Jasper National Park staff were scrambling to rebook hundreds of campground reservations after damaged facilities at Wabasso and Whistlers Campgrounds disrupted visitors’ long weekend camping plans. In preparing for the camping season at Wabasso Campground earlier this week, Parks Canada staff disco...

West Yellowhead’s NDP candidate Fred Kreiner has elected not to participate in Jasper’s scheduled all-candidates forum. “I’ve decided and the NDP party has decided that our efforts are better used knocking on doors and talking to people,” Kreiner told The Jasper Local on May 15. The Jasper Park Cham...

As grizzly bears are peeking, visitors' excitement for a wildlife encounter is peaking. But so are wildlife warnings in Jasper National Park.  It's spring. Grizzly bears and black bears are out of hibernation and gorging themselves on Jasper National Park greenery. Because that nutritious vegetation...

Jasper National Park is issuing a fire ban. The ban is effective Thursday, May 11. Parks Canada announced the fire ban in partnership with the Municipality of Jasper. “The fire ban will help firefighting resources be more readily available where they are needed most and reduce the likelihood of any ...

Jasper Municipal Council is keeping a 51-year relationship with its Japanese Twin City alive. Despite some councillors wanting to skip the trip this year, a majority of voices around the Committee of the Whole table on Tuesday, May 9, voted in favour of sending a delegation to Hakone, Japan, in 2023...

Hundreds of evacuees from wildfires in Edson and Yellowhead County were received by Jasper's emergency facilities and services over the weekend. Fleeing several out-of-control wildfires that threatened their communities, more than 600 evacuees from the West Yellowhead region were registered at the e...

Jasper Municipal Council will discuss a recommendation to establish a public transit system at its next meeting. The town’s Chief Administrative Officer, Bill Given, is recommending council award a three-year contract to provide public bus transportation in Jasper to PWTransit Canada , a company tha...

Jasper National Park Superintendent Alan Fehr has declined a private offer to rebuild a washed-out bridge at Simon Creek, a structure which would allow access to Athabasca Pass National Historic Site. Trevor Willson, a professional engineer and backcountry enthusiast based in Calgary, has designed a...

Funding from the province will help Jasper get its poop in a group. On Thursday, April 27, Mayor Richard Ireland announced the Municipality of Jasper is receiving $1.5 million to help upgrade the town’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). “Serving our residents and millions of visitors each year, our...

On April 25, Chris and Julie Ramsey’s Nissan crossover was plugged into the electric vehicle charging station on Connaught Drive. Their car, a 2022 Nissan Ariya, stands out: besides the BF Goodrich 39-inch fat tires and the Iridium “sat-comms” dome atop their roof, stickered on the rig’s copper side...

“Hold on!” the pilot yelled. We had been surveying arctic caribou from a Dehavilland Beaver (often referred to as the best bush plane ever built). This particular aircraft’s “tundra tires” allowed its pilot to land just about anywhere, but our makeshift landing strip would be a real test. The ridget...

A helicopter transporting Natural Resources Canada glacier surveyors had a hard landing on an icefield in Banff National Park April 14. The accident left a Bell 407 helicopter in pieces, 3,000 metres above sea level, 3 km from the Saskatchewan Glacier.  A helicopter sustained substantial damage afte...

Jasper National Park wildlife officials have destroyed a black bear after the animal attacked and killed a visitor’s dog. The animal demonstrated predatory behaviour and showed little regard for being in close proximity to humans, Parks Canada officials said—factors which led to the decision to euth...

If you didn’t have on your BINGO card that community leader, social media influencer and LGBTQ2+ icon, MLA Janis Irwin, would be chatting up Alberta voters at a drag show at a seniors centre, do you even Pride? Edmonton MLA Janis Irwin was in Jasper recently ahead of the writ being dropped in the 20...

While this year’s freestyle season is already coming to a close, 14 year old Maxx Ederle is just getting started. Having closed out the year with a gold medal at the Alberta Champs, he’s both reflecting on a success-packed season and looking ahead to his numerous future opportunities. “This was defi...

Hopping from rock to rock, our laden backpacks jostling uncomfortably, the trail finally disappeared in a backwater channel of Jasper National Park’s Whirlpool River.  We gave up trying to keep our feet dry and simply waded in. On the Athabasca Pass Trail in Jasper National Park. // Tania Millen Sud...

Photos by Patrick Barker for The Jasper Local An elk that fell through a partly frozen lake in Jasper National Park was given a new lease on life by Parks Canada staff. An elk fell through spring ice on Lac Beauvert April 17. // Patrick Barker On April 17 at approximately 5 p.m., a bull elk fell thr...

Progress Pride flag flying proud above the townsite  Dozens of LGBTQ2+ community members and allies congregated in Jasper’s downtown on  Friday, April 14, to help raise the rainbow flag over the community. The event helped kick-off the 10-day Jasper Pride and Ski Festival . Advertisement inquires: a...

Photos by Maur Muzza Mere @ muzzadventures and Patrick Barker @ patrickrbarker The fifth annual Marmot’s Revenge skinned into Jasper National Park March 31-April 2 where guests at Marmot Basin got a close up view of the sport of ski mountaineering. Three dozen or so speed suit-clad racers climbed, b...

Parks Canada is planning to close the Icefields Parkway on April 14 (Friday) at 12 p.m. Warm temperatures will precipitate higher avalanche hazards in Jasper and Banff National Parks. To mitigate danger to the travelling public, Parks Canada will conduct avalanche control work tomorrow afternoon. “A...