Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Refillable hand sanitizing stations - about 24 of them - will be installed in strategic spots in the downtown core of Jasper.
The Rotary Club of Jasper, Jasper Brewing, the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Jasper are combining their efforts to make it happen.
"Our primary goal is we wanted to do something for the community, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Cathy Jenkins, incoming Rotary president.
Jenkins said making sure people are safe is top priority.
Second, the Rotary wants to support local businesses because they have supported the Club extensively over the years.
And third is being environmentally responsible.
鈥淲ith [the bottles] being refillable, that cuts down on the need for small, individual-sized bottles,鈥� said Jenkins.
The Rotary's budget for the equipment is $6,000. Jenkins said it's important for the Rotary Club to source the sanitizer and other material locally when they can.
That's where Jasper Brewing fits in.
Brett Ireland, co-founder and CEO of Jasper Brewing, said the company was licenced through Health Canada to produce hand sanitizer.
It's being made at their sister company, Last Best Brewing & Distilling, in Calgary.
The company will ship 500 litres at wholesale cost to Jasper free of charge, along with dispensing bottles.
Ireland said: "The Rotary club, they're really spearheading it. We're glad to have the opportunity to be involved."
The stations, which will be strategically placed by garbage cans, will be in place in the next week or so, with a generous supply of sanitizer on tap.
But who will be in charge of refilling them when the time comes? Think 'adoption'...
Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce is supporting the Rotary鈥檚 initiative and launching an Adopt-A-Hand-Sanitizer-Station project.
Pattie Pavlov, general manager of Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, said: 鈥淲e are in search of willing merchants, regardless of the sector they work in - retail, service. We're going to need about 24 merchants.
"What we'd like them to do is at the end of the day, whenever they close, to bring the sanitizer inside, and we'll make sure they have enough sanitizer to refill it, every day."
To sign up, email Pavlov at [email protected].
Jasper鈥檚 hand sanitizing stations will be installed by the end of June by Rotary Club members and M.D. of Jasper staff.
