Commemoration, not celebration: Jasper marks wildfire 1-year anniversary
Tuesday marked one year since wild winds in Jasper National Park ignited a course of events that have scarred the community and landscape for years.
On July 22, 2024, three wildfires burning south of the town merged, growing thousands of hectares within hours and prompting an evacuation of the town and park that night. Two days later, the wildfire complex breached the townsite, burning some 300 homes and buildings.
'The weather can be so triggering,' Kelli Soroka, a Jasper resident of 10 years, told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday at a ceremony that officially kicked off a week of commemorative events.
'When a thunderstorm comes through, or when there's smoke in the sky, it's just so triggering.'
The home she rented with friend Laura Thomasson was one of the few in their neighbourhood to survive the fire still standing, but sustained damage that made it unliveable.
Over the last year, both considered and ultimately decided against leaving Jasper.
'I really needed to be around community that's gone through this and understands what we've been through,' Thomasson said. 'It's not just about the trauma of the physical fire. It's about the loss of community and the loss of what this town is, which is so much more than just houses in a national park.'
Ceremony
Hundreds of people attended the ceremony in Commemoration Park on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)
That may be why hundreds of people attended the ceremony in Commemoration Park Tuesday morning, which consisted of speeches by Mayor Richard Ireland, Parks Canada CEO Ron Hallman, Canadian Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski, Alberta Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen, and Samson Cree Nation Elder Bruce Cutknife.
'This is an anniversary. It's not a celebration,' Ireland emphasized. 'It is truly a commemoration, a recognition of all that we have endured, all that we continue to carry, and all that we are working toward.'
The dignitaries all paid tribute to Morgan Kitchen, a firefighter who died in the Jasper wildfire fight on Aug. 3, 2024.
'In meeting his mom and his dad and his family a couple of times since then, I am struck by what they told me about how much he loved his job, how much he relished being on the fire line, how his eyes lit up telling them about a job that they were skeptical about whether they wanted him doing it, but he was going to do it anyway,' Hallman commented.
The officials also expressed sorrow over the wildfire's destruction, gratitude to the firefighters and emergency coordination teams who fought to protect the town, and pride in Jasperites' resilience.
'We are still, in the most meaningful sense, all in this together. We continue to lean on one another, to support one another, to show up for one another, again and again,' Mayor Richard Ireland said in his speech, his voice wavering slightly. 'That is what Jasper does.'
As he spoke, people in the crowd reached for each other, holding hands or offering a shoulder to cry on.
Ireland continued, 'There are visible signs of progress, indeed, meaningful happy signs. There are, importantly, less visible signs, too; acts of genuine kindness, demonstrations of patience, steadfast determination, helping hands. These are the foundations of recovery.'
He promised to those listening: 'There is still much work to do. Yet, Jasper is here. We are resilient. We are healing. We are enduring. And we will endure. We will recover. We will thrive together.'
Residents called the day emotional, but noted they've had many like it over the past year.
'It's up and down every day, honestly,' Brenda Zinck said.
'The fabric of our community has been rocked… and that's the toughest part,' added her husband, Ron Zinck.
Brenda said, 'It's been difficult, but we're doing OK and you have to stay positive and move ahead. That is one thing about this community: It's got lots of resilience. So we're all moving ahead.'
The municipality and Parks Canada are hosting a number of activities throughout the week to mark the anniversary, including a therapy workshop, a talking circle, and wildfire educational programming.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Miriam Valdes-Carletti
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