Jasper on the road to healing

This is not a news related story, because that’s already happened. This is a story about a town that is rebuilding and coming together to achieve that very Goal. July 22nd 2024, was a day that most Jasperites would probably like to Forget. It’s a day that a forest fire swept though thetown and destroyed 358 Houses, Churches, public Buildings and many local businesses.
That’s approximately one third of the town. It also left 40 Percent of Jasper residents without a home to come back to. The Town was evacuated just days before the fires arrived and unfortunately, one of the Firefighters was killed in the line of duty. Most of the residents left with nothing more than the Clothes on their backs, but with the exception of the Firefighter, no Further fatalities.
We all know this is not an isolated incident, Yellowknife, Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, and Waterton just to name a few, have all been the victims of wild fires. Every Province, State, or area within North America have suffered the same fate.
Why Jasper? For me, Jasper has become a very special place.
I first came here in 1968, Camping at the very campground I am at right now and at the age of ten, I had my first glimpse of the Athabasca Valley. Didn’t think much of it then, but fast forward to 1995 when I started working for Brewster Bus lines. I made several visits to Jasper over the last 30 or so years and I saw many events happen over that period of time, A new fire Department, a new Library, High School and more. I also learned a lot about the History of Jasper and Jasper National park. Unfortunately, a lot of that history and artifacts fell victim to the fire. It’s also where I met my wife and it’s the place we were married in 2004 and so it has a very special place in both of our hearts.
As the fire swept through the valley, I hoped it would not reach Jasper, that somehow, the town would be spared, but the winds blew the flames into town and no one knew how much damage the fire caused and what, if any of the buildings survived. It was actually two fires, one to the northeast of Jasper and another to the south of the townsite and both were ignited by lightening. In the end, 32,000 Hectares of forest burned to the ground. As the winds blew from the south fire, embers blew into the air and eventually both fires Merged into one. It didn’t take long before it reached the town and with flames Reaching 30 to 50 meters in height, there was very little anyone could do to stop it. The summer of 2024 was very hot and that created a dry forest that was just waiting for something to start it burning. That in addition to the Mountain Pine beetle infestation, that also made for dead trees that had fallen to the ground, creating an
even bigger fire hazard.
Most of the damage was in the south Part of town in an area Known as Cabin Creek. Two hostels, Malinge Canyon, some of Jasper Park Lodge, although thankfully Not the main Lodge, Jasper house bungalows were completely lost. Temporary Housing has been set up for displaced residents to have a place to stay until insurance claims can be filed and houses can be rebuilt. Not really a surprise considering the town of Lytton BC is still trying to rebuild after the 2021 Fire that swept that area.
Is Jasper still a beautiful Place? Yes! and despite the fact that their is a lot of healing and damage, The town is still thriving and Most of the community is very much intact. Jasper is standing strong and while the Town and Park may look Different, Much of the area and town remains untouched and as beautiful as ever and I can tell you, it is well worth coming for a visit.
Jasper welcomes you with open arms.