Despite the collective devastation and trauma we suffered as a community in the July 2024 fire, I feel we need to take some time each day to show gratitude for the things we still have in our life.

Research shows it benefits our health both mentally and physically. It helps us sleep better. And it builds resilience – individually and as a community.

I am one of the lucky ones. While the house I was in is currently unliveable—it was on the 700 block of Geikie Street—I work for a local business that was able to set me up with a new place to live for the next little while. For a place to sleep, I am personally grateful.

On the night of the evacuation, we all left safely and in order. The storm crashed around us while we drove westward, torrential rain bucketing down on us as we passed massive Mount Robson. A mix of cars, RVs and motorbikes in a long convoy. We all arrived at our evacuation destinations without an additional disaster or life-changing accident. For the way most everyone listened to directions and left in a quick, orderly and respectful way, I am grateful.

A one-in-100-year towering inferno raced up the valley from the south. And more fire to the northeast of the town. Visitors and residents escaped—alive. That isn’t always the case in fast-moving urban-interface wildfire incidents. For a chance to see another sunrise over the Maligne mountain range, I am grateful.

First responders fought against a monstrous fire that dwarfed everything around it. They hiked back-country trails to guide people out, flew helicopters through smoke-filled skies, and drove firetrucks into blazes, making heart-breakingly difficult decisions in the heat of the moment about what could and could not be saved in order to preserve as much of the town as possible. Hundreds of men and women put themselves in the face extreme danger to fight. For us. They rescued pets, guarded our homes and directed traffic as we drove away on the evacuation night. One young firefighter lost his life in the event, marking a devastating loss to his family, the Jasper command team and the broader firefighting community. For the superhuman efforts of these individuals, including Morgan Kitchen, I am grateful.

The town that we know and love was heavily damaged. Homes and businesses were lost. But not all. Two-thirds of the town still stands strong. It will make the rebuild effort significantly easier than building from absolute zero. For the chance to see our town rise again after a devastating natural disaster, I am grateful.

In various parts of the country, around 5,000 residents were fed and housed—some for more than a month! We had a bed to sleep in, financial support from the Red Cross and the Alberta Government, and immeasurable generosity from other local communities in the form of food, clothing and compassion. Friends, relatives and strangers took us in when we had no place to go. For that, I am grateful.

Team Rubicon—veterans from all across the world—came to Jasper. They stood by our side as we watched them scour through rubble and destruction to find small glimmers of hope in the ashes—family heirlooms, tools, trinkets, and other memorabilia. They gave their time in our moments of heart-break. For the time and love they shared, I am grateful.

The teams at the Municipality of Jasper and Park Canada’s Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre—people who work each day to serve this community—have been communicating regularly with updates about when we could return, when we would have water and power, when we could walk our trails again and what the realistic timeframes were for businesses and services to re-start. They are putting together a plan for our town’s future. For their ongoing commitment to that future, I am grateful.

Many of our community’s hotels and tourist attractions were saved. In a town where our economy is hugely dependent on tourism, this is crucial. If Marmot Basin or Maligne Lake facilities were destroyed, the time needed to rebuild our economy would be years longer. As it is, our beloved ski hill is planning to open for winter. Rafting and other guided tours across the region will reboot in the summer of 2025. For the hope that the next year will bring us through our visiting friends, family and guests from around the world, I am grateful.

I know there are many more individual stories from the past few months. Stories of heroism, generosity, kindness and love. Moments we will share over a coffee, or at a community dinner. Anecdotes of people pulling us out of the dark moments.

Jasper was hurt, but not destroyed. The community has been broken but we will bounce back.

There is a long rebuild, but there is hope for a better, stronger, more resilient Jasper community in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

And for that we can all be grateful.

Cameron Jackson // info@thejasperlocal.com