A new Otipemisiwak Metis Government has been formed and Kaila Mitchell is the newly elected representative for the Jasper House Métis District. “This is a monumental moment not only for our area but for all Métis people in Alberta,” Mitchell said. “We are embarking on a new chapter in our history, a...

If you didn’t have on your BINGO card that community leader, social media influencer and LGBTQ2+ icon, MLA Janis Irwin, would be chatting up Alberta voters at a drag show at a seniors centre, do you even Pride? Edmonton MLA Janis Irwin was in Jasper recently ahead of the writ being dropped in the 20...

Jasper’s Fred Kreiner will be the NDP candidate for West Yellowhead in Alberta’s next provincial election.  Kreiner won the nomination on December 8 after collecting more votes than Brule’s Lavone Olson in a local constituency election.  Kreiner is a former principal and French immersion teacher who...

Jasper’s top official got a warm welcome in the gallery of Canada’s Upper House last month.  Mayor Richard Ireland was part of a Rocky Mountain delegation in Ottawa on November 22 when he was introduced in the Canadian Senate as a longterm colleague and dear friend of former Banff mayor, now-Canadia...

Two nominees are vying to be the NDP’s candidate in West Yellowhead in the upcoming provincial election. Lavone Olson and Fred Kreiner have been nominated for candidacy to represent the NDP in West Yellowhead. A membership vote to determine the candidate will take place December 7 and 8. Fred Kreine...

Kevin Van Tighem throwing his hat into the political arena Kevin Van Tighem says he can no longer justify wasting his experience, skills and knowledge when Alberta is facing such critical times. The author, conservationist and former superintendent of Banff National Park is running for the provincia...

If you want workers to come to Alberta, pay them fairly and stop trying to undercut their wages, says Rachel Notley. The Leader of the Official Opposition was in Jasper September 19 as a guest speaker of the Building Trades of Alberta conference , held this year at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. No...

Banff being incorporated into Yellowhead makes sense, Richard Ireland suggests Banff could be part of the same electoral district as Jasper come 2024 and Jasper’s mayor, for one, is all for it. Richard Ireland has been at the head of Jasper’s civic government since 1990. If Banff is incorporated int...

Official Opposition Leader Rachel Notley talked to The Jasper Local to discuss running, the Rockies and the road ahead for the NDP   Rachel Notley was in Jasper on June 4 for the Banff-Jasper Relay . The Jasper Local snapped a photo of the leader of Alberta’s Official Opposition as she ran her 19 km...

Members of Jasper municipal council, administration and operations staff unveiled the town’s new logo on Wednesday, April 27. The Municipality of Jasper unveiled its new logo on April 27. Helping launch the new brand were (l-r) Director of Operations John Greathead, Councillor Scott Wilson, Mayor Ri...

Jasperites have been extending their hands and hearts to Ukrainians . Now, in the wake of the Russian army’s invasion and the displacement of more than 3 million Ukrainian citizens, they are extending their homes. As of March 22, 14 Ukrainian refugees—with more in the works—have been offered places ...

Right now, the face of progress in Jasper is a proposed high-density apartment complex that will push parking issues to the brink and house 144 prospective tenants in units so small that developers need special permission to build them. The Municipality of Jasper has hired contractors to tie in util...

A blockade protesting the planned harvest of 3,500 hectares of old growth caribou habitat has been erected 75 kms south of Grande Cache near the Berland River. Last week, land defenders erected a rudimentary barrier to stop West Fraser Forest Product workers from accessing the Moon Creek forestry ro...

As a youngster, Guillaume Roy wanted to be mayor of the small town he grew up in. “I’ve always liked to talk politics, share ideas and opinions,” said Roy, who grew up in Mascouche, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal. The 28-year-old will have no shortage of opportunities to engage in political discourse....

A Grande Cache Metis organization is preparing to seek a prohibitory injunction to halt a Hinton-based logging company’s planned harvest of 3,500 hectares of critical caribou habitat. The Mountain Metis Nation Association, an umbrella organization of the Metis Nation of Alberta, says the Moon Creek ...

March 15, 2021 A proposal for a paid parking pilot project was seen as too tentative by Jasper municipal council and administration was sent back to the drawing board March 9. Newly minted CAO Bill Given admitted the scheme was conservative by design but suggested the plan would garner important dat...

Mayor Richard Ireland in the 2017 Tour of Hope. // JASPER LOCAL FILE PHOTO Richard Ireland will run for Mayor in Jasper again.  The only Mayor that the community has ever known filed his nomination papers yesterday, July 29.  The decision to offer his services as mayor for the seventh time was based...

UPDATE: On June 1, council passed second and third reading on a bylaw to set the tax ratio at 5:1 A move to reduce Jasper’s commercial/residential tax ratio has Jasper council split. Introduced during discussion of Jasper’s required tax rate bylaw for 2021, the idea of reducing the tax burden from n...

Most of us had a favourite teacher from school. I had a few. Mrs. Royer, in elementary school, was warm, accessible and caring. She treated all of her students equally, and I’ll never forget how hard she laughed at Grade 6 camp when my friend jumped out of his sleeping bag in his undies while she tr...

After whittling down yet another amended budget put forward by municipal administrators; after cutting and/or reallocating money for social and emergency services; and after once again postponing action on perilously underfunded municipal reserves, Jasper Municipal Council has passed a 2021 operatio...