canada’s finest.”
“They were a group of five, six and seven year olds from Calgary and Edmonton.
“We didn’t get beat up, so I think we came out on top there.”
From there, Wes Bradford, a retired Jasper National Park wildlife conservationist, led the group through Maligne Canyon until they reached the Queen of the Maligne and Max Darrah of Rockaboo Mountain Adventures.
Darrah was there to get Bartholomew into a harness and up the frozen waterfall.
“That was just something else,” she said, beaming with excitement.
“I said to Max at the beginning, ‘I really want to make it to the top.’ And he said, ‘well, it’s a long way and not everybody makes it and it’s quite hard, so just give it a go and see how you feel.’
“I got halfway up and thought ‘I don’t know if I can make it the whole way.’ But I made it to the top. I was so thrilled, really exhilarated and excited.”
The experience in Maligne Canyon was a standout for Bartholomew and her crew. She said, because they travel so often, it takes a lot to wow them. But, while standing in the canyon, they got the true wow factor of Jasper National Park.
“That was really beautiful. There’s something about ice and water and snow and that remote location. It’s just stunning.”
The Sunrise crew’s final shoot was at Marmot Basin on Monday, where they watched as Marmot staff undertook some avalanche control work, and after that, the crew was back on the road.
For the remainder of the week, Bartholomew filmed at Sun Peaks, Silver Star and Big White.
To look back on the crew’s adventures in Jasper, check the hashtag #SunriseinCanada on Twitter or visit www.au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise to see the segments shot right here in the park.
Nicole Veerman
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