Jumping Pound Cabin Dedications

 

July 13, 2021 Update:  

Long time members Mors Kochanski and Bob Skarra, who both passed away in December 2019, are being recognized with the dedication of two cabins at Jumping Pound Camp in their names. This event had been on hold due to the pandemic, but is now scheduled for the September 3-5, 2021 long weekend.  The official dedication starts at 2:00 on Saturday, September 4.  Bill Bresnahan, Chief Warden of Alberta from 1980 to 1995 who passed away in March 2020, will also be honoured. This is a public event in accordance with AJFWA's Guest Policy as non-JFW's will be in attendance.  

Invitation: 

May 16, 2021

Cody Howitt & Bob Skarra

Greetings, everyone!

The much-delayed Cabin Dedications for Mors Kochanski and Bob Skarra at the Junior Forest Wardens’ Jumping Pound Camp west of Calgary have not been forgotten! The original plan for April 2020 was shut down due to the COVID 19 pandemic.

A tough year has gone by, but we were optimistically targeting the June 18-20 Summer Solstice weekend to honour these special people. Alas! The COVID variants are now on the rise and provincial vaccinations are not progressing as quickly as anticipated. We do not wish to champion an event that has the potential to cause illness or hardship to the participants, so once again the event will be delayed, this time, until the September 3-5 long weekend.

Mors Kochanski

 The NEW Plan

All JFWs past and present, including Alumni members, are invited to attend. In addition to the JFW crowd, the invitation is extended to the Bushcraft community, the majority of whom show up at Rat Root Rendezvous every August.

The JFW Alumni Association had three honorary lifetime members who made outstanding contributions to the JFW program; Ernst Klaszus, Mors Kochanski, and Bob Skarra. It should be noted that the Dedication of the Klaszus Kabin was also delayed for a year due to the 2013 flood. The tradition continues!

Travel & Jumping Pound Camp Requirements

The camp will be open on September 3 (Friday) for those who are coming from afar. All campers must be self-contained. Please note that there is no potable water or cell phone service on the site. The official Dedication will start at 2pm on Saturday to give those who are coming for the day time to arrive (Edmonton, Red Deer, etc.)

Upon arrival, all non-JFW people must sign a waiver, and there will be a handout covering camp rules, itinerary, etc. No open fires are permitted unless contained in a metal ‘fire barrel’. There are two firepits and 7 portable fire containers available on site.

Cabins are reserved for Families and Special Guests. There will be no AJFWA insurance coverage for this event due to the presence of non-members.

Again, those from afar may wish to stay over Saturday night and journey back on Sunday. There is considerable space for tents and trailers. Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Camp regulations require all dogs to be on a leash during a JFW event……and…….it is much easier to clean up after them! Bad behavior (People or Dogs) will of course not be tolerated. 

Conclusion

Bill Bresnahan

We are uncertain at this time if the event can take place as planned. We are obliged to adhere to the AHS guidelines which at present only allow 5 people in an outdoor setting. Hopefully we don’t get shut down by COVID, fire bans, or weather. If it’s a GO there will be a follow-up email with a map. If not, there will still be a follow-up email. Any suggestions, comments or questions are most welcome and may be directed to:

Brian at bjmcbride@shaw.ca

or

Leona at leonabois@shaw.ca

or

Margery at margery.mcbrideelliott@ajfwa.ca

 

As Brian’s hero, Chief Dan George often said, “We shall endeavor to persevere.”

Best regards and stay safe,

BJ, Leona, & Margery