Parks Canada is inviting Canadians to speak to the year that was, and the year that will be, in Jasper National Park.

On March 12 and 13, Parks Canada staff will host the 2024 Jasper National Park Annual Public Forum—in-person, and on-line, respectively. 

The events provide an opportunity to speak directly to park staff and engage in discussions about how the park is managed, said Jasper’s integrated land use policy and planning manager, Amy Cairns. 

“People can come speak with staff of a variety of topics, have dialogue, one-on-one conversations, share feedback and suggestions,” Cairns said.

Communications officer Janelle Verbruggen gave a sneak preview of some of the table top discussions Parks Canada will facilitate, such as: bears in the Jasper townsite; dogs in JNP; Indigenous relations; preventing aquatic invasive species; trails; visitor use management planning; and wildfire risk reduction.

“The annual forum is a collaborative way for us to hear from users of the park and put that feedback into action,” Verbruggen said.

On March 12, the in-person forum will take place at the Jasper Activity Centre (305 Bonhomme St.) and begin at 6 p.m. with an Open House, drop-in format, followed by a Year in Review presentation, followed by table-top discussions at 7 p.m.

On March 13, the online forum will start at 6:30 p.m., with a Year in Review presentation, followed by a Q&A session at 7 p.m.

More details on the table topic discussions and the 2023 Annual Report are available on the Jasper National Park website.