Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
They loved Jasper before they moved here and today, more than 30 years after calling it home, Honey-Lee and Dave Neilson love it just as much.
"We like the lifestyle, we like the people, we like the community, we like everything about it," said Honey-Lee.
The sport of skiing is what connected the couple with Jasper in the first place. They lived in Edmonton and the ardent skiers passed their interest over to their daughter, Naomi, who started skiing when she was just three years old.
"Before we moved to Jasper, Naomi was part of the Nancy Green Program in Jasper," Dave recalled.
"So we travelled to Jasper every weekend," Honey-Lee continued. "It was a program that was developed for young people.
“It was a great team to work on your skiing skills, good life skills."
By the time the Neilsons moved to Jasper in 1984, Naomi knew lots of people thanks to her involvement in skiing.
At nine years of age she was on a ski development team. A year later she joined the Jasper Ski Team, part of the Jasper Ski Club. Team members travelled to competitions throughout the province and in B.C.
Dave and Honey-Lee were involved with the ski club too.
"I was the Alpine Chairman for the Jasper Ski Team for a few years," Honey-Lee said.
She and Dave volunteered in many capacities, including at the ski hill and at bingos.
"It was a wonderful group of people," Honey-Lee said. "It's what brought us here. They were those kind of people."
Neilsons were active in the club until Naomi was 17. These days, Naomi lives in Edmonton with her husband Adam and son Tyler.
Neilsons stayed busy on the slopes.
"We just kept going and going," Honey-Lee said. "We held ski passes for years and years." Today Dave skis occasionally with Tyler. Honey-Lee doesn't ski anymore - she said her knees feel like they are 150 years old.
When they moved to Jasper, Honey-Lee worked in the office at Fort Point, now Cavell Apartments, while Dave kept busy on the slopes and cycling.
About a year and a half after they moved to Jasper, the Neilsons purchased a dry cleaning business and ran it for three years.
Honey-Lee started working for the provincial government around that time for three or four years as a maintenance services worker.
"Kept me out of trouble," she said.
When they closed the doors to the dry cleaning business Dave started working for John Walker, who owned Jasper Park Plumbing, for a year and a half. He was then hired as a property manager for the provincial building. He worked there for four years, until 1991. The job included overseeing the Aspen Gardens and Cabin Creek townhouses, the walk-ups on Patricia St. and the Yellowhead Apartments.
"Then I became a manager for Trijon Planning and Development (which later became Urban Life Management)," Dave said.
Honey-Lee moved on to a job as a campground cleaner, or what she calls a 'biffy buffer'.
"I cleaned campgrounds, pullouts along the highway, campsites - keeping the campgrounds pristine," she said. That included the Wapiti and Wabasso campsites.
Dave said he was "roped in" to sell tickets at a rodeo in 1993 by the Jasper Lions Club. He soon joined the team and is currently the vice president.
Dave retired in 2011 and Honey-Lee in 2008, but remained equally busy in the community.
In 2010, Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC), Honey-Lee and Nancy Aikman worked together to put in the original application for the Lions Club to be eligible to work at casinos.
"When we were approved I became the casino chairman," Honey-Lee said.
The Neilsons have helped fellow Lions Club members sell Community Spirit Calendars over the years too - it's the club's main fundraiser.
And Honey-Lee and Dave have been running an approved accommodation since 2002.
"Until this year, a majority of our guests were from international places," Dave said.
"We had visitors from about over 25 countries last year, some we hadn't heard of," Honey-Lee added.
About changes they've seen over the years, Honey-Lee said, "Tourism's gotten busier over the years."
"Since we've moved, we've seen a lot more people from around the world," Dave added.
"But one thing that has never changed," Honey-Lee continued, "is the shortage of housing."
"Housing has always been an issue - and still is," Dave said. "There's not enough rental accommodation either."
The Neilsons love Jasper deeply. "Everything is close. It makes it so you don't have to use a car," Dave said.
"It's the closeness of the community. Community members are always there to help each other," Honey-Lee said.
Get to know some of Jasper’s beloved community members in our new feature, Jasper Treasures. Nominate a treasure for our next feature! Email [email protected].
