Globe readers share cherished memories of Jasper after devastating wildfire

This week, devastating fires totalled parts of Jasper, Alberta, following the overnight mass evacuation of thousands of residents and visitors.

As images of houses, cafes and entire streets in the western part of the town destroyed by flames emerged, Globe readers shared the special place Jasper holds in their hearts.

From unexpected rendezvous with Jasper’s hospitality to lifelong memories made over family vacations, here we compile stories that show the cherished experiences people had in Jasper and the deep loss being felt by the recent disaster.

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An arcade, a missed train and a Jasperite’s kindness

I was 14 years old in 1977 and returning home to Vancouver from a summer in Winnipeg. I was on my own and travelling by Via Rail when the train stopped in Jasper. After speaking with the porter and understanding the train would stop for 30 minutes, I wandered across Main Street to the shops and then into an arcade. As I was playing a game of pinball, and racking up replays, I noticed the train moving outside the shop window. When I sprinted onto the platform area, and up to the slow-moving train, the porter wouldn’t allow me to jump on due to the danger it presented and as I jogged alongside. But he advised that he would call on his radio and have the train stop. A few moments later, and as the train picked up speed, the last car went by without slowing down for me. I was devastated.

My belongings were on the train, and I was at a loss. A nice lady saw my dilemma and, I imagine, my sadness too. She took me to the Via Rail agent’s office and helped get me sorted. She had a basement suite nearby and that was my room for the night until I caught the westbound train the next day.

I spent that evening alone, walking the streets and taking in the beautiful town. It was lonely but I felt safe in Jasper. I was so grateful to have a local person feed and house me for the night.

The following day, I made sure to be at the train station waiting for it to arrive. I made it home safe, with a valuable lesson and experience that’s lasted my life. I have other wonderful family memories of Jasper, but this one truly stands out.

My heart goes out to all who have lost so much in the devastating fires. May you find peace and comfort.

- Adrian Wall

Scenes of devastation evoke nostalgia and sadness

My son finished his university degree in April, and to celebrate his accomplishment, I took him and his older sister for our first-ever vacation as a family of three, having divorced just a few years earlier. Funding the entire trip on my own meant we couldn’t go far, but fortunately, our own country is incredibly beautiful. I found a great deal for a flight to Edmonton (we live near Toronto) and thought that it would be such a privilege to introduce him to the Canadian Rockies, which he had never seen before. We rented a car and drove for two nights along the Columbia Icefields Parkway to Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper.

Jasper seemed to me to have been locked in time, looking exactly as I remembered it from my trip there 25 years ago. We met the friendliest people, we loved our rustic accommodations, and we made memories that would last a lifetime. Jasper is truly a magical place, and I was so honoured to have been able to share that with my two adult children, and to watch them recognize that, too.

Now, knowing that we got to Jasper basically in the nick of time, and that all of the lovely people we met there are experiencing their worst nightmare is just heartbreaking. I can’t stop looking at the photos of the devastation and thinking, “We were there; that’s where we had the best cup of coffee. Oh! Remember the elk that crossed right there! I put gas in the rental car there before our drive to Banff. We went for a walk after dinner down that street.”

It’s endless; the memories and the knowledge that the town we loved is no longer there are almost too much to bear.

- Lorenz Donna

‘This wildfire … It feels as if it has taken my soul’

Jasper wove itself into my history when I, a 17-year-old city slicker from Ontario, came out to Banff and Jasper national parks to sell T-shirts at the iconic Canadian Pacific Hotels during summers.

I moved on to driving the snow coaches on Jasper National Parks Columbia Icefields, managing the tour ticket office, and the now-gone, red-roofed Icefields Chalet, before my life moved to the West coast, to Vancouver.

Jasper was always a weekend hiking getaway in those days, or a nice day’s cycle in from the Icefields, after which we would crash in one of the motels that was still stuck in the 60s. More important were Tuesday nights on the Icefields Brewster staff bus where we would pile in for beer and dancing at the “Atha B” hotel in “downtown” Jasper.

I returned to Jasper in later years with my partner and children on the train from Vancouver where we named our children Marmot and Jasper as leads in our stories of adventures in the park to pass the time till we arrived at Jasper Park Lodge. Once there in the middle of winter, our oldest would put skis on for the first time at Marmot Basin and we would spend nights in the pool staring at the sparkling stars in the darkest sky we had ever seen. My son’s middle name is Jasper.

I thought the receding Athabasca Glacier at the Columbia Icefields had already broken my heart some years ago when I returned … but this wildfire … this is simply too much … it feels as if it has taken my soul.

- Heather Northrup

Jasper, a freshly discovered treasure for new Canadians

As recent immigrants, my wife and I visited Jasper two years ago. Ever since we moved to Canada, we have been on the lookout for things we could call our own in this new home of ours. The natural beauty this country has to offer – and especially Jasper – was the first and the most visible answer to what we sought.

And we absolutely cherished it – it has helped us connect that much deeper with this country.

To see so much of it go up in flames is not only hard to watch but also feels like something very fundamental is being taken away from us. I sincerely pray that the fire is put out soon and the town and the natural areas rebound to what it was before.

- Akshay Ramprakash

Jasper was a place to grow as a person

I came to Jasper from Mississauga, it was a big change and an adventure of a lifetime. I accepted a position at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. From the moment I first passed the East gate of Jasper National Park, I knew I was home. What was supposed to be a year-long stay turned into seven years, a story common amongst Jasperites.

I remember my first encounters with the locals, whether at Jasper Park Lodge or in town, they were all friendly and welcoming. They would smile and say good morning as they passed you. They sparked conversations at the convenience store and post office as if we had known each other. It wasn’t very long before I felt like a local.

After a few years, I moved into town, which felt like a different place, still friendly and welcoming, just a larger community compared to that of JPL.

Jasper was a place to grow as a person. A retreat from the hustle and bustle, a place to focus on the here and now, but also be able to reflect on the past. Your past did not matter to others in Jasper, and it may have indeed been what led you to Jasper in the first place. If you ever had something on your mind, you could walk along a trail until you got clarity. Most importantly, Jasper and Jasperites were there for you to help you along on your journey no matter who you were.

Jasper had such an influence on me that my wedding ring was designed to reflect the Victoria Cross range that overlooks the town, a constant reminder that life has its ups and downs but to keep going and keep growing as a person.

I may have been raised in the Greater Toronto Area, but I am from Jasper. Jasper will always be my home, albeit a second home now. Jasper is forever a part of me. Jasper is where I say I am from, it is where I became the person I am today.

- Jakub Kowalczyk

A trip to Jasper marked so many firsts

We went to Jasper two years ago. It was a trip of firsts for us: first time flying on an airplane since COVID-19, first time in Alberta for my husband and son (six years old at the time), first time rafting, first time hiking in the mountains and first time on a glacier. The wildlife tour we did was also very memorable. I was hoping to see bears, moose or elk, but our son was really eager for the bighorn sheep. Guess what we saw on the side and top of the mountain? At least a dozen sheep, including two males locked in battle. Our son still talks about them.

We completely fell in love with Jasper’s awe-inspiring beauty and wonderful people. Like all Canadians, we are heartbroken at the devastation there. But it makes us more determined to go back after it has been rebuilt.

- Adriana Lopez