The family had many experiences while stationed in the backcountry. While living at Bryant Creek one fall, Jack was responsible for touring the Park Superintendent through this district. He needed to accommodate the Superintendent at the Bryant Creek cabin so Muriel and the three kids moved to Fortune Cabin. Muriel had an interesting experience one evening while she was busy putting the three children to bed. She had the park radio turned on and had her own battery operated radio on as well. She became aware of some rattling at the door to the cabin and thought their terrier cross dog wanted in. So she opened the door and much to her surprise and shock there was a grizzly bear sitting there on the step. She yelled, “You get out of here!” The bear, equally as shocked as Muriel, bolted for the bush. Then out from under the bed came the dog who promptly pursued the bear into the bush returning later quite pleased with itself.

In about 1958 or 1959 a large wildfire broke out in the Yukon. Jack was assigned to assist with fighting this fire and was posted to the Yukon for four or five months. This occurred while the family was living at Bow Summit. Muriel reflects on the day Jack go his orders. “He left in May and he came back in September…Bob Hand was phoning all day. He started fairly early in the morning and about every half an hour he would phone and phone and phone on the radio. So everybody in the district was hearing this. So I said to Bob Hand, “He is out stringing telephone wire. “The only thing I can do is take the car and see if I can find him. If I can, I will tell him that you want him.” I should never have done that! But anyways, nevertheless I did go up the road and I did find him. I told him that Bob Hand was trying to get a hold of him. I said, “He has been phoning me all day.” Jack says, “Now who fell off a mountain?” But anyway he went in (to the warden office in Banff). I didn’t go with him, to the office…but I was in town with him. He went to see what they wanted and he came back to where I was. I had never driven the car on those mountain roads, not that particular mountain road, and I had four kids there with me. He looked at me and he said, “Can you drive that car home?” I looked at him with the, “You’ve got to be kidding?” expression. I said, ‘What do you mean, drive the car home?” He says, “Can you drive that car home?” I said, “Well, I guess if I have to.” He says, “Well, I am not coming back with you. I am leaving for the Yukon tonight.” Just like that. That was about April or May. That was that big fire up in the Yukon. That whole country was burning. A lot of the wardens went up there. “

Jack became Dog Master for Banff National Park in 1968. He and his dog Nashan attended the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alberta and trained in techniques for search and rescue including avalanche search techniques. Jack and Nashan were in much demand for many years for search and rescue missions. Jack prepared guidelines of the search dogs’ capabilities and limitations for the superintendents of other mountain parks. (Page 303. Guardians of the Wild, by Robert J. Burns and Mike Schintz).

Jack retired in 1980 due to health issues and passed away three years later, at age 59, in Penticton, BC. Jack Woledge’s memorial service was held in Banff on September 9th, 1983. Pallbearers were long time friend Jimmy Simpson Jr. and park wardens Ed Carleton, John Wackerle, Larry Gilmar, Bill Vroom and Dale Loewen. Jack’s remains were laid to rest in the Banff Cemetery Veteran’s Plot.


Jack Woledge, Photo Crag & Canyon 1983.

The Stoney Creek warden station holds fond memories for some of the warden families who lived there over the years. The original Stoney Creek house was restored in 1989 and dedicated to these hardy pioneers with a plaque featuring the Carleton family.


Muriel is excited about her flight to Stoney Creek IN 1989.


Mrs. Kraft, Frank Coggins, Colleen Coggins, Dorothy Carleton, Michael Carleton, Jim Woledge Muriel Woledge.
1989 at Stoney Creek Cabin. Photo courtesy of Don Mickle.

The cabin was restored by a group of volunteers including Bob Haney, Ross Gilmar, Jim VanTassell and Don Mickle.


The inscription on the plaque reads:

THE CARLETONS

Ed Carleton returned from England as a veteran from World War II with his bride
Dorothy. Ed became a Park Warden and the family moved to various districts of Banff
Park. They lived at Stoney from 1949 to 1953. Dorothy taught her son Michael home
school. She took her new baby in the pram along a dusty fire road instead on in the
streets of London. The Carletons represent many warden families who lived in the isolated
districts in the National Parks before centralization.’’

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Marie was raised at Bragg Creek in the foothills southwest of Calgary. Horses were a big part of her life. She married John Nylund in 1969. After 4 years on a ranch at Square Butte they moved to Banff National Park where John became employed with Parks Canada’s Warden Service on Trail Crew and later as Barn Boss. They raised their family in Banff before moving to the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in 1997 when John became the Ranch Manager. Shortly after moving to the Ranch Marie discovered that she had a keen interest not only in the horse program, but also in the human and cultural history of the area. In order to enhance the public tours of the ranch, Marie set up a small historic display at the ranch. After retirement both John and Marie became involved in the Park Warden Service Alumni Society when it became officially incorporated in 2008. Marie became the Secretary at that time and continues as Secretary-Treasurer and Membership Chairman. The Oral History Project started in 2010 and Marie has enjoyed volunteering her time to assist with the transcription, copy-editing and preserving of these valuable histories.

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