Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Gail and Don Lonsberry decided to move to Jasper in 1967 with their family for a change of pace.
More than five decades later, they鈥檙e still making the most of life in town.
The pair met in Edson through a mutual friend many years ago, but started life in separate provinces.
Gail was born in Edmonton on Aug. 28, 1942, to Helen and Edward Deakin, joining brother Doug, who was born four years earlier.
鈥淢y mom and dad lived in Jasper from 1938 to 1942 - before I was born,鈥� Gail noted. 鈥淢y dad was with CN Telegraph. Then they moved to Edmonton.鈥�
The Deakins made Edmonton their home until 1954, then moved to Edson.
The family spent time in Jasper along the way.
鈥淢y uncle, John McDonald owned a cabin at Pyramid Lake and we used to spend our summers there,鈥� Gail recalled.
She graduated from high school in 1958 and started pharmacy studies at the University of Alberta in the fall.
After she graduated in the spring of 1963, Gail started as a pharmacist in Edmonton.
Don hails from Saskatchewan.
He was born on Mar. 6, 1940, to Jessie and Lloyd Lonsberry. He鈥檚 the first of five brothers: LeeRoy, Clarke (who passed away), Gaye and Linden.
Don graduated from high school in 1956 and worked as a labourer for CN for a short period of time, then started in the oil patch,.
In 1961 the whole Lonsberry family moved to Edson.
A year later, Gail was apprenticing at a drugstore there as part of her university studies.
She worked with Doris Becker, whose boyfriend knew Don. Doris introduced Gail and Don in July of that year.
On Nov. 9, 1963, Gail and Don, who were living in Edmonton, got married in Edson. They continued life in Edmonton, Gail as a pharmacist and Don as a long haul truck driver.
There came the time when, 鈥淲e wanted a change from city life, and Don decided he鈥檇 try to get on with Parks Canada,鈥� Gail said.
With his successful application to Parks Canada, Don worked for one day as a labourer, then was a truck driver and operator for five or six years.
In 1973, Don moved into a position as maintenance foreman, a job he had until he retired in 1997.
Gail was in her position as a pharmacist for the long haul too. Bob Dowling hired her to work at the then-Whistler Drug Store and through the years this tenacious lady worked for the same business up until March of 2020.
鈥淚 let my licence go this year,鈥� she said.
But that doesn鈥檛 mean she stopped working in the industry. She鈥檚 now a casual pharmacy assistant at the hospital.
Gail and Don raised Terry, who lives in Nanaimo, Randy, who lives in Jasper, and Darrell, who lives in Calgary. They have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Their sons played minor hockey as they grew up.
Don managed the Mountaineers, a Junior B hockey team.
鈥淚t took us all over Alberta,鈥� Don remembered. He also volunteered at Jasper rodeos.
Gail did too, starting as treasurer, and for the last few years has held the secretary-treasurer position. She pointed out, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a whole bunch of volunteers鈥� that make the rodeos possible each year.
The Lonsberrys were honoured for their commitment to rodeos in 2014.
鈥淲e were both presented with a buckle by the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) with our names on it, at the coliseum in Edmonton, during the Canadian Finals Rodeo,鈥� Gail said.
She and Don have had horses for more than 30 years and currently two are in the fold - son Randy has one. They live at Cottonwood Corral in the summer months and in Dunster during the winters.
Up until a couple of years ago, the Lonsberrys didn鈥檛 experience bears up close.
Then, a bear or two destroyed their apple tree in a big way, so much so that Don said, 鈥淲hen I saw it I said, 鈥楶oor tree鈥�.鈥�
Since that time, no apples have grown, but, maybe next year, they said.
In the late 1960s and early 70s, Gail and Don said, Jasper would close in the winter and there weren鈥檛 as many tourists heading to Marmot Basin, which wasn鈥檛 as developed as it is now, so there was limited access.
Train traffic was busier then, though.
鈥淲e used to have four passenger trains each day, two each way,鈥� Gail said. 鈥淭hey phased it out to the present-day Mountaineer.鈥�
In the 50s, a trip to Kamloops from town would take 10 to 15 hours.
Gail said, 鈥淚t was gravel, it was winding.鈥�
鈥淎nd narrow,鈥� Don added.
Something that has not changed is accommodation, or lack thereof. Gail said the housing shortage has existed since before she and Don moved to Jasper.
All in all, Lonsberrys love the town.
鈥淚t was a great place to raise the kids,鈥� Gail said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 their home and they do come back and enjoy Jasper. Jasper is home.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 the place we wanted to live, so here we are,鈥� Don said.
