A painful slog out of Jasper’s backcountry has taught a party of skiers a lesson in being prepared for safe adventuring. Jasper’s John Ward has skied many a mile over many a mountain pass—and made most of his tracks and turns without incident. “I’ve never required any assistance,” Ward said. John Wa...

“Mai, tuktumia’tuit!” That means “Wow, look at all those caribou!” (I think… my Inuktitut has not improved after 30 years of inactivity). It was a cold but sunny morning in late winter, somewhere along the treeline about 100 km west of Arviat, Nunavut. Peter, Joe and I were travelling by snowmobile ...

UPDATED March 3 Closures on the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93-N) and the Maligne Lake Road have been lifted. Jasper National Park public safety officials were performing avalanche control work. A winter storm which started Wednesday, February 28, deposited snow across Jasper National Park. The snow requ...

Avalanche professionals broadcast caution of "highly problematic" snowpack A special public avalanche warning (SPAW) has been issued for BC and western Alberta. On February 29, Avalanche Canada said that recent, significant snow storms across Western Canada, deposited on prominent weak layers establ...

The Municipality of Jasper is looking to build a home for public transit. The MOJ’s Tuesday, February 27 Committee of the Whole meeting saw councillors approve, by a 4-3 margin, a motion to direct administration to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to build Jasper’s first ever public transit fleet...

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...

This is the sequel to Poetry in the Snow , from February 9, 2024. Next day we skied  to the alpine and came across fresh grizzly tracks. One of the things I enjoyed about snow camping was the comforting thought that all the bears were tucked up snugly in their dens and I could get a good night's sle...

Three campers and a dog-walker have court dates after hiking into areas of Jasper National Park closed for caribou conservation. Parks Canada law enforcement staff responded to two separate incidents on the same day, according to media spokespeople for Jasper National Park. On the afternoon of Febru...

Local climbers and Jasper history buffs are gearing up for an exciting tribute to one of the 20th Century’s most significant alpine accomplishments. The Jasper/Hinton section of the Alpine Club of Canada, in conjunction with the Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society, are hosting a panel discussion on...

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...

Jasper Municipal C ouncil to consider expanding Jasper Transit Parks Canada wants Jasper Transit services to extend to Maligne Canyon. In a February 9 letter to the Municipality of Jasper, Jasper National Park Superintendent Alan Fehr said that Parks Canada is trying to encourage alternative modes o...

Paid Parking is Jasper’s cash cow that keeps growing The Municipality of Jasper's administrative team is suggesting to council that Jasper can get more out of its paid parking program. CAO Bill Given is putting forward that Committee of the Whole recommend council expand the town's paid parking prog...

“Is there anybody there?” said the Traveller, Knocking on the moonlit door; And his horse in the silence champed the grasses—” No one descended to the traveller. // Harrap “It's 'chomped', Dad! Not champed . . . ” “No it isn't, it's 'champed'. Do you think I don't know the poem?” I took out the Phot...

More than two dozen students walked out of school on Wednesday, February 7 in protest of the Alberta government’s proposed new policies around trans youth. The demonstration also included parents and allies of the LGBTQ2+ community. The group gathered to show solidarity with trans youth in Alberta a...

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...

In time, Lucy Locvan might not be the only full time DJ, music producer, video gamer and YouTube host to hang her headphones in Jasper. But she’s definitely DA FIRST to do it. Lucy Da First is Locvan’s handle for her creative art process, and it’s also how she’s been introduced recently—by hosts of ...