‘Shovel Superman’: Alberta man uses vacation to help clean up floods in Taiwan

Jaron Rosso Wiigs from Alberta, shown in this handout image from video, has earned the nickname "shovel superman" after he volunteered to help clean up from a recent flood in Guangfu, Taiwan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout — Zuola (Mandatory Credit)

HUALIEN CITY — While many people like to spend their vacations on the beach or at resorts, Jaron Rosso Wiigs of Edmonton used some of his days off to shovel mud after a typhoon in Taiwan.

When he arrived in the country, he heard about the damage from a powerful typhoon caused when tonnes of dirt, muddy water, and debris gushed into the streets of Guangfu, a township in eastern Taiwan.

“I have 21 days of vacation. It’s not that big of a sacrifice to do 10 of those in Hualien County, helping out, especially when it’s like a very historical thing,” said Rosso Wiigs, “I honestly think that in Taiwan’s history, this moment is going to ... live forever.”

It may also be that he feels an obligation after surviving an 18-metre fall off Bow Falls in Banff about 18 months ago.

“I think I get lucky sometimes, so a bit, like, I feel I should pay the universe back.”

His injuries were severe but he recovered, he said.

Rosso Wiigs, 24, says his attitude now is that love and kindness should travel as far as he can.

He arrived by train on Oct. 1 in Guangfu and saw piles of dirt, debris, mangled cars, and damaged buildings in the town’s main area.

Tens of thousands of volunteers, dressed in boots and carrying shovels, were busy cleaning up, he said.

“I just said, ‘I want to volunteer,’ and they gave me a little spot on the map. So, I walked over to that spot, and I just saw a guy digging in a garden, and I asked him again in broken Chinese, I said, ‘Do you guys need help?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ So, I started digging with them,” said Rosso Wiigs.

He made friends, one after another, while digging dirt and cleaning muddy sewers.

“Some people spoke English, some people didn’t, but we could always kind of find a middle ground to communicate. It was just amazing,” said Rosso Wiigs.

On Day 6, a popular blogger in Taiwan approached him for an interview and it was shared on social media.

Rosso Wiigs, wearing a mud-splattered black tank top and standing hip-deep in a manhole, introduced himself as a Canadian and a scientist. He said he had been in Taiwan for eight days, and this is his sixth day volunteering.

“I want to say hey to my Mom and Dad,” Rosso Wiigs said, waving and smiling to the camera. He also gave a shout out to his employer, Montrose Environmental Group.

The video got millions of views within a few days, with various media outlets in Taiwan picking up his story.

He soon became known as the “Shovel Superman” from Canada.

Rosso Wiigs was surprised to learn his act of kindness brought him fame, saying he didn’t expect the interview to be that popular.

“I feel that I’m very grateful for everybody being very appreciative of me being there,” he added.

The Taiwanese blogger, Zhou Shuguang, also known as Zuola, was out documenting the recovery efforts, and said in an interview that he felt lucky to have met Rosso Wiigs to share his journey.

“We are so grateful for people from other countries who spent their vacation time coming here to help us,” said Shuguang.

Supportive vibe

Rosso Wiigs said the vibe in the community was very supportive.

He said every car on the streets was covered in dust, giving people the opportunity to write with their fingers in the muck, Jiayou, a Chinese expression of encouragement, similar to “you can do it” or “keep going.”

Rosso Wiigs said he plans to spend the rest of his time off relaxing, meeting friends, and exploring the country’s nature.

“I had no idea about anything in Taiwan before I came. But honestly, everything was a very pleasant surprise, the people, the food, the culture, the passion, the community, the feeling that everybody has is really amazing,” said Rosso.

He will definitely come back to Taiwan, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2025.

Nono Shen, The Canadian Press