The wildfire that ripped through Jasper National Park this week has caused acute grief for those who’ve lost homes, businesses and livelihoods.
But there’s a secondary loss for the many people in this province who love the place, and for whom Jasper holds a multitude of memories.
Kristin Heimbecker is one of those. She grew up in Fort McMurray; when she moved to Edmonton she discovered Jasper as a breath of fresh air and escape from the city.
“Jasper just feels like coming home … To experience the peace and calm that it brings has just been just such a gift to us,” said Heimbecker, who surprised herself at how emotional she felt hearing news of the fire this week. She posted photos with her favourite memories on social media and invited others to do so, too.
During COVID, her family would make the four-hour drive from Edmonton to Jasper for day-hikes. Their favourite is Valley of the Five Lakes, a route she hopes has remained untouched by the blaze.
Heimbecker is also worried for town residents. Having friends and family who lived through the 2016 Fort McMurray fire, she knows how long it can take for a community to rebuild, even for those whose homes are still standing.
“This is a long road ahead of them. I’ve seen it.”
In an update on Thursday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and two provincial cabinet ministers said preliminary estimates suggested 30 to 50 percent of the town’s structures may have burned. Most of the destruction occurred on the west side of the municipality, and critical infrastructure — including the hospital, schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant — were saved, said Parks Canada officials.
Gardening expert Kath Smyth was scheduled to go on CBC’s call-in show Alberta at Noon on Friday to take questions on plant health and pruning. When the show pivoted to focus on the Jasper wildfires, her memories of the place were top of mind.
“Jasper just entranced me,” she said. Working in Jasper as a chambermaid to put herself through university, Smyth said she saw her first elk in the townsite and was surprised by a bear on her way home one night.
Smyth said she was relieved when she saw a post on social media asserting that the famous Jasper the Bear statue had made it through the fire unscathed, a claim CBC News has been unable to independently verify.
A now widely shared photo posted to Facebook by Edmonton resident Gord Stewart shows Jasper in the evening light, a snap Stewart captured on a previous trip to the town. He said he decided to share the photo when he saw what he thought was the statue in the background of a live newscast from Jasper after the wildfires this week.
More news on whether that landmark survived, an emotional touchstone for many, has Albertans waiting on the edge of their seats.
Calgary resident Blaine Harris called in to the radio show to share a memory of visiting Jasper as a child and being stunned at the whirlpool on the Athabasca River. Phil Lefevbre, from Edmonton, shared memories of their family cabin on Edith Lake. He still doesn’t know if it made it through the fire, and if they’ll be allowed to rebuild if it didn’t.
“Marvellous memories. It’s a beautiful place. It’s so beautiful because it hasn’t become this huge city … that’s what I love about Jasper,” said Valerie Tootoosis Bull, who was born in Medicine Hat and was listening to the radio show from Saskatchewan. She also fell in love with Jasper when she worked in a hotel as a student.
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When people talk about why they love Jasper, they talk about it’s massive trees and pristine lakes, the hiking, skiing and gorgeous mountain views. They talk about way the feel when they are out surrounded by all that beauty.
But they also talk about the community in the town itself, and the history of the place as seen through its buildings — an impression not so straightforward to rebuild.
That’s what Calgary resident Jenn Pole is worried about. She grew up in Grande Prairie and married her husband David in Jasper at Tekarra Lodge in 2008. They stayed in the old cabins and had an outdoor ceremony that their dog took part in. Every year in September on their anniversary, they return to the town.
“The people are so friendly. It’s the sense of community. Even if you weren’t from there, the locals always made you feel like you were part of Jasper. You would go out to the club or a restaurant, and you were part of the community. You never felt like an outsider,” she said.
“You just woke up and there were these beautiful views. There’s no drive-thrus. You walk past these little wooden shops, and homemade croissants and all these different smells.”
Later on Friday, Pole saw a Instagram post from Tekarra Lodge confirming some of the cabins and the main building were lost in the flames.
“It was a certain kind of feeling when you [stayed in] those old cabins,” she said. “And you can’t rebuild the feeling of the old trees as you sit by the river. You can get that back overnight.”
That said, Pole added she and her husband plan to return to the lodge when its re-opened.
The Canadian Red Cross and others are raising money to help evacuees. On Alberta at Noon, Red Cross senior manager Melissa Fougere said the easiest way for someone to give is to text ABFIRES to 45678 and they’ll automatically give a $10 donation.
People can also call 1-800-418-1111 or donate online at redcross.ca.
Frequent caller and Edmonton resident Prakash Mullick reached out to say he donated because he wanted to help in some way. He’s 84 and has fond memories of visiting the park. He feels a strong connection to the people affected by the wildfire.
“We are all part of the Canadian family and if one is hurting, it’s hurting all Canadians,” he said. “If a family member is in difficulty, it’s our duty to help. We should forget about our differences. The fire doesn’t discriminate.”