Three Canadian wardens are making a special trip to Superior on Jan. 23.

They are not coming to talk about grizzly bear habitat, trapping or climate issues. They will not be discussing wolverine or Canadian lynx populations or the water quality of the rivers we share. Mining and cloud seeding are also off the table. 

Ray Schmidt, Scott Ward and Scott Duncan have been invited by the Mineral County Performing Arts Council to share their beloved stories and songs they have written from the land they protect as national park rangers. 

Schmidt is currently posted at Jasper National Park and founded The Wardens in 2009 with Ward during the National Park Warden Centennial revealing the rich depth of music and stories from their region of Canada. 

“There are few places in the wo

    The Rocky Mountain-based band The Wardens will perform in Superior this month. (Photo provided)
  

rld where wilderness exists in such abundance, where you can jump on a horse or slip on hiking boots and disappear for weeks on end. Where you can drink water right out of the creeks and inhale the crystal-clear air,” shares Schmidt. “This landscape, revered worldwide, is the Canadian Rockies. National Park Wardens have been patrolling and protecting these spaces since 1909 and stories of this lifestyle abound.” 

The Wardens music has been adapted into a beautifully illustrated book by Red Barn Books taking kids on patrol in the rugged northern Rocky Mountains.

A national park ranger for over 30 years in Banff National Park, Ward’s music stems from a life lived in the deep wilderness as a horseman, search-and-rescue dog handler and technical alpine specialist. With the finger-style guitar of Gordon Lightfoot, his music embodies Canadian authenticity. 

“Scott Duncan is our deputy warden,” grined Schmidt. “He is our journeyman musician, our ace in the hole, our studio marksman with his legendary fiddle playing passed down through DNA from his grandfather, Herb Duncan, who played fiddle over 100 years in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.” 

The band has performed widely across western Canada and in the U.S., from Alaska to California.

“This performance is probably the trickiest in terms of sound requirements, due to its multimedia nature. It has involved some coordination with the Superior Elementary School music teacher Jens Jacobsen, along with Ray (Schmidt),” shared Jim Goss, Treasurer of MCPAC. “It promises to be a memorable evening of excellent music along with the visual component.”

The performance is free of admission, but donations are appreciated. Refreshments will be served following the presentation at the LDS Church, 117 Moats Lane in Superior. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the entertainment at 7 p.m. Visit online at mineralcountyperformingartscouncil.org.