A beloved wildlife display is looking for a new home.
Since its grand opening in 1982, The Whistler Hotel’s Wildlife Museum, affectionately known as The Den, has been helping park visitors, school groups, local staff and residents learn about the western Canadian wilderness.
More than 100 taxidermal specimens are housed in the basement of the Connaught Drive hotel, where, for nearly four decades, thousands of onlookers have ogled at the realistic scenes featuring Jasper National Park’s famous fauna.
“Visitor comments overwhelmingly praised the collection and its settings,” said longtime Jasperite Jackie Carmichael. “Parents always have a hard time trying to get their kids to leave.”
But now it’s time for the display itself to decamp. The hotel is prioritizing the space for other means. Given the quality, variety and number of mounts, Carmichael said it would be a shame to lose the exhibit.
“This collection has so much potential to enhance the Jasper visitor experience,” she said. “If it could be restored to its glory days, it could be not only be an excellent attraction but an educational experience as to what our province has to offer.”
The story of The Den began when Carmichael’s parents, Eleonore and Joe Schuurmans, intercepted a unique collection of animals slated to leave Canada for the U.S. Together, the Schuurmans brought the mounts to life in their hometown. Eleonore’s artistic flair and passion created the vision as she enlisted her children, parents and local artist Wendy Wacko to help create diorama displays and backdrops. The Schuurmans expanded the collection as they searched to fill the specimen gaps to create a robust sampling of Canada’s western corridors.
“In its heyday, it was a substantial draw,” Carmichael said. “The hotel even had to discontinue their guest books as they filled up so fast.”
More recent visitors have expressed their appreciation for The Den, too. Although the occasional commenter describes the display as “a little creepy,” The Den earns a respectable four stars on Trip Advisor; and the travel website ranks the museum as the 15th best Thing to Do when visiting Jasper.
“The scenes are simple but a safe way to see bears and moose up close,” one reviewer recommends. “Great for kids and elderly people.”
Carmichael and the management of The Whistlers Hotel are hoping those sentiments are shared by a potential future guardian of the collection. If you have an idea about how The Den’s wilderness display could live on into the future, email Jackie Carmichael.
