As a retired teacher, Jasper’s Paulette Dubé has logged thousands of hours in the classroom. Like many educators, she considers herself a life long student. But before July of 2024, Dubé would not have guessed her higher learning would include how to help a community navigate rebuilding after a wild...

Jasper officials are anticipating recent land-use policy updates will help address the town’s chronic housing shortage and simplify rules for residents. The changes, which came into effect February 9, include loosening restrictions on accessory dwelling units and increasing the maximum height of apa...

Council will seek feedback before increasing off-site levies to cover the cost that net new development puts on municipal infrastructure. Town planner Marley Pollock told council on Tuesday (Feb. 10) that the existing rates do not reflect the current costs of providing infrastructure to support the ...

Rotarians are making available a second round of fire relief funding for local Jasper-area organizations. The Rotary District 5370 Charitable Foundation (RDCF) has completed its first round of wildfire relief funding, approving $56,216 in grants, according to a press release. Now, Doug Campbell, gra...

To help provide peace of mind for a recovering community, the West Central Airshed Society (WCAS) has taken up long-term air monitoring for Jasper. The non-profit organization, which is responsible for monitoring and reporting outdoor air quality across west-central Alberta, replaced the Alberta gov...

The Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre (JRCC) has received feedback from residents about higher-than-expected invoices associated with the bulk debris removal program. Michael Fark, Municipal Director of Recovery, told council on Tuesday (Feb. 3) that the JRCC was following up with the Insurance Bu...

After an influx of new applicants, the waitlist for interim housing has grown to 58 people. During their regular council meeting yesterday (Tuesday, Jan 20), Jasper Municipal Council received an update from the Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre (JRCC). Jasper's Director of Recovery Michael Fark to...

Jasper is expected to see substantial rebuilding this winter and contractors are focusing on pouring foundations while the weather cooperates. Foundation pours are likely to continue until late November or early December. Parks Canada has issued 75 building permits as of Friday, October 24, with 36 ...

Two of Linwood Homes’ rebuild projects are standing tall. Following last year’s devastating fires, the team at Linwood Homes has been working closely with Parks Canada, local authorities, and residents to ensure the community can return home as quickly and safely as possible. Now, one home is alread...

Although it could be a decade before the Jasper townsite recovers from last year’s wildfire, rebuild projects have broken ground on several lots. BILD (Building Industry and Land Development Association) Alberta CEO Scott Fash, whose organization represents the residential construction industry in A...

Permitting is steadily moving forward in Jasper, according to the Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre (JRCC). At the August 5 regular council meeting, Directory of Recovery Michael Fark updated Jasper Municipal Council on the most recent activity facilitated through the JRCC’s offices. Fark said tha...

Too restrictive regulations? Or insincere insurance companies? The Jasper Local digs into one of the complex elements of rebuilding in a national park Editor's note (Aug 11 5:30 p.m.): This story has been updated to include comment from the Insurance Bureau of Canada When compared to how quickly it ...

The 2024 wildfire exacted a terrible toll on Jasper, but instead of focusing on what’s been lost, Jasper’s next mural will honour The Things That Grew. Starting on August 6, helped along by a series of community events and opportunities for residents to gather, Belgian artist Gijs Vanhee will bring ...

At about 10 p.m. last July 22, 2024, anxious Jasperites, stuck in gridlock only blocks away from their homes and illuminated by the headlights of their neighbours, evacuated slowly westward towards the Yellowhead Highway. One year later, on July 22, 2025, many of those same people came together agai...

More interim housing parcels are being prepared in Jasper. Lot 2 Block A, next to the Jasper Yellowhead Museum and Archives , will soon be used for eight Parks Canada-procured units of interim housing, according to the Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre. The eight units, which will be built by Corr...

On a path fraught with obstacles, it's helpful to have a guide One year after a wildfire altered the way forward for so many Jasperites, local residents are being empowered as Pathfinders . Spearheaded by the Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre and supported by the Municipality of Jasper, the Pathfi...

It was with a feeling of trepidation that we approached Jasper this year. We have been regular visitors since 2001 and it’s become a kind of home away from home for us, full of happy memories and newfound friends. To say it was a tearful approach would not be an exaggeration—seeing the devastation t...

When normal forestry practices don’t cut it: With a light-on-the-land touch, specialized arborists are cleaning up Jasper’s burn debris It’s a widely-accepted mystery: whether or not a tree that falls in the forest makes a sound. But what about the riddle that Jasper National Park officials were fac...

A beloved family is saying goodbye to Jasper, and their friends are throwing a bittersweet going-away party. “There will be a lot of tears,” said organizer Twila Paterson. “There already have been.” Charlene Tio-Tio and Twila Paterson have shared many milestones in Jasper together. Paterson has orga...

Trafficcongestion is becoming a growing issue at the town’s two remaining gas stations, according to a letter sent to Jasper Municipal Council. Mayor Richard Ireland told the rest of council on Tuesday (June 10) that both the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Jasper had sent a letter askin...