“That’s what makes Jasper so special. He’s a bit mysterious, as well as mischievous,” said Pattie Pavlov, executive director of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce. “I was always told—and I consider myself a local—that Jasper the Bear is a seven-foot bear stuck in the mind of a six-year-old.” And that information came from James Simpkins’ daughter, said Pavlov, noting that surely the cartoonist’s family must know the bear’s true identity.
“But even still there are people in our community that swear up and down and sideways that Jasper is female and those are her cubs,” she said.
That is the allure of Jasper the Bear. He, or she, can be anyone you want, just as long as the character you’re looking for is someone with a fantastic sense of humour and an undying commitment to Canada’s parks.
The mischievous, fun-loving bear was first published in a cartoon in MacLean’s Magazine in 1948, and would continue to be found there for the next 24 years.
Jasper was the brainchild of James Simpkins, who died at the age of 93 in 2004. Simpkins, born in Winnipeg, studied art under Group of Seven artist LeMoine Fitzgerald at the Winnipeg School of Art and later became one of the original artists for the National Film Board in Ottawa.
Jasper the Bear is said to be Simpkins’ most famous work.
“He was created because James had a real affinity for the parks and for nature,” said Pavlov, who has been researching Jasper’s mascot and its creator in preparation for Jasper the Bear’s 65th birthday party this weekend. “In 1948, James already had concerns about the park and the sustainability of the national parks.”
To Pavlov, it’s that reoccurring theme of conservation and sustainability that makes Jasper the Bear such an enduring character. But, with the cartoon out of print since 1972, she fears there is a generation that has missed out on the humour and intellect of Simpkins’ friendly bear.
So, rather than let that continue, she and the rest of the chamber staff have made it their goal to bring Jasper back into the limelight. First, through three weeks of birthday celebrations, including a free community birthday bash at the Jasper Activity Centre on March 23.
Following all of the birthday festivities, Pavlov said she would love to see Jasper out on the town every Friday afternoon, greeting visitors and locals alike. But, to make that plan work, she needs a hand from some willing bodies.
“Jasper always needs a pulse, and anyone who’s willing to give him a pulse, should give me a call,” she said, noting how fun it is to be a mischievous bear for an afternoon.
Pavlov can be reached at 780-852-4621.
