Jumbo-sized fun at Festival Park with the latest addition to the grounds now in place

After years of planning by the Town Administration and the Community Services Advisory Board, the
ribbon was finally cut to officially open the Jumbo Jumper at Festival Park on Friday morning. Councillor
Paul Chauvet and Joe Spivak from Pembina joined Mayor Tom Pickard to celebrate the grand opening.
Juan Grande, Infrastructure Services Manager for the Town of Whitecourt, explained that the Jumbo
Jumper is a large membrane filled with air. “It acts more like a bouncy pillow, something similar to a
trampoline. Our Public Works and other departments worked extremely hard to complete this project
while doing flood cleanup and other activities. It was essential for our crews to get this in.”
A pump nearby keeps the gigantic inflatable going, and a timer will turn it on at 9 am and off twelve
hours later. The Jumbo Jumper was shipped up from Utah along with a contractor specialized in
installing the system. Public Works crews from the Town did the rest of the setup. The sand, which
covers a wide perimeter of the ground around the Jumbo Jumper, is like beach sand and was donated by
the Wayfinder Big Molly Sand Pit. “It’s a very particular sand because it doesn’t compact, so it provides
the full protection,” explained Grande.
“I think it’s another fantastic contribution by another huge sponsor in our community, Pembina, and the
Wayfinder Big Molly Sand crew and then our town staff who worked very hard through the flood to
make sure this happened,” said Mayor Pickard. “Without sponsorships from people like Pembina, these
don’t happen. It’s another example of Whitecourt and our community that works together and the
contributions from Pembina. We thank them.”
At 11 am Friday, a group of about twenty children and dignitaries set up just out front of the newest
addition to the park. “When you cut a ribbon, that means it’s open,” explained Mayor Pickard to the
swarm of excited children around him. “When this cuts, you guys can go and bounce, and you’ll be the
first official people to bounce on it.”
With scissors in hand, Mayor Pickard, a youth and Joe Spivak from Pembina officially cut the ribbon and
opened the Jumbo Jumper for the public. Within milliseconds, the children began running, but one
specific person was leading much of the pack: Councillor Paul Chauvet. “I’m very excited to finally see
this happen. I first saw it up in the Peace River area when I was at a conference about five years ago. We
tried to get it done before now, but with lockdowns and life, and 2020 to 2022 putting a dent in many
things, it slowed it down, but finally seeing it here is fantastic.”
Councillor Chauvet has been invested in the project since bringing up the idea initially, and after taking it
for a spin and catching his breath, he gave it two thumbs up. “I went and bounced on it, and it was
awesome. I said I would be first. But I had to run,” he laughed. “It was fun. I haven’t been on one of
those things in a long time, probably since I was their age,” he said, pointing to the children.
“I’m very proud of it, and I hope the residents appreciate it and that it can stay in great shape for a long
time. I think it will be a great addition to Festival Park, which keeps getting better and better. I’m
grateful for all the work that went into getting this here,” said Chauvet. He called the corporate sponsors
fantastic and said they’ve always been great to work with, whether at Festival Park, the Allan & Jean

Millar Centre or Eastlink Park. “We are very grateful to have such good people and great sponsors, and
hats off to the Town for putting it together.”
Mayor Pickard said the Jumbo Jumper also helps with physical fitness. “You should be able to have fun
and stay fit and healthy and get outside and enjoy it. This is just another contribution from our many
corporate sponsors that make our community great.”
Spivak also tried the new bouncy toy following the ribbon cutting and said it made him feel like a kid
again. “It brings a pretty big smile to my face to see them enjoying it. When I pulled up here and seen all
the kids on it, I was like, yup, I want to be five years old again, ha-ha.”
Spivak said he was glad to see the project come to fruition. “It’s a great addition to an already great
facility, and hopefully, it’ll give the kids some extra things to do and draw them out. It’s inclusive. There
are no boundaries up here. Anyone can come out and have some fun. It should be a good addition to
the community and the park.”
Spivak said Pembina likes to be involved in the community and supporting events and projects, like the
Jumbo Jumper, because of the company’s values. “Most of, if not all of, our employees work, live and
play in the area. We all have kids and families in the area or are looking to start families in the area, and
this solidifies our footprint of being upstanding community citizens. None of Alberta’s communities,
cities and towns were built without the support of all the people who work and play in the area.
Whitecourt has been a great community to bring our kids up in, and I think that’s important, and those
values are true to everyone in the company.”
From the big kids to the little kids, the Jumbo Jumper is a fun way to be active, get the blood pumping
and bring out the inevitable laughs that come as you bounce on it. Town crews worked incredibly hard
to complete the project before Canada Day weekend.