Dear editor,
My husband and I have attended the Jasper in January festival since its inception. We stay at the Lobstick Lodge and look forward to coming every year. It is our Christmas present to each other. I want to send kudos to everyone involved with planning this event as we have taken in many of the activities over the years and there is always something new. We absolutely love it there.
This year we participated in the Caribou Snowshoe on January 26 hosted by your wonderful Parks Canada Interpreter, Brian Catto. It was a wonderful day and very educational. He is very good at what he does.
I must say I was dismayed when we found negative signage posted along the trail by someone, I am guessing a local of Jasper, stating that the trails around Moose Lake and Maligne Lake should not be closed as there are no caribou left. One of the signs at the trailhead was even taunting and juvenile.
How could someone who lives in Jasper be so unsupportive of Parks Canada鈥檚 attempts to save what few caribou remain? Or to preserve the habitat for future re-introductions?
I couldn鈥檛 believe that someone who lives in a national park could be so destructive by vandalizing and defacing trees, trail signs and public property to push his narrow minded and selfish agenda. How could someone live in a national park and not get the big picture?
Apparently the trail he was miffed at being closed was an easy route to the tree line. So? There are other trails, many other trails, to snowshoe and ski on that would give this immature individual more of a challenge in other parts of your vast, expansive park.
I am sorry but Jasper, you should be aware that there is someone like that living among you who is undermining the efforts of Parks Canada and the rest of you who love the wilderness and believe in keeping it just that - wild.
Shame on this very selfish, lazy, unsupportive person for displaying a deplorable lack of maturity. Remember - it鈥檚 not about you.
Lorri Andrews
Beaver County, AB
