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...