Anyone else embarrassed to be an Albertan these days? I was born and raised in this province, but the egregious displays of anti-social partisanship when it comes to disobeying health guidelines have me feeling sick to my belt buckle. “Freedom” rally in Calgary, late November. // Calgary Herald Anti...

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign. Can we talk about the new signs that adorn the east and west entrances of our town? “Adorn” might not actually be the right word—that term usually applies to things which make something more attractive. Regretfully, Jasper’s new entrance signs do the opposite—like gi...

It’s municipal budget time and 2021 looks like it’s going to be a doozy. We knew this was coming. After council made big cuts to last year’s budget in order to cushion the blow to Jasper ratepayers’ wallets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was going to be no other way out of the hole than...

I thought I came up with a pretty good metaphor for 2020 in Alberta the other day when I accidentally pepper-sprayed myself. It was particularly apt, because not only did I mace myself, I got my neighbour, too. Luckily, the can was pointing at the ground when I unintentionally popped the safety and ...

Did Jasper miss an opportunity to make its downtown better? Or at least safer? Now before you get all up in my grill, save your breath (and please wear a mask). I’ve heard the arguments against closing the 600 block of Patricia Street to vehicle traffic: Essential services like grocery stores and ph...

You many have noticed things are rather…strained…at Jasper Municipal Council meetings these days. While perhaps not immediately apparent, anyone who has been viewing the public meetings over Zoom the last couple of months will have noticed an uptick in tension amongst participants. Not being privy t...

Parks Canada is changing its policies to allow secondary suites, which they say will promote more affordable housing for the community. But will it? Are we really to believe that there are a whole bunch of homeowners out there with unused spaces who are just waiting for the OK to start renting them ...

It’s hard to think of spending the night in a tent when it’s minus 45 degrees Celsius outside, but if you want to camp in Canada’s mountain parks this summer, that’s exactly what you were doing earlier this month. At least that’s what you had hoped you’d be doing: online camping reservations opened ...

Bob Covey // The Jasper Local Newspaper Fright night in Alberta came early this year. October 31 in Jasper had its fair share of ghosts and ghouls, but the real scares were being conjured up at the Alberta Legislature a week prior. Minister of Finance Travis Toews wasn’t donning a costume when he ro...

Update: Council has passed a motion reducing the town’s speed limit to 40 km/hr Whenever classic editorial fodder such as the changing of municipal speed zones are up for community debate, the old timey newspaperman in me can’t wait to wade in. Usually, after uncrossing my arms and loudly cracking m...

Most mornings, if I’m on the ball, just before our toddler pulls out all of her toys and books and crafts and games and spreads them all over the floor, I try to get us outside. This has been much easier as of late, what with the winter finally relenting. Bundling isn’t as critical. Arguments about ...

UPDATE: Parks Canada has responded to our questions about the timing of the logging work and the impact of using tyres instead of tracks. From their statement: To minimize ground disturbance prior to freeze up, crews protected the ground using slash and debris and by limiting the time they worked in...

It’s a strange new world since October 17 came and went in Canada and here in Jasper, at least, people are still getting used to the idea that weed is legal. Heck, recreational cannabis consumers used to worry about getting busted by The Man…now The Man is their dealer! Not everyone is affected by b...

Photo:Vine Creek prescribed burn spring 2016//B Covey A few miles east of town, up the Jacques Creek drainage, there is a grey rock band on the northwest side of Cinquefoil Mountain. It’s in the subalpine and it’s fairly nondescript. Unless you’re making your way to the Alpine Club of Canada hut on ...

NOT EVERYONE IS UPSET THE FIREWORKS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED This letter is from our February 1, 2017 edition ______________________________________________________________________________ Dear Jasper, Jane here. You know, Jane Doe, a deer (a female deer). Hey how about this weather? It’s so weird! I was...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly honeymooning at the Fairmont JPL. Hmm, maybe? Regardless if the rumours are true or not, we at The Jasper Local have to stand up to the egregious headline in the New York Post’s gossip rag, Page Six, which, upon learning of the Royal Couple’s post-nups d...

This ain’t no April Fools joke, folks! It seems as though the feds finally figured out that Jasper’s east entrance is in dire need of improvements. The major boon, of course, will be the added through-lane. As it’s currently configured, the east gate is a painful pinch point. For the last umpteen ye...

Every summer, Jasper likes to pat itself on the back while snapping photos of the annual powwow and Indigenous dancers on Aboriginal Day. However, based on the viral vitriol which besmirched the comments section on social media this month, it would appear that this sense of openness and acceptance i...

Before you decide on who you’re voting for, make sure you know what councillors will be working on Jasper Housing Corp Housing may be Jasper’s defining issue, and it has been for some time. There has been much progress made on this file thanks to the the creation of the Jasper Community Housing Corp...

Bob Covey, editor Just when I thought Jasper wasn’t some regressive backwater, living in isolation from the rest of the civilized world, the community shows its true colours. Rainbow crosswalk debates. How is this a thing? Let’s review, shall we? First, a local community organization, inspired by ot...