It was with a feeling of trepidation that we approached Jasper this year.

We have been regular visitors since 2001 and it’s become a kind of home away from home for us, full of happy memories and newfound friends.

To say it was a tearful approach would not be an exaggeration—seeing the devastation to the town and the temporary housing that looked far from ideal.

But after settling in our accommodation, we found the town was as friendly as ever, the resilience of the residents shining through and if you can look beyond the town to the wider environment then we see a landscape that is recovering from what, after all, is a natural occurrence.

It is possible to hike at Maligne Lake and to the back of the town, as we did with our friend Kirsten, and pretend the fire never happened. But it is also possible to hike through the burned landscape and when you do it’s wonderful; there are wildflowers a-plenty from the common dandelion (a favourite first food for the bees) to brown eyed Susans, yarrow and slender cinquefoil to name but a few.

Then there’s the aspen, hundreds of tiny trees quivering into the light and already more than a foot tall. We hiked to the sound of birds and bees and surrounded by butterflies. Then there’s the wildlife—we’d never seen so many elk since our first visit in 2001; bears and even a moose which made this visitor very happy.

While the losses to the town and the tragic loss of a firefighter cannot be forgotten, the bigger picture is looking good and Jasper remains a wonderful place to spend time.

Irene Motion,
Dunfermline, Fife, United Kingdom