Hundreds of Jasperites lined up for Sunday Community Dinner on January 5.

Volunteers with Pursuit cooked and dished up a traditional roast beef (or smoked tofu) dinner. Sides included roasted potatoes, roasted root vegetables, Yorkshire puddings and squash and grain salads.

Dessert was warm sticky toffee pudding.

The Community Dinner tradition stretches back 22 years, when the Jasper Community Team and other local agencies wanted to fill a gap left by a lack of business in the town.

Jasper, ever-dependent on its visitor economy, had very little snow to offer its skiing clientele in 2003. Consequently, lift operators and other tourism staff were out of work.

By providing a by-donation meal, local agencies wanted to create support for that stressed out part of the community, Director of Community Development Christopher Read has explained.

“After that first week, the benefit to the community was clear,” Read told CBC’s Daybreak Alberta.

Since then, every Sunday throughout the winter, different Jasper businesses, non-profit organizations and agencies take turns creating the dinner.

A regular cadre of volunteers help with set-up, bussing, dishwashing and take-down.

Most years, the Municipality of Jasper provides the seed funding and a staff member for coordination and donations cover the program’s costs.

This year, however, thanks to a grant from the Canadian Red Cross, Community Dinner patrons aren’t being asked for donations.

And to help residents living in Hinton get to Jasper, the Red Cross is also funding a SunDog Transportation and Tours bus. Folks needing transportation can register for a ride through SunDog Tours.

The key to the program’s longevity has been its community building capacity, Read said.

“In a well-connected community you have to have time together,” Read said. “Breaking bread together is a great way to do that.”

The next Community Dinner takes place Sunday, January 12.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com