2019 Peter Mehl Scholarship Award Recipients

The Peter Mehl Memorial Scholarship is an annual scholarship award that is granted from the yearly net income of a fund established with the Edmonton Community Foundation in 2011.  

Criteria :  Students selected for the Peter Mehl Memorial Scholarship will best meet the following criteria:

1.   Be a resident of Canada.

2.   Be accepted by a post-secondary institution in a faculty or program appropriate for 

      entering career in natural resource management or outdoor related fields.

3.   Have a strong academic record, supported by transcripts.             

4.   Record of commitment to a not-for-profit youth program.

The AJFWA Scholarship Awards Committee met to consider six very deserving applications for the 2019 Peter Mehl Scholarship awards.   There was $1,000 of proceeds from the Fund this year.  The Committee decided to award two (2) $500 scholarships.  This year we have Canada covered coast to coast.

We are pleased to announce that the 2019 Peter Mehl Scholarship Award winners are:

Thomas Drover – St. John’s, NewfoundlandGriffin Andersen – Vancouver, British Columbia

Congratulations to Thomas & Griffin.  This was another successful year for the Scholarship Fund.  Many thanks to all of you who made it possible.

Thomas Drover

Thomas is entering his first year of Environmental Science studies at Memorial University in Newfoundland.  He looks forward to a career in environmental engineering and management.  

His interest in conservation and the environment was developed as a member of the St John’s East JFW Club.   A Club reforestation and reclamation project inspired him to find a way to make a difference in the world through a career in Environmental Science.

Griffin Andersen

Griffin Andersen

Griffin is beginning his first year of Environmental Engineering at the University of British Columbia.  He hopes to use engineering and applied science to further sustainable solutions for the planet.

His interest in applied science and the environment developed over many years as a volunteer with a fish hatchery.  Griffin says environmental advocacy is a driving force in his life.  To this end, he raised over $7,000 for local conservation groups. 

2019 Tree Planting - Calgary Black Bears

3rd Annual TAC Camp

If your Warden is interested in participating in the TAC Camp being hosted by the Yellowhead Regional Council, please contact event@yellowheadajfwa.ca or go to the YRC Website if you are YRC member.

Registration is open August 25 to September 30, 2019.

Help Wanted!

Attention JFW and Alumni members!  Here is a great opportunity to help a worthy cause, and benefit our upcoming National Camp!

The Alberta Master Games is looking for volunteers (adults and mature Challengers welcome) to help with parking on the evenings of August 22, 23 & 24 from 4:15 to midnight at the North Saskatchewan River Park in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.  Click here for more information about the Alberta Masters Games.  We are looking for 10 people each day.

If you are able to help on ANY of those dates, please send a quick email to NC2020.Chair@ajfwa.ca.  

The benefits:

• This event takes place on the same site as our upcoming National Camp 2020.  You'll be able to preview the site while another large event is in progress, and bring some helpful observations back to the National Camp Committee and to your own Club.

• You get to be part of a very cool and unique sporting event.  This will be fun!  You'll have a chance to enjoy some of the events and entertainment, too.

• By volunteering, you'll earn funds that will go toward making National Camp 2020 the best ever!

Check your calendars, and let us know which evening(s) you can be there.

  

Please reply by August 10 if you can help.

Alberta Masters Games

Attention:  Parents, Leaders & Alumni

If you are interested in a little friendly paddling competition this summer, the Alberta Masters Games still has room in all three of their paddle sport events:

• Voyageur Canoe River Race 
• Canoe Polo Tournament 
• Tandem River Race

In particular, they are short paddlers in the 30-45 yrs category for the Tandem Race.

You must be 30 years of age or over to participate.

Registration closes August 1, 2019.

Click here to register.

For anyone paddling the N. Saskatchewan River in late August

The Alberta Masters Games Voyageur Canoe River Race will be taking place on the North Saskatchewan River - Horburg to Brierley’s (the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site) on August 23rd, 2019. 

The Tandem Canoe River Race will be August 25th, from Fisher’s Rapid to the Brierley’s (RMH NHS). 

All river instructors, trip leaders and organizers, please take note of these two events and the dates so as to minimize the chance of the racers encountering large groups or a series of boats out on the river during their race. 

MANCAP Foundation Grant for New Graduates

NEW GRADUATES!!  GRANT APPLICATION OPPORTUNITY!

DEADLINE JULY 31, 2019

MANCAP FOUNDATION

Academic excellence is NOT a prerequisite.

Financial need IS a criteria.

Eligibility Criteria
 Be a high school graduate, AND
 Be entering first year of studies at an accredited Alberta post-secondary institution, AND
 Demonstrate — through your answers to the questions in our application — entrepreneurial
ambition.

This is short notice but Merry thought it might help some of our graduates.

Click here for more information.

Upcoming YRC Events Open to AJFWA Members

A note from your friendly event coordinators :)

Canoe Paddling Certifications

First another reminder about our two Canoe Certification trips that are booked for this summer with Connie and Ingo.  Registration deadlines will be 2 weeks before the event, but PLEASE register as soon as possible to avoid events being cancelled.  Any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at event@yellowheadjfw.ca 

July 25 to July 28 - Beginner Canoe Certification

August 22 to August 25 - Intermediate Canoe Certification

More details can be found on the YRC registration page, both events are open to 16 and up, or ages 12-15 for mature wardens who are accompanied by an adult.

A note from Connie and Ingo about these trips

The North Saskatchewan river from the Brierly Rapids at the Historic Site campground to Highway 2A bridge is the very best place in all of Alberta to learn beginner river canoe paddling skills.  I have taught canoe river skills courses there since I was a university grad student and we just did a JFW river skills course there last summer and it totally rocked.  Everyone learned so much because the river current is very easy and forgiving, there are really strong, distinct eddy lines to work on skills entering and exiting the current both river right and left, including the famous huge "20 boat eddy" which is the best "classroom" ever, and there is also a great tributary river confluence at the Clearwater to work on "joining current" skills, and we can paddle up the Clearwater to do our river rescues in a super safe river environment with a very slow current and great places to tip, swim, and practice throw bag rescues and T-rescues.  It doesn't get any better for river canoe skills training and there are even hot showers and flush toilets at the campgrounds.  

Other Events and Dates

We are still in the planning stages, but here are some of the events we have planned for next year

Paintball

There will be two paintball events, one in the summer and one in the fall, dates are coming out as soon as we can get them confirmed, hoping to have open to ages 10 and up

TAC Camp (Trailblazer Advanced Camp)

Oct 3-6 at Narrow Lake

- Option 1 - 3 day camp, which includes full day of water instruction and activities on the Friday

- Option 2 - 2 day camp, regular TAC camp, with focus on master of basic skills and opportunity to build and sleep in a shelter

Registration details will be coming soon

Other

Other smaller events will also be sent out soon, but please keep the following 2 weekends tentatively open:

Feb 21-23 Tentative Dog Sledding Trip

Jun 5-7 Tentative Frontier Lodge Rock Climbing