Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Jasper has been home to the Tio-tio family for more than two decades.
Ruby was the first to arrive in Canada while Facundo and their children remained in the Philippines. She was coming to "greener pastures" she said.
"My sister, Cora Banks invited me to come to Jasper,” Ruby said.
“I arrived at the end of November in 1993. I liked it because it's similar to where we were in the Philippines."
The Tio-tios came from a mountainous area in the northern Philippines, the town of Kapangan, where it's temperate, "not that cold, not that hot”, Ruby said.
Ruby spent many years in Jasper working as a nanny, and had a part time job at Parkway Gifts too.
When she finished that career, the medical clinic was next, where Ruby did filing from 2001 to 2004.
When she finished that job, Ruby started cleaning the clinic, which she does to this day.
Ruby also started working at the Mount Robson Inn as a supervisor of cleaning at first and then in the laundry department.
Facundo joined Ruby in 1997.
He arrived first in Vancouver in July that year.
He went through paperwork with an attending officer who told him Jasper was a good place to stay, and said, "Good luck - and don't change your name."
The morning after he arrived in Jasper, Facundo went for a walk to explore his new neighbourhood and was asked by a woman sitting on the bench if he was "nuts" because he moved here from a warmer country.
For the first couple of months Facundo worked in the laundry department at the Jasper Inn.
Then he signed on at Jasper Auto House (a.k.a. Jasper Towing) where he helped paint and repair vehicles. He has worked there for 23 years.
"I was a mechanic in the Philippines," he noted. "I started a small auto repair shop, and built jeeps from plain tin sheets. We used hammers, chisels, a welding machine. It takes six months to build one whole jeep."
It was at Jasper Auto House that Facundo got another name.
He explained, "I had a coworker - a young guy, (who) didn't want to say my name. 'Can I call you Bob?' he asked."
And Bob he was named.
Bob had 'uncle' added to his name in 2006, when a number of folks from the Filipino community moved to Jasper.
The Tio-tios explained in the Filipino culture, when people are past the age of 50, 'uncle' and 'auntie' are added to people's names as a sign of respect.
As well, grandmas are called 'lola' and grandpas are called 'lolo'.
There were many symbols of respect and tradition at Ruby's and Uncle Bob's wedding in the Philippines on June 2, 1980.
Roses and orchids were displayed at the church, and after the ceremony, "We invited the whole community to our house," Uncle Bob said. "Everybody comes."
On the menu was adobo - pork, buffalo, beef, mixed with soy sauce, garlic and black pepper, and a main staple in the Filipino diet - along with rice and noodles with mixed vegetables.
"At every celebration there's noodles," Uncle Bob said.
"That means you'll have a longer life," Ruby added.
And the longer the noodle, the better. Don't cut them, Uncle Bob advised, noting that you'll see folks winding noodles around their forks, which reinforces the symbol of longevity.
Ruby and Uncle Bob flew to the Philippines in 1999 to accompany their five children to Canada. They arrived in Jasper on Mother’s Day.
"It was a gift to me," Ruby said.
There's Ruby Ann, married to Awet Mehari, and their children, Mikhail and Sophie; Facundo Jr. and Cecile Tio-tio and sons, Tristan and Kyle; Ryan and Carlie Tio-tio, and sons, Rylie and Jacob; Charlene and Joeren Manguera and daughters, Brielle and Abegail, and Daphne and Bradley Patterson.
The whole lot of them are musicians, and they were part of the church choir for a while. Ruby and Uncle Bob still play guitar and ukulele respectively (minus this year because of the pandemic).
Wildlife is part of town life. Ruby said soon after she arrived in Jasper, she walked to a friend's house. "I put my head down - I was running," she said. She looked up to see an elk. "It was coming toward me." Ruby quickly changed her route.
Then there was the time when Uncle Bob was walking by the museum and met an irritated elk. "This elk was starting to chase me,” he said. “I jumped over the rail on the museum to get away."
The Tio-tios are one of three families in Jasper from the Igorot tribe in the Philippines, which is specific to the north part of the country.
Everyone in the Tio-tio family got Canadian citizenship in 2004, a very happy day for all of them.
"It's fantastic. I love Jasper." Ruby said.
Uncle Bob noted when they visit friends elsewhere, "They say Jasper is expensive, why don't you move? We say we are used to it, we're going to stay in Jasper. We like it. It's quiet. People are friendly and helpful."
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].
