The Town of Jasper’s youth outreach program has expanded in recent months and is making more efforts to establish relationships with young adults in town. In turn, the youth workers and the town are hoping that the so-called Patricia Street problem — drunken rabble-rousing destruction in the downtown core when the bars let out — will be reduced.

The town’s youth outreach program (it targets anyone aged 18-35 and although it is aimed at people new to Jasper, anyone is welcome) has partnered with the Palisades Centre and Parks Canada employees to offer more outdoor activities. This means that Parks Canada employees will be teaching rock climbing or leading day hikes around the park in conjunction with the youth outreach program. 

Ryan Verge, a community services youth outreach worker with the town, said he hopes this means the program will be able to reach more youth. 

“We’re really looking to promote healthy lifestyles,” said Verge. “It can be intimidating to take on the entire park on your own, so we sort of provide the tools and education for people to get out there more.”

The thinking is that if youth are more active in the park and feel like they are a part of the community, they will be less likely to spend large portions of their time causing trouble on the streets, explained Verge.

“We don’t go out and say, ‘don’t drink, don’t do drugs’ but we say if you go out and work hard for a day on the mountains, maybe you’ll have a better time here than if you spent all your time in the bar,” said Verge.

The new activities have also come about in part because the youth program has hired a new youth outreach worker. Jake Derksen, a native to Jasper, was hired several months ago. Verge said that before, a lot of his time was spent dealing with youths in a reactionary manner. He had to do a lot of desk work, such as making referrals on substance abuse cases and helping people learn how to balance budgets. With Derksen, Verge said he’s got more time to develop new and more pro-active programs. 

“Jake has really allowed us to extend hours and extend the programming too,” said Verge. Instead of waiting for youth to come to them, they can now go out and instigate relationships, he said.

Derksen said he’s happy to be doing something in Jasper that will hopefully make a difference in people’s lives.

“I think you have to think of it as little steps,” he said. “Right now, I’m just getting myself known and making connections.” He said that someday, those connections with young adults in town may turn into more active relationships and if someone needs help, he hopes he can be there for them.

He’s also hoping the new programs will get people outside more and into healthy, active lifestyles.

“We’re still just starting. We can’t go out and take anyone up the Skyline yet, but we’re starting,” he said.

One of the new outreach programs was held at the Palisades Centre on June 29. Twenty newcomers to Jasper got lessons on how to scale a rock wall from Parks Canada representatives.

“It felt really great to get them out,” said Verge. “For a lot of the people there, I don’t think they would have done something like this normally.”

And that, he believes, is a big part of successfully doing his job.