The union representing striking teachers in Alberta say educators have tabled a reasonable offer to the province and that it’s now up to the Danielle Smith government to end the labour dispute. “The responsibility to end this disruption lies squarely with the government,” Alberta Teachers Associatio...

Teachers and public education supporters from across the region banded together in Jasper yesterday (Thursday, October 9) to demonstrate solidarity in their ongoing labour strife with the provincial government. Teachers walked off the job Monday amid stalled negotiations. Wearing “Red for Ed” clothi...

When Alberta teachers voted nearly 90 percent against the government’s latest contract offer, the message was clear: the deal does not meet the needs of our classrooms or our students. Yet, within hours, the Government of Alberta released a press release painting itself as the rational adult in the ...

Jasper students walked out of school in solidarity with their teachers today (Thursday, October 2). About 100 students participated in a walk-out demonstration October 2 to show support for their teachers. // Bob Covey Just after 2 p.m., approximately 100 elementary, junior high and high school stud...

Teachers reject province's proposal; October 6 strike action looms Alberta teachers have overwhelmingly rejected the Government of Alberta’s latest contract offer. On Monday, September 29, nearly 90 per cent of the 51,000-strong Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) membership voted against the tentati...

Pundits suggest strike action would be warranted, but risky The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) has reached a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the provincial government’s bargaining committee. The union will present the tentative agreement to its 51,000 public, Catholic and francophone school ...

Anti-separatist petition needs 294,000 signatures before Oct 28 Two Jasperites have taken up the torch with the Forever Canadian campaign. Val Young and Janet Frechette have been soliciting Albertans for signatures on a petition to keep Alberta in Canada. On Wednesday they set up a table outside of ...

Teachers trying to reach a collective agreement before October 6 are calling out the provincial government’s complaint to the Alberta labour board as a frivolous stall tactic. Yesterday, Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling addressed a September 15 complaint filed by the prov...

Teachers will walk off the job October 6 unless they can come to contract terms with the provincial government. On Wedensday, September 10, Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling said 51,000 full and part-time teachers will take strike action if a deal isn’t reached between the...

Mark Hall’s reaction to my article on the newly legalized practice of hunting bears with dogs started with the statement that it ‘relies on emotional rhetoric, selective science, and mischaracterizations that deserve clarification’. I would like to address each of his criticisms in turn. Mark Hall: ...

In July, Todd Loewen, the Minister for Alberta’s Forestry and Parks, quietly updated provincial regulations to allow the use of dogs while hunting black bears. His rationale? To help protect endangered woodland caribou populations, because black bears prey on newborn caribou calves. Hunter gatherer ...

Richard Ireland has indicated his intent to run for mayor in Jasper again. The only mayor that the community has ever known filed his notice of intent papers today, August 15, 2025. Reached at his home Friday afternoon, Ireland said he and his family came to the decision to offer his services to the...

For 40 years, the province has put industry ahead of endangered species Is the Alberta government hell-bent on eliminating what remains of the two caribou herds that live in the mountains just north of Jasper National Park? Looking at the province’s recently released draft management plan for the Up...

For the first time in decades, Yellowhead has a real race on its hands Pundits and prognosticators are all saying it: this federal election is the most important in Canadians’ lifetime. With relations with our southern neighbour hitting lows not seen since 1812 and pressing questions about how the c...

Yellowhead's federal election candidates answer 7 Questions about their 2025 campaign in their own (typed) words Editor's Note: The Jasper Local reached out to the three mainstream candidates running for political office in Yellowhead. We are presenting the campaign teams' answers in the order we re...

A group of Alberta energy executives has cancelled their corporate retreat in Jasper because they’re mad that the municipality’s mayor wants federal politicians to make climate change a priority. What other conclusion could anyone take away from reading an April 15 letter from the Mullen Group , a t...

Michael Fark, the Municipality of Jasper’s Director of Recovery, has been selected as the 2025 Liberal candidate for Yellowhead. While as of March 27 the party hadn't officially announced his nomination, Fark confirmed to The Jasper Local that he is the expected candidate. The writ was dropped on Su...

The union has not yet provided 72-hour strike notice or indicated when it might do that. Workers with the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division may soon join a province-wide strike for higher wages and more education funding. One hundred and sixty support staff voted 82 per cent in favour of stri...

Gerald Soroka is saying his goodbyes to his Yellowhead constituents. Yellowhead’s representative in Canada’s House of Commons was not selected to represent the riding in the upcoming federal election. As such, on Monday, Soroka sent out a news release thanking his constituents for the opportunity to...

Re: Alberta's cougar harvest policy doesn't track (Jasper Local, February 14, 2025). February 19, 2025 Dear Editor: As a retired community newspaper publisher, taking a compliment on a good piece or editorial is something that I used to shy away from. That said, Bradley and Covey deserve a tip-of-th...