Jim Wynn was a community leader(appeared in The Jasper Booster, November 3, 1993)by Nora FindlayIn a small community such as Jasper, there are two kinds of people--those who are leaders and those who are followers. It takes both types to make a community whole. Those who are leaders generally are out-going, generous both with their time and where-with-all, and also with their energies. They enjoy being in the thick of things, and they like their associations with people of all natures.Such a man was Jim Wynn. He was not hard to find. We met him up town, where he visited many; we saw him in parades taking part in the marching band; we saw him with his own band providing music for dances; we saw him aiding with the music in other bands, and we knew he was right there on the job when our power went out, which it did frequently in the early days. He was also the ring leader for our volunteer fire brigade.Jim started working for Northland Utilities in 1936. After working around Saskatchewan in various places for seven years, he was appointed plant manager in Jasper in 1943. In 1963 he became the district supervisor, a position he held until he retired in 1978. Jim, who was also a former hospital board member, died recently after several months of illness.Jim was responsible for many of the kindness shown to people in Jasper who were down on their luck in one way or another. He never asked for acknowledgement for his generosity. Indeed, he would have been embarassed if people knew that he had helped. However, through the years it became known that Jim was behind many benevolent acts to various citizens. Jim's gifts to this town were many and varied, and because a lot of it was done quietly, and with no fan fare, it's possible he never knew how much he was appreciated.Nobody can be leader of this capacity without a spouse behind the scenes aiding and abetting him (or her) in his (or her) actions. Betty, Jim's wife, and Larry, his son, backed Jim on his every kindness and activity. We can only thank them for allowing Jim to be the wonderful leader he was.Throught the years we have been fortunate to have had several leaders in our community who have been responsible in part for the progress of our town. There have been both men and women who have dedicated their lives to making this a better place to live. We cannot list them of course, for we might leave someone out. We are grateful to them all, and wish all our new leaders every success in their endeavorsto continue and make this a better community.