Note: The Fitzhugh is proud to celebrate the winners of the 2018 Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce Business and Ambassador Awards.
Craig Gilbert | [email protected]
Round trips are routine for Jasper Motorcycle Tours.
They took the fast lane from the 2017 Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce Business/Ambassador Awards to the 2018 edition earlier this month. Last year, they won the coveted Business of the Year award, this year they’ve been recognized for their charity work with the Communities in Bloom award.
“Winning last year was very, very rewarding but to be recognized this year for the CiB award, it almost means more because we’re getting recognized for something we do that we’re not being paid for,” owner Candace Broughton said. “We do it on our own free time.”
Broughton has been involved as an owner of JMT since it incorporated in 2007. She became the sole owner in 2011. Somewhere in between, she actually started collecting a paycheque.
They started with two brand new 2007 Harley Davidsons, an Electra Glide and a Road King, and it’s grown to a fleet of five Electra Glides and two Road Kings, all with sidecars and driven by JMT staff, plus a Fat Boy and another Electra Glide that can be rented by qualified motorcycle operators.
Broughton has about 20 motorcycle operators who take visitors on the sidecar tours, plus five store staff, and shuttle drivers.
“We can handle a lot of mobility issues when we do our sidecar tours,” she said, sitting in the “Batcave” under the Patricia Street store. “We have special ways of getting people into the bike when they have knee, hip issues. We can take them out of a wheelchair and put them in a sidecar. There are a lot of these travellers who come to town and there are a lot of things they can’t do because they can’t walk. So that’s been great for us and they really appreciate it if they can go for a ride.”
Once a year, the fleet is joined by other riders for the JMT charity poker run. The Jasper Community Team Society received close to $3,800 after this year’s poker run.
“Candace and her crew are amazing community ambassadors and so completely deserve recognition for their contribution no matter when, no matter where,” JPCC general manager Pattie Pavlov said. “The Communities in Bloom committee were proud to present the award!”
Last year, under sunnier skies, the poker run’s haul went toward the purchase of a powered tri-shaw so local seniors home residents and their loved ones can take brief jaunts around town.
“It took a lot of volunteer hours to put it together,” Broughton said.
That and donations for the epic silent auction held at the Legion. It helped the event raise thousands despite the weather whittling down the field to about 20 bikes.
“I want to really thank Leanne (Kading) and Kris (Kowblick) for their work,” she said. “They put this together; they do the majority of it. It takes a lot to put together a little fundraiser and to me it’s amazing how much can go into it. The months of legwork. We need to give back to our community, and that’s what the CiB award is about. Everybody has to chip in.”
