As well as shaping a brand new role at the municipality, Jasper鈥檚 new operations director is excited to explore the park.
鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to snowshoeing into that trail system around Pyramid Lake,鈥� said Bruce Thompson, who starts his new position Nov. 12. 鈥淢y goal is to hike every kilometre of that trail network. But that鈥檚 not knowing how many kilometres there are,鈥� he said with a laugh.
Thompson is relocating to Jasper from St. Albert, where he has been working as the public works manager for nearly three years. Before that, he was in Beaumont, where he was the environmental sustainability coordinator, as well as the infrastructure director. And before that still, he was in Strathcona County for 25 years, working in the engineering department.
鈥淚鈥檓 not as old as I sound,鈥� he joked after outlining his work experience. 鈥淚 am a bit of a grey beard, I guess, but hopefully that will earn me some cred somewhere.
鈥淚 earned everyone of those grey hairs, I can tell you that. I have a couple of 20-something boys and they can cause some grey hairs from time-to-time.鈥�
The municipality has been searching for an operations director鈥攁 new position that was recommended in the Services and Structural Review鈥攕ince the summer and finally landed on Thompson in early October.
Falling in his department is everything from road work to solid waste management, engineering and asset management.
A large part of the role will be developing an infrastructure maintenance plan.
Thompson said although that might not sound exciting, it鈥檚 part of the reason the job is so appealing to him.
鈥淎sset management has always been of great interest,鈥� he said. 鈥淛ust about every municipality I鈥檝e been associated with has challenges knowing what they have and in what condition it鈥檚 in.
鈥淭o be able to sustain that infrastructure, I think, is the most important facet of operating a municipality.
鈥淭hat stuff isn鈥檛 top of mind all the time, but it鈥檚 a really good underpinning for a municipality.鈥�
Although the job is an exciting change for Thompson, he said he is also excited to have the wilderness at his doorstep. During his three years in St. Albert, Elk Island National Park was his playground, but that required a bit of a drive.
鈥淚t will be wonderful to have it right in the backyard,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really into ice fishing, fishing, backpacking, hiking and photography鈥攋ust being out and about.鈥�
Nicole Veerman
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