Latest news with #Jasper
CBC
15 hours ago
- CBC
Jasper gathers to commemorate 1 year after wildfire
Jasperites gathered to remember and exchange stories, one year after they were forced to flee their homes as a wildfire encroached on the community. Businesses are rebounding and tourists are back but residents are still waiting to rebuild.
CTV News
16 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Commemoration, not celebration: Jasper marks wildfire 1-year anniversary
A year ago, one-third of the town of Jasper was destroyed in an intense wildfire. Hannah Lepine reports. 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
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Jasper marks one year since thousands flee wildfire on one road out in dark of night
JASPER, ALTA. — One year to the day a wind-whipped fire forced thousands to flee in the dark of night along one smoke-choked road, the mayor of Jasper acknowledged it was a day of remembrance that some would much rather forget. 'Some of you may be attending today with some measure of apprehension or trepidation, fearful perhaps, that some remark or reflection may trigger an intense and unwelcome reaction,' Mayor Richard Ireland told 150 people at a commemoration ceremony Tuesday in town park. 'Some residents who have returned home to Jasper may have intentionally stayed away this morning to avoid that very risk. 'My hope, and I expect yours, is that in paying homage to all that we've been through, in recognizing our progress and our successes, in commemorating this sad anniversary, we do not stir too much.' Ireland and other leaders made remarks. Some in the crowd wore Jasper Fire Department shirts, others in Parks Canada gear. The ground was wet from the previous night's rainfall and the event was set against a backdrop of low-hanging clouds, a contrast to the heavy smoke and ash that blanketed the town just one year earlier. A thin layer of snow covered nearby mountain peaks. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski fought back tears as she spoke. "I see homes under construction, businesses are reopening … I know, though, that there are challenges ahead," she said. 'Recovery is not a straight line. 'Jasper's beauty and spirit have always inspired and they will continue to do so.' Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen patted her shoulder when she sat back down. On July 22, 2024, a swiftly racing wildfire forced 20,000 visitors and 5,000 town residents to leave, spawning images of long lines of vehicles, their red taillights glowing, inching through a tunnel of smoke in the dead of night. Two days later, shifting winds and towers of flame showered the town with embers that lit new fires, destroying a third of all structures in a capricious assault that left intact homes standing alongside piles of rubble. Some firefighters battled the flames knowing their homes had already been destroyed. A full residential rebuild is expected to take upwards of a decade. So far, 114 properties have been cleared for construction, while 71 remain held up by soil-testing requirements for contaminants. The summer tourism season is in full swing. Jasper lost 20 per cent of its accommodations in the fire, but its tourism agency says Jasper hotels and homes have been almost full since the May long weekend. Alongside the anniversary has been a war of words between the town and Premier Danielle Smith's government over a third-party report. The report, commissioned by the town and released late last week, surveyed front-line firefighters and other officials to determine ways to improve future fire responses. It determined the province's interference disrupted the focus of fighting the fires. The Alberta government was not responsible for leading the response because Jasper is located inside a national park, but the report says the province regularly asked for information and sought "to exercise decision-making authority." It concludes that the jurisdictional overlap "created political challenges that disrupted the focus of incident commanders." The authors do not elaborate on how severely these challenges impeded the emergency response, but Ireland said there was no suggestion in the report that any disruption led to any "negative consequence.' Loewen said Tuesday he doesn't have further insight into the issues raised in the report. Smith has called the criticism unfair and last week demanded the town apologize for the report and retract it. The town has done neither. Ireland has said the town stands by the report, but added it was not intended to lay blame or politicize the issue and has been misrepresented. Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Jasper did the responsible thing by commissioning the report. He criticized Smith for blowing off the report's findings. "She has to be committed to working with partners, whether that's local municipalities, local people or even the federal government," he said Tuesday. "Otherwise, future disasters will become more political, more chaotic and more dangerous." Smith, in a social media post Tuesday, wrote the province will continue to support the town in its recovery. "For many Jasperites, that difficult chapter still isn't over, and my heart is with every person or family still waiting to return home,' she wrote. Speaking after the event, Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said the town should still apologize for the report, but that he appreciated Ireland's remarks the day before. He said it's time to move on. "I'm well past it," he said. — With files from Jack Farrell in Edmonton This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Solemn events planned to mark one year since 25,000 fled Jasper wildfire
Jasper Fire Chief Mathew Conte addresses the media in one of the most heavily impacted neighbourhoods, roughly one year after the wildfire in Jasper, Alta., on Monday, July 21, 2025. Conte says 2024 was an unprecedented fire season but his team is addressing preparedness, including residential sprinkler systems and fire smarting, to prevent further losses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken JASPER, ALTA. — Today marks one year since roughly 25,000 tourists and residents of Jasper, Alta., were forced to flee on a single highway, after several runaway fires were discovered in Jasper National Park. There's expected to be solemn reflection in the beloved mountain town, as events are held to remember the evacuation and the flames that incinerated neighbourhoods two days later. A third of the town's structures were destroyed despite firefighters' best efforts. It's estimated about 2,000 people were displaced by the fire. A ceremony is scheduled with Mayor Richard Ireland and federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski. Talking circles, group bike rides and other events are set throughout the week. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
CBC
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Heightened tension over Jasper, Alta., wildfire response 1 year later
Nearly one year after a wildfire destroyed parts of Jasper, Alta., political tensions have been heightened after a third-party report said the province may have hampered the initial response to the emergency.
