Evening star., 1937-05-02
Biggest National Playground
Is Land of Varied Vacations
Jasper Park, in Heart of Canadian
Rockies, Offers a Bit of Fashion, In.
fOrmdlity and Diversified activities.

JASPER PARK LODGE, May l.
Jasper National Park, Alberta, plumb
IN the middle of the Canadian
Rockies. is not only the largest ma
tional playground in the world, but it
Is also solution to many a travel
agents dilemma
When it comes to a discussion of
where to 90, what to see and what to
do on Summer vacation there is sell
dom any common denominator which
will divide evenly into the varied ideas
which the average family holds on
the subject. Travel agents know that
the usual wife wants in her vacation a
bit OF fashion with a few kindred souls
around the place with whom she can
knit or gossip or play cards-or all
three--and some comfortable roads
over which she can roll in we'll
groomed car.
Her husband prefers, perhaps, to be
comfortable IN a soft shirt at dinner
time, to enjoy bit of golf and to
flick a trout fly with the full knowl-
edge that some unsuspecting fish is
going to snap at it.
Youngsters List Their Wants.
The young folks may agree with
mother as far as the dash of fashion
goes and with father to the extent OF
finding some pleasure in round or
two Of golf and day on the trout
stream. But very definitely they want
more than that Something to do in
the daytime that has snap and verve
to 1t and at night a good band to
dance to or campfire to sit around
while some imaginative native spins
hair-raising and quite unbelievable
yarns.
The problem Of where to go often
winds up in the tourist agents lap.
He Is then supposed to act the role
OF father-confessor, peacemaker and
Judge advocate. And he has had many
. lucky day by thinking of Jasper
The park is on the western boundary
Of sunny Alberta. 1t was established
as a park by the Canadian government
In 1907. Its 4.400 square miles embrace
the largest national playground and
game reservation in the world. They
named it after Jasper Hawes, who
away back In 1900 had wandered into
that section of the country and
founded fur post for the then power
ful Northwest Trading Co. Here, in
1922, Jasper Park Lodge. one of the
worlds outstanding Summer resorts,
was built. And when that happened
1t solved many vacation problem.
Fashion without Fuss.
The lodge has its bit of fashion, but
1t is not a fussy place. 1t is con-
structed on the bungalow plan, hav-
ing large number of bungalows of
different sizes and shapes, radiating
through pleasant grounds from CEN
.tral building These cabins contain
bed rooms, sitting room and each has
a wide veranda, but the central build
ing or main lodge is the center of all
social activities.
In addition to the dining room, this
building has huge lounge, in the
center OF which there is a double
faced, logburning open fireplace. The
lounge is tastefully and comfortably
furnished and there is always a place
to sit down. It is the kind of a room
In which people can feel at home to
knit, to play cards or to chat. And
parents can keep a watchful but not
too apparent an eye upon the young
folks on the dance floor Of the ball
room, just off the lounge. Along the
whole front Of the main lodge there
Is wide veranda, from which is to
be had fine view of the open-air
heated swimming pool Lac Beauvert,
one Of the most beautiful lakes in the
Canadian Rockies; the snoW-tipped
crown of Mount Edith Cavell, and the
blue slopes of the Whistler range of
mountains. The veranda is a dandy
place for knitting.
For her motor drives there is wide
range of routes to choose from. The
car can 60 right up to the foot of the
glacier on Mount Edith Cavell, which
is about 2,000 feet higher than the
lodge. 1t can roll merrily up the hill
In the opposite direction to Malgne
Canyon, where the earth opened its
mouth in a yawn and swallowed a
river. 1t can speed along beside the
milky green waters of the Athabaska
River to Pocahontas, where will be
found series of hot springs used in
trea tment of sciatica. And on this
drive will be seen lots of game-deer,
moose, black bear and mountain
sheep. There is fine highway away
UP the Athabaska River to where it
suddenly tumbles off a mountainside