All of Jasper may have tuned into ABC’s The Bachelor Monday night, but I’m saving my screen time for an even juicier watch party. Even though I am DYING to see if true love blossoms in the Canadian Rockies and whether or not Bachelor Joey Graziadei’s polar plunge in Lac Beauvert will shrivel his cha...

Industry seeing growing demand for non-alcoholic beers and mocktails The Jasper Beer and Spirts Festival filled the cups of hundreds of thirsty guests at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge on the February 9-11 Superbowl weekend. Hundreds of plaid-wearing beer lovers descended on Jasper February 9-11. //...

Brian Sutherland, 1963-2024 “ Can ’ t stop what ’ s coming.” That was the message Brian Sutherland would, for many years, send me at some point in the summer. A 2012 "Can't stop what's coming" message. Sutherland was in BC when he sent his warning. The text was usually accompanied by a photo of a tr...

Jasper’s seasonal nature is straining support services “Where I work is very seasonal. We get hours in the summer season, but in the winter it becomes unbearable when it comes to costs.” Jasperite Gurbinder Singh moved to town from Ontario and works in the local hospitality industry. Singh was worki...

Province wants to double tourism revenue by 2035; visiting officials recognize tourism-community challenges Premier Danielle Smith was in Jasper this week to announce a new provincial tourism strategy and on St. Valentine’s Day had adoring words for Jasper’s welcoming nature. “Jasper and Banff are t...

The Jasper U13 Bears play their final game of the regular season versus the Hinton Havoc this Thursday, February 15 at 6:15 p.m . at the Jasper Arena.  Jack Currie lags the puck in his own end. // Bob Covey Due to a conflicting Valentine’s Day Dance, pre-teen fans may be in short supply, so the Bear...

Recommendation helps local professionals meet Parks Canada's eligible residency requirements To an artist, there’s nothing like a blank slate. And last week, a cadre of local creatives got the official word that their collective canvas has been primed for painting. On January 18, Jasper-based cerami...

Chris Dunlop wasn’t really given a chance to be a railroader.  Years ago, when Dunlop applied to CN, the recruiters of the day took one look at his thick glasses and dismissed his application. “They never called me back,” he recalled. It took Chris Dunlop (aka Z.O.) a day to set up the TrainMania tr...

Got a good idea for a new festival or event in Jasper? The provincial government is inviting Albertans to apply for up to $100,000 through their Events and Festivals Fund to "reignite existing events and activate new ones that drive overnight visitation," the website says. Applicants would need to f...

The first time I saw an elk in Jasper, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones was topping the charts. No, this photo is not from 1965…the author just converted it to sepia tone to make it look "old timey." // Mark Bradley It was 1965, and we were in the middle of a family vacation to th...

Two Jasper residents are facing multiple charges after police units in Jasper seized weapons and drugs from a local address. On January 12, Jasper RCMP, with the assistance of RCMP Police Dog Services and Edson RCMP Integrated Traffic Unit, executed a search warrant at a Jasper residence. As a resul...

In the wake of the Christmas holidays, Jasper’s residential recycling depots are full-to-bursting with plastic packaging, flattened cardboard boxes and licked-clean cranberry sauce cans.  Unfortunately, in harmony with the bloated waste streams, a quick peek at local social media platforms shows tha...

The Jasper U15 Bearcats are coming off a winning weekend on the road, having had their way with Whitecourt (12-7) and eking out two victories against Mayerthorpe (5-2; 4-3). Now the squad is heading back to their home court, and they're looking for fan support. UPDATED: The action starts this Sunday...

It was a tinseltown-tinted Christmas for local thespians Joost Tijssen and Pieter Van Loon.  Jasper Theater Productions' Pieter Van Loon (left) and Joost Tijssen performed a Christmas-themed show over the holidays. // Bob Covey The two-man theatre troupe rang in the New Year with Dinner and Theatre,...

More than 430 people lined up for Sunday Community Dinner on January 7. Volunteers with Coco’s Café and Catering and the Jasper Pride Society cooked and dished up Mujaddara chicken coconut curry, basmati rice, cucumber salad and naan bread. Dessert was mango and vanilla ice cream.  The Community Din...

Two of Jasper’s most responsive, health-giving and helpful citizens have been recognized for their ongoing contributions to the community.  Advanced care paramedic Rob Prinz, and food services professional Glenda MacDowell, with her consummate duty-of-care for residents, visitors and anyone else who...

The sky was mauve, a pale bluish purple. A colour you only see in winter. Mauve, the colour of cold. This was the night the temperature was forecast to hit minus 30 degrees Celsius.  As we struggled up from the valley the forecast seemed spot on.     I caught the smell of woodsmoke and figured our b...

Ecole Desrochers' annual Spectacle de Noel took place on Thursday evening (December 22), showcasing the talents of students and teachers in front of an appreciative audience. The Jasper Local was there to snap the spectacle of the season. Hosting the holiday affair were Grade 12 students Shanti Lang...

Not all onboard with transit plan   Jasper municipal councillors have approved Jasper’s 2024 operating and capital budgets, but members of the local tourism bureau remain concerned for Jasper’s fiscal future.  After six marathon sessions to deliberate on what administration presented to them on Nove...

The Jasper Arena’s temporary dressing rooms got their first tournament test of the 2023/24 hockey season last weekend. On December 16 and 17 the Jasper Junior Grizzlies U11-U13 Girls hosted their Hockey in the Rockies tournament. Teams from Fort Saskatchewan, St. Paul and Edmonton made the trip to J...