After the fire

Whenever I inform folks – here in Canada and elsewhere – that The Girl and I spent a couple of nights in Jasper, their first instinct is to enquire about the residual damage from the 2024 wildfire. For those readers who know nothing of this dramatic event this brief detail comes from the Jasper Travel website:

“In July 2024, Jasper, experienced a historic wildfire, the largest in the past century, affecting over 32,000 hectares and causing significant damage to homes and businesses.

Despite the adversity, the town’s spirit remained strong, and recovery efforts have been swift and collaborative. While some areas were affected, much of the park’s breathtaking landscapes remain untouched, and the resilience of our community shines as we rebuild and welcome visitors back to our beloved destination.

Jasper continues to be a place of awe-inspiring wilderness, and we invite travellers to experience the beauty, adventure, and warmth that define our town as we move forward together”.

It is true that should one look closely one can plainly make out evidence of just how close the fires came to the centre of the town; in some cases into it. There is also no avoiding the sight of the temporary housing for those whose properties were sadly lost. There are also extensive ‘portakabin’ villages housing the construction crews that are rebuilding the affected parts of the community.

Whilst in Jasper we went on an evening wildlife bus tour, guided by local conservationists. These good folks were surprisingly up-beat about the damage done, explaining that such events are natural and that nature itself is capable of recovering surprisingly rapidly.

Some evidence of this positive news may be discerned in these images: