Leather Pass Chronicles

5 Minutes with Jim Mikulec

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:37:00 +0000

Now I realize that Jim Mikulec has very little to do with my 8 year old GMC pickup truck. But the headline '5 minutes with GMC Engineer' still caught my eye when I received the most recent GMC Network Magazine.

You see, in 2002 I purchased a brand new truck for my business. A simple pickup truck - no frills - to get materials from my suppliers and deliver my product to my clients. My lease was almost up on the vehicle I had and it was a dilemma for me to decide 'lease vs purchase'. But my local GMC dealer said there was the perfect truck for me on their lot so two days before the Canada Day Parade I went to see it...with NO intention of making a decision right away.

The minute I saw the simple black two person Sierra all shiny and new - 11 km's on the odometer - well....call me fickle - I drove it home and have loved it ever since. Until winter.

The first cold day - did I mention I live in Canada - at zero celsius I noticed a tick. So now Otzi (he became the iceman for many reasons) is 6 months old. And upon a cold start - he ticks. Better get that checked.
Bulletin G00076785 issued December 2001 ( 6 months before I purchased Otzi) states that 'some of the above engines may exhibit an engine knock noise that begins in the 19,000 km of use. Most often noticed during startup and typically disappears within 30 seconds.' (which is does)...and it went on to say that this noise has no effect on the longevity of any of the engine components.

I agree, it didn't affect the ability for this little truck to get the most amazing gasoline mileage any vehicle we have owned ever has. An 8 hour drive to my daughters house was only $70.

The noise however would deter any potential buyer from looking twice at the truck. As the temperature dropped to -20 celsius (not uncommon here) the startup became quite orchestral to say the least. If I was ever to sell this vehicle it would have to be in the summer!! (when I purchased it)
When I brought this issue to the attention of GMC, mentioning that I am in business and people don't pay me for damaged goods, and that I would like to stop paying for this until we fix it - I was informed that that would simply result in them repossessing the truck and destroying my credit rating. Ah - decisions decisions...pay full price for damaged goods or destroy my ability to buy a house or get a credit card in the future.
??

But all that soon became irrelevant as I fell in love (or as much as one can with a vehicle) my little truck. We bought camping gear and designed a sleeping platform for a trek to the Yukon and the next summer to the Queen Charlotte islands. Opening the back hatch while wrapped in our sleeping bags and watching the waves roll in on the misty beach .... breathless.

It walked over Pine Pass in Northern BC where others were laying in the ditch...it floated in a hailstorm in Edmonton but got us off the dreadful Whitemud and safely to a parking lot where we watched other vehicles float by in the swirling ice. (iceman explained) This truck tiptoed past sliding semi trucks on the Trans Canada on its many treks to get me to school.

And it never failed to start - it would groan and maybe hesitate - but it always started. 8 1/2 years with the same battery, the same windsheild - in Alberta!

But alas, during a blizzard last month - it didn't get me home. I left the workshop at about 11pm, drove 1/2 km and the 'check oil pressure' lamp came on. Ok - only 1km to home and I will check into the mechanics in the morning. It's 30 below and almost a whiteout and I didn't wear my boots.

Within less than 1/2 km all lights went out and Otzi coasted to a peaceful stop - I am still 1 km from home in a blizzard. Small towns being wonderful places to be - I flagged down a ride within minutes and arranged a tow truck to get my faithful black 5000lbs of recycling off the road.

Now I know a 8 1/2 year old truck may sound like its time to upgrade...but this gem has had constant 5000km oil changes, annual spring and winter tuneups...all necessary repairs, never driven in a city and has all new steel from the hail damage. It has only 170,000km on it. All driven by me.

I know that things don't last forever. So I knew the news would probably not be good. And I was right - this gem of a little travel/work truck has cracked heads. The engine was done. And strangely enough GMC has a bulletin for that too! Apparently this make and model MIGHT have cracked heads, reads a report from 2007. (remember now - I have been doing service maintenance religiously at a GMC dealership since 2002 and this could have been caught 4 years ago?)

2007 - less than 5 years from my purchase date...still under warranty. Yet I was not informed of that possibility. And because I am north of the border I was not aware of a class action suite against GMC for this very flaw. I know they know I have this truck...I get these great GMC magazines, I get GMC certified oil changes and services, yet, after they received my $35,000 the conversation was apparently over.

The largest recycling dilemma I have ever had was what to do with an old TV. This large black piece of steel in my driveway (looking good even after 8 years) taunts me with what is the right thing to do? Get a rebuilt engine...get the engine rebuilt? Get a new vehicle. Get an old vehicle.

So as I read my GMC magazine 'Custom Truck Event, get up to $1500 in chrome accessories' and I look at my GMC that has been treated so well but is not even worth $1500 right now... I would like 5 minutes with 'Jim Mikulec' or any GMC engineer!

I hope as a GMC engineer Jim is watching the details. No ticking cracked engines should ever leave a facility without some kind of recourse.

Thanks for listening to my rant. It hasn't fixed the problem...but has made me think more about what I have to do to get back on the road...the Yukon (not a GMC Yukon ironically) is calling once again.

Dust off those 'pics and shovels'!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:07:00 +0000

I just got home from the land of the Gold Rush…and if the local news had been written on older paper with heritage images I might have thought I was still there!!

Its not 1907 – but the rush is on in Alberta, oil exploration, gas wells and now a pipeline is planned to run through our small mountain community. Complete with the need for accommodation and food. With this potential onslaught of workers (well paid don’t forget!) you can almost feel the heat from the hands rubbing together.

But haven't we seen the ensuing problems with a uni-dimensional economy? Have you been to Fort McMurray? Or even spent an afternoon in Edson? There is nothing sustainable or forward thinking about what is happening in those communities.

"There are strange things done under the midnight sun..." but I doubt if there is anything stranger than having a National Park approve such a blatant disregard for what the Park is meant to be. On the one hand I'm dusting off the 'pics and shovels' to sell to these 21st century gold diggers and on the other hand I'm thinking this has to be stopped!!

Inside sources tell me that a battle with a corporation as large as the one putting in the pipeline would be futile. The right to upgrade the pipeline was granted when the original one went in over 40 years ago. Now if you or I purchase a business (the original pipeline company is no more and the actual pipeline has had a few new owners...) the deals made with the original owners are usually open for discussion - but I would think that after 40 years any original deals would be subject to discussion.

And times were very different in the 60's. The big car manufacturers were pumping out the largest 8 cylinder big block vehicles they possibly could. Very different times. The big push now in car manufacturing is the use of bio fuels and hybrid engines...even if there are only a few places to actually purchase these alternative fuels (a blog for another day). Homes are slowly being built with these changes in mind too, geothermal and solar systems are becoming more common.

And why is the pipeline going through the National Park and the Rockies to the West?? Surely there is a possibility that pushing it straight down parallel to Highway 2 Edmonton to Calgary would make more sense?? A piece of Alberta already denuded of wilderness?

And what is worse, is the way these issues split communities. Last weeks locale paper's letter to the editor slammed the 'Green Shakers and Movers' in town for not doing something about such a devastatingly large environmental issue. Thought being that the environmentalists here only harp about the small things - like bikes on trails - while bulldozers are heading for the Park. Poignancy and ignorance all in one comment. (Not worth the energy to press the keys to respond!)

I'm a Libran. I think all things are possible. I believe everyone is entitled to their beliefs. So while I completely disagree with the archaic thinking that goes with the pipeline upgrade through a National Park - I'm probably going to go dust off those 'pics and shovels'. Cause we all know what happened to the prospectors who got there to late to stake a claim!

Oil, Filmmaking and a lost password rant

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 May 2007 21:04:00 +0000

Two blogs ago I was concerned about the fact that Alberta's government body for filmmaking had been enveloped into the dept of Economic Development. My concern would have been better saved for the most recent dept shuffle. This spring Alberta filmmakers were lumped into the dept of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture.

And as if that wasnt enough of an insult to all of the artists and storytellers and 'keepers of the culture' - Alberta's past Premier Ralph Klein was recognized as a Friend of the (filmmaking) Industry in 2007. This is the Premier whose regime was responsible for the decline of cultural programming after the famed Lougheed years. His time as a Premier saw a lot of the industry leave the province to maintain a livelihood as they had known under previous governments.

But some people would say that I have a cynical side to me. I seem to always find the darker side of an issue. So I asked the folks, who gave Klein that recognition he most certainly did not deserve, why?...their response was:

"As you may recall, in an effort to balance the budget, funding incentives for Alberta’s film and television industry disappeared in the 90’s as part of the government’s policy not to be involved in the business of being in business. However, a few years later, a new strategy, based upon Alberta expenditures, was created and became the Alberta Film Development Program (AFDP). Although, at the time, some of the government Ministers resisted, the AFDP was “green-lit” by then Premier Klein and since that time, the Fund has steadily grown each year and now contributes $14.5 million dollars annually to assist Alberta producers and co-productions. We maintain that the current funding is inadequate..."

This ability to destroy a program - revamp it and reinstate it to its infancy is something every Albertan should pay attention to.

But attention is not something many Albertans can spare unfortunately in 2007. Alberta is presently moving at mach speed. Jobs jobs jobs...building new highways and homes - I think the most recent stat on Calgary homebuilding was 3 new houses a day. (based on several hundred a year) Its booming!!

And here comes the cynic - a boom means a bust is on the next wave. So what will become of the thousands of mortgaged mcmansions all over Edmonton and Calgary? How will all those high paid young folks make payments on their Hummers and SUV's??

Which brings me to the photo above. (I do have a method to my madness) The mosaic above is our revered Mr Klein. The government official who allowed the province to get to its present state of unfettered 'greed'. Complete with the possibility of a nuclear power station to power the oilsands industry...but that is another rant. If you could look closely at the mosaic you would see that Mr Klein is created from oil rigs, SUV's, smokestacks and heavy machinery images.

So this is the 'rant' that has evolved after 3 months of not being able to find the password for this site. Next Sunday I get to see the results of a stone mosaic that I made by hand! The concrete should be dry. Its a bit of a personal milestone - creating by hand vs creating by technology.

I will leave with this thought - I found a quote last week by another Canadian politician. She contemplated the fact that artists and storytellers have been our source for identity for thousands of years. With the influx of technology and our ingestion of so much cyber product - are we going to lose the impact that artists and storytellers have had on our sense of identity? Are we going to lose our storytellers and artists?

(some time spent chasing storytellers - check out an old blog... https://spiritoftherock-inthepatch.blogspot.com )

CN Strike

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:29:00 +0000

Its interesting how a CN strike can mean so many things. This image was found when searching for pics of the strike. (thanks to www.hemmy.net/.../lightning-strike-on-cn-tower/ )

While beautiful it is not what I was expecting to find. The recent walkout by Canadian National railway conductors has little to do with lightning. And unlike the CN building - the problem originates south of the border.

The CN family in our little mountain community, Jasper, is a big one. (and a supportive one! see YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoWc-AVDNrg )

The town itself would be a much different place if it were not for the railroad, one of the main reasons historically that the town exists. And this years Family Day is marked with moms and dads walking the picket line while management scrambles to fill the gaps in administration and running of the railroad.

The beauty in this strike is that while management is not at their desks - their chairs are being filled by others up the line - in this case employees and co-workers from south of the border. And while management are not at their desks they are out on the trains - away from their families - working the shifts of those on strike. Nothing breeds respect like walking a mile in someones shoes - or in this case riding for miles in a noisy dirty engine - never sure when you might get home.

Fishing, Farming and Filmmaking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 07:00:00 +0000

Two of these things belong together

Two of these things are kinda the same...

Earlier this year the Alberta Film Development Program was moved from being administered by an arts organization, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, to the offices of Alberta Economic Development. As an artist (first) I was hesitant to accept this move as I felt that the only real reason AED wanted the industry under their umbrella was because of the influx of high profile filming coming into Alberta (Hollywood North) - and I felt that the artistic side of filmmaking would suffer under a dept with the word 'economic' in its title.
WELL
This week Alberta got a new premier. The new premier got rid of the Dept of Economic Development and threw Alberta Film (and culture) in with Parks and Recreation. And what is even better is the new Minister in charge of Parks and Recreation has 27 years of experience - in agriculture. He even likes to farm and fish in his free time. My skepticism was so unfounded!

Two of these things belong together

Two of these things are kinda the same

Can you guess which thing is not like the other

Before they move arts and culture again!

Pine Beetles, Marijuana and Space Weapons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 23:39:00 +0000

On Tuesday last week, the Harper government cut $60 million from youth employment programs, $11.7 million earmarked to fight mountain pine beetle, $5 million in Status of Women funding, $45 million from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 11.9 million from adult literacy programs, $4- million from medical marijuana reseach, and $9.7 million from volunteer Canada initiatives.

Yikes
Slashed youth programs
Slashed womens programs
Slashed adult literacy programs
A free run for the pine beetle, no help for new home owners and nothing to smoke when you get sick from all this!

The same government also announced plans Tuesday to give a U.S. firm a $24 million contract to find further efficiencies in government. (Makes sense really - why would they hire illiterate Canadians? One in 3 Canadians are illiterate)

While during the same week news came of the push by the Canadian Senate to spend more money on things like the American anti-missile weapons in space program, and an increase in our military spending of 6billion (thats a b) dollars. This same Senate report said, "There is nothing inherently evil about weapons, and there is nothing inherently sacred about space."

I wonder if this applies to the space between their ears!
Yikes

Autumn Thoughts Turn to Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:07:00 +0000

Its that time of year when we start thinking about traveling.
This is a story about a man named Ed who lived for traveling. Not like the traveling people do today - not Thailand and Europe. Although, his combined miles would probably go around the globe many times.
Ed started driving at the age of 14 in 1938. Being 6foot2 at the age of 14 usually meant you would have to make your own way in the dirty 30's. Driving cab in the city got him away from the farm and gave him an opportunity he'd never even imagined - meeting people. You see, next to driving Ed's favourite pastime was talking. Probably the result of years of having no one to talk to but the horses where he grew up.
After a few years of this he found a wife (in his cab) and started a family (hopefully not in the cab!). Cab driving was soon upgraded to driving transport truck - the big 18 wheelers were soon regularly parked outside the humble bungalow. Most befitting of a man of his stature. Since Ed was a common name in the 1940's his nickname soon became Big Eddy to discern him from his brother in law or neighbour Ed.
Driving 18 wheelers was time consuming as the routes were often highway traffic dependent. This didn't deter Ed from buying his growing family a new house - with two floors and two bathrooms! It was after all 1966. Keeping up with the Jones's was a must.
Summer vacations varied between handyman work on the cottage or - you guessed it - driving the family out to western Canada to see the Stampede, Toronto for family or Quebec for Expo 67.

But driving truck takes a toll on the body so after years of being a Teamster, and driving the repetitive Toronto Montreal corridor, Ed decided to take a softer seat - driving Coachline buses. The big comfy armchairs of the coach bus meant Nashville and Fort MacMurray were easy drives. New York City and Florida were places a farm boy could only dream of going in the 1930's.

With age Ed downsized - drove school bus, drove handicapped children to boarding schools, did newspaper runs...until one day it was time to retire. Something he never let on that he was looking forward to but I am sure he thought it would be a great way to do some traveling. And when he wasn't traveling he was probably planning a trip. He was unassuming to look at - but anyone who ventured to strike up a conversation would soon learn a lot about travel trivia. He could tell you exactly how far Wawa was from Kenora and how long it would take to get there traveling at this speed...he could tell you where to stop for the best slice of pie or cheapest hotel... Often this information was given whether you wanted to know or not!
The next 20 years saw many variations of minivans and trucks and comfortable sedans. Ed had one last favourite pastime - vehicles. And he was always in one. Usually on his way to Alberta. Ontario to Alberta was his annual escape 1987-2005, he drove it over 20 times.

He gave me my nickname 'Roadrunner'. I hope I can live up to it - big shoes to fill.
Ed passed away Sept 18 2006 at the age of 82 after a few days of illness. He always felt guilty for all those years when he was not home closer to his family - hopefully spirits have no guilt and he is free to travel as much as he wants now. Ed was my father.

When the Mountains throw Shadows

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 17:23:00 +0000

It may not look like much but when Whistler Mountain starts throwing its late afternoon shadow - cool nights are not far behind and the community of Jasper will soon feel the onset of autumn.

Which for the residents here is something to look forward to. The lineups at the banks, post office and grocery stores become manageable and as absurd as it may sound - parking will soon be a possibility. (Absurd because many folks ride bikes and many more folks should ride their bikes) And don't get it wrong - visitors are most welcome - for many Jasperites these vacationers are what make it possible to live here.

Anyone who has frequented this small Rocky Mountain town would have noticed some big changes in the past 5 years. New street lights, new commercial buildings, older homes taken down for double duplexes and newly paved parking lots. All within a four block radius.

And here comes the rant.
Yesterday the mailboxes were stuffed with 'Imagine' letters from a group that wish to see more tourism. Futuristic numbers like 110,000 more visitors with $13 million more dollars coming in from those visitors.
Two nights ago I stood at a hotel desk where folks were being turned away - there were no rooms in Jasper - or Hinton (where the resource extraction industry has reserved the rooms for oil and gas workers but that is another rant for another day).
So, exactly where these additional 100,000 visitors would stay is a mystery.
Unless the plan is to pack the shoulder season with as many visitors as we have in the peak season here. This would mean the lineups and traffic jams would be non stop - 12 months of the year. The $13 million dollars that would supposedly come with this onslaught of traffic doesnt even begin to address the infrastructure strain or costs of increased garbage management, sewage disposal, power consumption, parking and the staffing issues...
And quite frankly folks - the residents of Jasper, the community at large, doesnt want to pay for that, financially or socially!

Enough ranting.
A few of us have decided that the enteprenuers and the community can both win if they look at the real desire here. The money is what it is really all about - not the increase in bodies (remember there is nowhere to put them or staff to serve them) So, guess what industry has proven itself to enhance the visitors experience making them want to stay longer and spend more and return? The same industry that targets the ne'X't generation of tourists, the new demographic with the six digit incomes - the Creative Class...that industry is CULTURE in all its forms, Heritage, Natural History, Fine and Performing Arts, Indigenous, and Environmental. Jasper has an amazing unmined potential in all of these fields. I'm sure there is a quote somewhere about growing inward before outward...

The commercial industry of this small National Park 'city', approximately 6 blocks long and 2 blocks wide, doesnt have to result in the loss of community for the surrounding small town.

If you want some information on the economic and social benefits of attracting Culture Seekers or the Creative Class - just start googling. Or ask us. Jasper already hosts several events during the year that use Culture in one way or another to enrich visitor experience with great returns on their efforts.

Look up, look way up

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 03:46:00 +0000

Anyone walking into Mountain Equipment Co-op in Edmonton this month should look up!
Hanging in the entrance is a beautiful piece of art created by artist Marguerite Larmand and the students at Edmonton's Central High School. Two handbuilt oversize coats, one inner, one outer.

The plaque on the wall tells viewers about the plight of the Woodland Caribou in Jasper - and gives a little insight into the project begun 10 years ago called 'Wardrobe de Rigueur'.

The inspiration for the coats was brought on by a previous work by artist Larmand, "Donning the Coat of Nature, which, when exhibited invites viewers to 'don' the coat of nature and in doing so broaden their sense of place and self. The Wardrobe de Rigueur is a collection of coatworks viewed as eco-gear - carrying messages about the environment. Each coat represents issues specific to the region in which it is made. This Edmonton coat celebrates the Caribou Mountain Region, west of Wood Buffalo National Park where woodland caribou make their home. The double coat enables the viewer to see the woodlands with and/or without the caribou to reinforce the integration or lack of the two interdependent natural elements."

When searching for artists to get involved in a traveling exhibition, called Tuktu Prayers, to raise awareness for Jaspers woodland caribou Marguerite Larmand's coats were discovered in Ontario where they had been since their move from Edmonton 10 years ago!

What better place for them to hang than in MEC where nature, clothing and environmental concern are always visible in the building.

Tuktu Prayers is a traveling art exhibition that will travel from Eastern Canada to Jasper in 2007. Find out more about the Canadian and International artists that will be involved and how you can help save the caribou in Jasper during the next 100 years visit the website...www.tuktuprayers.com

The Man who Turns the Stones

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 03:33:00 +0000

"What are doing," she asked as she watched the man gently lift turn and replace the stone back into its original spot. "Are you looking for something?"

He slowly moved a few inches to the side, picked up another stone, turned it and set it back where it came from. He didn't wipe anything off of the rock, he didnt dig into the hole - he simply turned the rock over and put it back down.

"Have you lost something?" she said a little louder wondering if perhaps he couldnt hear her over the rushing river noise.
"No" he simply said. He smiled and moved down the bank a little further. She watched for several minutes. He treated each rock the same. No inspection, simply turned and laid back down.

He's daft she decided and went about wandering the edge of river looking for that elusive stone that would be the one she would keep as a momento of this vacation. Amazing, she thought to herself. Absolutely amazing that no matter how many times one walks the riverbank - the rocks never seem to be the same twice.

She couldnt get the rock turning man out of her head. He looked vaguely familiar - a friendly face. She looked up and he had moved quite a ways off now - still bending, lifting and turning the rocks. One by one. In his white non descript tshirt and khaki coloured pants. Almost like a sunbleached rock himself.

Then she remembered. She had seen him before. At another river last summer. He was doing the same thing - turning the rocks, one by one. Not possible! She shook her head as if to shake out the thought. It must be the heat.

The rock turning man was barely visible - blending into the white and tan of the river rock - as she picked her way over the rocks and back to her car. She looked down to keep from tripping and there it was - the perfect rock. Smooth, flat and still wet from being turned. As she bent to pick it up it seemed odd that she hadnt seen it on her way to the river.

Hesitating for a moment, she wondered if she shouldn't leave it there. One more glance to see the rock turning man, as if he might give permission, but he was now completely out of sight. She flipped the rock in her hand and dropped in in her bag.

Amazing really, she thought, no matter how many times you visit the river, any river - the rocks never look the same.

____________________________________________________

This is a true story, 'enhanced' by the heat in Jasper today.

Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 03:03:00 +0000

Occasionally I find repetitive images coming to me via email and at work...this week its horses.

The Artist on Rails for next week is Graham Flatt, a painter of figures on horseback set against abstract Western landscapes. While in Jasper on the 27th and 28th he will be painting in the atrium at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre during the evenings.

Graham will setup in the Sawridge near the new display of Aboriginal art we received this week from The Stampede School in Calgary, a set of six wonderful images created by youth in grades 1-4. Teepees, traditional designs and of course horses.

And on Sunday we are off again, back to Southern Alberta in search of more artists and stories...like this one, given to us to share - about horses!
____________________________________________

Sandy
Horses and park wardens have long been partners in the Rockies. People mapped out the trails, but the horses carried everything in but the mountains. When I started in the Warden Service in 1972, my horses were also responsible for warden training.
There were no schools, no workshops, no apprenticeship.
"Here's your outfit, here are your horses, have a good summer." we were told, and sent off alone, down the trail.
I guess there wasn't much wrong with that. I had time to learn things on my own. I didn't know any better and I wouldn't have cared either. This was my dream come true.
On my first trip, I had two horses, Sandy and Shorty. It was a Mutt and Jeff outfit if I ever saw one. Sandy was a big sorrel gelding with the patience of Job and a heart the size of the Grand Canyon. Shorty was a feisty little bay, tough as nails, who made me pay for every mistake I made. And I made plenty!
I threw my first diamond hitch on Sandy. I read how from Joe Back's book, 'Horses Hitches and Rocky Trails'. An intricate twist of rope and knots, the diamond hitch holds a pack box firm on either side of a pack saddle, with everything else secured on top. It may be the most essential bit of information a back country warden needs, so I practised on a sawhorse a couple of times in the barn at Sunwapta Station. Sandy packed my first load eighteen miles without a wreck. I decided packing a horse was easy, and learned otherwise. After 20 years of traveling in the mountains I have come to the conclusion that when your pack falls off, or goes crooked, it just means you need more practise. I've had a lot of practise.
One summer's day I drifted off the job, lost in my thoughts, riding loose in my saddle on Shorty. I had just had lunch, the sun was shining on my back and the flies weren't too bad, yet. Sandy followed after, just as mellow, until I felt a tug on his halter shank which I held in my hand. When Sandy stopped suddenly, little Shorty was not about to pull him to a start again, so we all stopped. I turned to see what had happened...to be continued.
___________________________________
This is but one of the stories we have collected to honour life in Jasper - as part of our collection for 2007. We will be posting these stories in their entirety on www.leatherpass.com SOON. If you have one you would like to share let us know!

Jasper, Caribou and Vanilla Cream Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 02:17:00 +0000

Wow, we just got home from doing a Southern Alberta trek. And it is amazing to see the influence of the Rockies and wildlife - in the strangest places.
Of course if you are traveling through the Foothills one of the musts on the route would be the Turner Valley and Black Diamond area. Entrance to the area is marked with oil derricks and coal memorobilia but the real soul of the community can be found in its farmers markets and local pubs.

It was no surprise to find an old friend and artist from Jasper at the Millarville Farmers Market - the largest outdoor market in Alberta! Anna Carnell works in stone. The image below is a stone mosaic. Pebbles - cut stone - and colourful slabs atop beautiful diamond willow legs. It wasn't long before we had persuaded her to do a table for Tuktu Prayers, our traveling exhibition for 2007 to raise awareness for Jasper National Park's dwindling Woodland Caribou herd.

After visiting with Anna we made our way through the homemade jams and preserves, avoided the plethora of homebaked Mennonite cakes and breads, indulged in some Polish 3 layered walnut vanilla cream pie, checked out the pottery, custom art and handmade clothing...and then just sat in the shade watching and listening to the merchants of Millarville!

It always seems like other communities have so much going on and so much to do! For a fleeting moment I could almost imagine moving to this small place and enjoying the nightly jams and markets and intense art scene. For a fleeting moment...
Jasper may not have the provinces's largest farmers market where you can buy everything from fresh berries to picnic tables to puppets - but we also dont have oil and gas exploration in our backyard or a megacity encroaching on our doorstep.

And now we have another visual voice for Tuktu Prayers!
Watch Tuktu Prayers for online auction items soon.

Jasper Skies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 05:14:00 +0000

It must be the day for great skies over the Rockies. This one I have to share...Roche Bonhomme, Old Man Mountain in Jasper National Park, by local photographer J Valcourt.

This is probably one of my favourite peaks. The Ojibway believe this mountain to be a spiritual place. Many areas in the Park were traditional hunting grounds for First Nations people.

To honour the connection to these people Jasper is host to an annual celebration of aboriginal art music food and dance. This years Heritage Gala is the weekend of November 18th and welcomes the return of artists like Audrey Nanimahoo, Ernie Scoles and Dennis J Weber to name a few. A must see for the weekend would be the young dancers from The Ben Calf Robe School in Edmonton. The theme for this years gala is in keeping with youth and elder teachings.

It is night now in the Leather Pass and while the mountains seem to have disappeared we eagerly anticipate the new skies of tomorrow!

Its Canada Day in the Pass!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 22:07:00 +0000

Wild Things and things that are wild. Canadians are notorious for being mild and less than enthusiastic when it comes to Nationalism - EXCEPT for one day of the year. Canada Day in the Pass is an opportunity to celebrate all that makes us Canadian.

And in Jasper National Park that means celebrating all that makes a Canadian Icon. The Parade was full of wild life and wild things.

It has been a while since bears wandered the streets of Jasper. Around 30 years actually. Older Jasper residents remember when meeting wildlife in the alleys was a common occurence. The sound of barking dogs and rolling garbage cans was the sound of evening coming to the mountains.
One Jasper resident has even written a book from the perspective of a child growing up in Jasper during the 50's, On Mountaintop Rock. While it is written as fiction it does have some basis on truths, like the rolling garbage cans at night.

Its fun to imagine a time when wildlife was abundant enough to be 'in the backyard'. Unfortunately even in these protected places that is not necessarily the truth anymore. Sometimes even the best intentions can lead to less than the best results.

Jasper National Park celebrates 100 years of protected status next Canada Day. What was intended to be a place 'preserved for generations to come' is not without changes. Some good and some bad.

So get enthusiastic Canada!
Celebrate our wildplaces.

National Parks for all Canadians!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:12:00 +0000

Only 4 more days until Canada Day in the Pass.

This will be the 99th Canada Day for Jasper, only 6 months until 2007. One hundred years of life in this mountain community has built a lot of connections. To other parks, to other mountain communities, and to other people from around the world.

A lot of visitors arrive in this small town each year - often on the train. The heritage station, built in 1926 to replace a former Grand Trunk Station that burned to the ground during the winter of 1924-25, also boasts a traditional Haida Pole.

What a lot of people dont realize is that these treasures, the cultural heritage and the natural heritage of our National Parks, are there for all Canadians. The present caretakers of these rare and wild places are simply that - designated custodians. So, take ownership of your National Parks. Get involved and help preserve these places for your next visit.

And make that next visit Canada Day!

Jasper National Park will be 100

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 02:21:00 +0000

Sekoh,

In 2007 Jasper National Park will celebrate 100 years of protected status. (It will celebrate 100 years of being a National Park around 2035...I dont know if I will still be blogging then!)

So we want you to post your stories and adventures about your visit to the Canadian Rockies, especially if that trip involved Jasper.
Many of our elders are not web savvy so it is up to you to get their stories and post them for them. You never know what you will learn about your grandparents!

One of the biggest thrills of living in the Rockies is the visitors we get to meet and the stories we get to hear. Bike enthusiasts, bird lovers, artists, mountain climbers...

What brought you to the Rockies?

(We also found this great image - does anyone know who originally painted it?)

Leather Pass Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 02:22:00 +0000

Welcome to Jasper Alberta's Leather Pass Chronicles where we plan to share the news views and little known truths about life in the historic Rocky Mountain Leather Pass.

As soon as we perfect this new medium of blogging we will be back!