Two of Jasper’s most responsive, health-giving and helpful citizens have been recognized for their ongoing contributions to the community. 

Advanced care paramedic Rob Prinz, and food services professional Glenda MacDowell, with her consummate duty-of-care for residents, visitors and anyone else who darkens the door of the Jasper Activity Centre, were both presented with a Mayor’s Special Award on December 15 during Jasper’s annual Community Holiday Party. 

Three decades ago Rob Prinz came to Jasper from a ski patrol job at the now-defunct Fortress Mountain, in Alberta’s Kananaskis Country. He figured his emergency-response resume would match up well for the rigours of a position that would require a host of hard and soft skills, including compassion, incident management and leadership. 

But were it not for Jasper’s natural surroundings, and the colleagues he’s worked with over those 31 years, Prinz said his career could have gone much differently. And he likely wouldn’t be accepting a Mayor’s Special Award in 2023.

“The only reason I’ve managed to last this long in this career is because I’m doing it in this town,” Prinz said. 

As most first responders in a small, rural town will attest, one of the most challenging parts of the job is being on-call. Paramedics like Prinz work four shifts per week where they’re on call 24-hours per day; they are also bound by an eight-minute response time—meaning when the call comes in, no matter what time of day or night, they’ve got eight minutes to be driving down the road to the scene of the emergency.

“So you’re never really relaxed,” he said. “And neither is your spouse, who also wakes up every time your pager goes off.”

A large part of what makes those sacrifices worth it, Prinz says, is the contact with patients.

“You’re not meeting people on their best day, but you’re usually making it better,” he said.

Glenda MacDowell knows a little about making people’s days better. Mayor Richard Ireland received four separate nominations for Glenda’s recognition, each of which were reviewed by Jasper Municipal Council, and all of which offered glowing remarks on Glenda’s tireless efforts to help bring a smile, and satiation, to residents and visitors. 

“One of Glenda’s nominators said ‘she has the biggest heart, which could be why she is so in tune with the heartbeat of our community,’” Ireland told the attendees of the Holiday Christmas Party. “And if it is true that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, this person has found that route.” 

Ireland reminded the crowd that during the 2022 Chetamon Mountain wildfire, and every day since, Glenda has provided free soup for those in need of a warm meal, warm surroundings and warm companionship. This past spring, evacuees from Edson and Yellowhead County were among those who discovered the simple comforts of Glenda’s constant care. 

“She is a pillar of the community,” Ireland agreed with another nominator. “She consistently goes above and beyond…yet is one of the most modest people around.”

After presenting Prinz with the Mayor’s Special Award for Exceptional Achievement, Ireland presented the Mayor’s Special Award for Humanitarianism to Glenda MacDowell, aka “Glenda the Great.”

“In time of strife and calamity, acts of humanitarianism at every level have heightened significance,” Ireland said.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com