Lake O’Hara was another place we spent time hiking when he wasn’t even two. We had an interesting experience in there. Poor Ryan, we were always running into bears on hikes over the years, and he has been traumatized since he was two years old- according to him. We were walking into the Elizabeth Parker hut meadow and there were two sub adult grizzlies walking down the edge of the meadow towards us. We grabbed Ryan and picked him up and but the problem was people at the cabin spotted the bears too, and they were yelling and flapping their arms and we were kind of in a tight spot. We didn’t know whether to go forward back or stay where we were because these bears were on a mission and were going to cross right in front of us. So we ended up just stopping and talking calmly at them and letting them walk right in front of us but Ryan’s is saying, ‘Da bears, don’t get me, da bears don’t get me’. Yeah, and the same thing happened going into Palliser cabin with moose and bears. Ryan still doesn’t like bears.
Grizz Eats Dog 2005
JW: Certainly the excitement. I always say to my friends in Smithers, “that was in my other life”. The camaraderie for sure I miss. I always felt proud to do that job, no matter what I was doing or what assignment I had. Part of that was the uniform and how you wore it. I tried to wear my Stetson whenever I was doing front country patrols. 1:02:15
When I was in Kootenay, the last years I did events with kids and school groups too. I’d take a bear trap over to Edgewater School. I did the avalanche presentations to the high schools and elementary schools in the valley. Same as Julie Timmins did although she focused high school. I did pretty much grade four through grade 10 in the whole Columbia Valley. I think it was two years I did that. Julie Timmins really worked on that program, putting it together, and I tailored a few things more to the Columbia Valley because we had more hunting and snowmobile type families. Julie was addressing more of the slackcountry skiers and backcountry skiers.
I did some field trips out to the river where we would go fish viewing at McLeod Meadows. All the kids had access to polarized sunglasses and binoculars. I also trained Kootenay Visitor Service staff in bear safety and using bear spray.
MH: What year did you retire? What do you enjoy doing now in retirement?
JW: I moved from Kootenay in March of 2012 when my husband got a job with the BC Forest Service in Smithers which I hardly even knew where it was. I had negotiated a couple years leave of absence because I had a few years left to a full retirement. I was very lucky that they allowed me to do that. I have to thank my husband Steve for covering for me in the years in the Lake Louise, Yoho Kootenay Field Unit with many long days and call outs at all hours and days of the week when our son was young. Not long after I moved to Smithers, I got on with the BC Forest Service, Recreation Sites and Trails. My background helped me to get that job and even some of my stories in the interviews. I placed tops on a provincial competition but they wanted me to go to Williams Lake. I’m here in Smithers, we had just moved, so I declined. A few months later an opening came in Smithers. I had eight and a half years with them working with volunteers and contractors from Burns Lake to Hazelton and retired from there too just a couple years ago.
I’m looking out the window at the ski hill! I ski, Alpine, Nordic and backcountry. It’s all in my backyard here! I ski patrolled for several years at Hudson Bay Mountain. I have three bikes- a road, gravel and mountain bike, and we have it all here. One of my good friends used to coach the national women’s cycling team so we ride a lot.
The last several years, I’ve done a bit of contract work with recreation sites and trails and some parks doing wildlife danger tree assessments. You need a particular certification for it and I’ve had it for 10-12 years now. I find it so interesting and my phone is full of pictures of trees. I can’t stop looking at trees!
MH: Would you recommend the Park Warden’s job to anyone today? 1:07:11
JW: I would with the caveat that I don’t really know the job now, but certainly for anyone interested in the law enforcement and conservation combination, National parks would be a great environment to work in.
Hurry it’s slipping!! 
Goofing Off Yoho National Park Tocher Ridge ride
Winter Water Sampling
Frank Burstrom master baker at Scotch camp 1995
Monique Hunkeler first started working with Parks Canada in 1989 as Secretary to Banff National Park Finance Manager. She moved into a position as Dispatcher for the Banff Park Warden Service and later worked within Banff National Park and Town of Banff’s IT departments. She is experienced with the interviewing, transcription and archiving process the Park Warden Service Alumni Society.
