Parks Canada saw an increase in their Jasper job fair last week, as about 130 people dropped by to check out what opportunities they could have over the summer months.

While the actual number of job available depends on how many returning staff the park has, numbers were higher this year than last, with many people coming from Hinton for the job search.

Human Resources Advisor Ruth Remple said it wasn’t necessarily because of a high job loss rate that was the reason for a higher turnout, but more-so the location of the job fair, which was held in the Parks Canada building on Patricia St., behind the CIBC bank.

“I think it’s the location that is the difference,” she said. “Last year was in a basement. (Now) it’s right on the main street, people walking by see it.”

She says the same amount of advertising was done, including up at Marmot Basin, which is popular with the Parks Canada seasonal positions, as both companies offer opposite seasonal jobs.

But she says the job fair isn’t just about filling jobs for the summer, but long-range recruitment and succession. She said it’s estimated that in the next five years, Jasper National Park will have a 22 per cent retirement rate.

“Our workforce is aging, so we’re looking for long term. We’re looking at building awareness about careers within Parks Canada generally, and within Jasper National Park”

The jobs aren’t just the front line that all the visitors see, and there is a huge support staff that includes maintenance, finance, information technology and trades, she says, adding that maybe when people make educational choices they will consider the many careers that Parks Canada offers.

There are about 700 career streams within Parks Canada.