When the Derksen family lost their home in the Jasper wildfire, they knew that chances were slim that the precious reminders of their lives were spared from the flames.  Photos of the Derksens’ home on fire, with the iconic, yellow and brown “Jasper BrewPub” VW bus parked outside, were some of the f...

The Jasper wildfire was a fiery furnace, temperatures reaching almost 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt copper and gold.  With such atomic obliteration, will we ever see the forest come back within our lifetime, certainly within mine? In four days in August I would have my answer.  There ...

The production of 250 modular homes is being fast-tracked by the Alberta government to support Jasper residents who lost their homes in the July 24 wildfire. Yesterday (October 21), alongside Mayor Richard Ireland, West Yellowhead MLA Martin Long and Evergreens Foundation CAO Kristin Chambers, Minis...

Record dryness, extreme heat, high winds, and a lightning storm. This summer in Jasper National Park, all of the ingredients of a recipe for disaster were in place. Now, two and a half months after that disaster came to pass, another set of circumstances— misinformation, toxic politics and facts-sta...

As local officials shore up millions of dollars worth of resources to help the community recover from the July 24 wildfire, a small team of advocates has been ensuring hundreds of workers in Jasper don’t slip through the cracks On July 22, when the community was evacuated due to the imminent threat ...

Residents with damaged homes must obtain residential demolition and debris removal permits or authorize a third party to do so on their behalf Jasperites who lost their homes in the July wildfire are being encouraged to participate in the community’s mass debris removal process being facilitated by ...

Rrrrip. Rrrrip. Rrrrip. The distinct crackling of duct tape being peeled from its roll permeates the air on a hot September afternoon in Jasper. A white truck drives by. Then another. In the west end of the Jasper townsite, service vehicles have become ubiquitous. All of the neighbourhood’s sightlin...

Jasper is at a crossroads. Like its residents, legislators in Ottawa must come together today to expedite Jasper’s rebuild “Will there just be crumbs, dad?” We were driving back to Jasper—for the first time since the fire. We were passing through the community’s west gate, trying to prepare the kids...

Nearly seven weeks after a series of lightning strikes ignited a tinder-dry forest on a hot, gusty evening, officials have the Jasper Wildfire Complex under control. “The fire perimeter today is 100 percent controlled,” Jasper National Park officials told media members Saturday, September 7. “The wi...

My husband and I had just returned to Jasper, one week after the official date of return. At our end of town, there is no avoiding the damage caused by the inferno. We had seen the images, of course, but viewing the damage in person was overwhelming. It was sensory overload, and we knew it would tak...