I intended to post about the Chief of the Army’s Land Warfare Conference this week, but the news about the wildfires in North America have taken priority. Every time I see the tragic consequences of bush fires around the world I feel deeply for those who have lost their homes and the devastated habitats. Australians have been particularly badly hit, but there is nothing like knowing a place for the effects to touch the soul.
Forty-two tears ago, I spent six weeks in Alberta, with my troops on the Prairie and in the Rockies. We had the most wonderful time on tank manoeuvres and canoeing down the Athabasca River and crossing glaciers in Puffa coats. We made friends in lots of strangely named places like Medicine Hat and Rocky Mountain House, as well as Calgary and Banff, but the best nights were in Jasper, where we received the full Moose and Bear Country experience.
This profound connection has kept with me all these years and so I am shedding a tear for the people of Jasper today and sending them my deep condolences for their losses. Knowing how bitter the winter can be, I am hoping they can restore the town’s infrastructure before the Fall.
Alberta in Happier Times
Rupert Wieloch 