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Jasper Wildfire Update: A guide for travel advisors and travellers

The town of Jasper and the National Park of Jasper, Alberta, have experienced their largest wildfire in 100 years. Thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters, first responders, and Parks Canada, no human lives were lost, and all fires within the Jasper town have now been extinguished, saving 70 per cent of the town and critical infrastructure. Read on for the latest travel updates.

The town of Jasper and the National Park of Jasper, Alberta, have experienced their largest wildfire in 100 years. Thanks to the heroic efforts of firefighters, first responders, and Parks Canada, no human lives were lost, and all fires within the Jasper town have now been extinguished, saving 70 per cent of the town and critical infrastructure. Read on for the latest travel updates.

Jasper Update from Pursuit Attractions and Hotels

Friday 2 August, 2024

“Thanks to the heroic work of firefighters, first responders, and Parks Canada, all fires within the Jasper townsite have been extinguished, and 70 per cent of the town, including critical infrastructure, has been saved. Work continues to contain the fires that continue to burn near the townsite.

“Our team, our community, and the restoration of Jasper remain our top priorities. Over the past week, we have concentrated on aiding those impacted by the fire by providing emergency accommodation, meals, essential supplies, and transportation. We are also working to secure housing solutions for our team and those involved in re-entry efforts. As we move forward, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the community. 

“Today, Parks Canada announced that they anticipate reopening campgrounds and other accommodations within Jasper National Park on September 3. While further details are still being established for safe re-entry to the Jasper townsite, we are optimistic that other areas of Jasper National Park will soon be safe to re-open.  
  
“At 11,228 square kilometres (4,335 square miles), Jasper is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. We are thankful that many areas remain untouched and will be ready to welcome visitors soon. We are happy to update you on two of those areas today. ”

Columbia Icefield

“Located approximately 100 km from Jasper, this beautiful natural attraction has not been impacted by wildfire. Once precautionary closures of Highway 93 (Icefield Parkway) are lifted, we will be ready to welcome guests back. We will reach out once access is restored and bookings can resume for the Columbia Icefield Adventure, Columbia Icefield Skywalk, Glacier View Lodge, and dining reservations.”

Maligne Lake

Travel-Alberta_kayak-Maligne-Lake-Jasper
Travel Alberta: Maligne Lake, Jasper

“We are thankful that the Maligne Lake Cruise was untouched and that the stunning backdrop of the area remains. Our live webcam is up and running, and we encourage you and your guests to view it for yourselves. We will advise you as soon as access and the regular booking process are restored. 

“Beyond Jasper National Park, our Pursuit experiences within our Banff Jasper Collection remain open and welcome to guests. Visitors can experience nature’s wonders from the Golden Skybridge, Banff Gondola, Lake Minnewanka Cruise, and Open Top Touring.”

banffjaspercollection.com

VIA Rail Canada

Friday 2 August, 2024

VIA Rail will operate VIA Rail’s Canadian service from Vancouver to Toronto/ Toronto to Vancouver, with no stopover in Jasper, starting August 7th from Toronto and August 9th from Vancouver.

VIA Rail will continue to operate from end to end, with no stopover in Jasper, until Jasper is able to welcome us back to its community.

Note that there remains a risk of increased forest fires, and should the situation change, VIA may need to suspend services.

Reimbursements

  • Refunds for cancelled trips and untravelled segments will automatically be processed AFTER each train has reached its destination.
  • Cancellation fees will be waived through September 30th if Jasper is at the end/ start of a journey.
  • Questions with FIT bookings can be made through agency_support@viarail.ca
  • Enquiries for block space bookings can be made with Marie-Claude.
  • Block Space refunds will take place in September.

The next update will be Wednesday, August 7th, 2024, unless the situation changes. If this occurs, VIA Rail will send news as soon as possible.

Please monitor the following link: Train service status | VIA Rail for the latest information.

Please note that all VIA staff are working diligently and urgently to respond to your emails. Our most immediate responses will be for travel queries on a week-to-week basis. VIA Rail’s resources are limited at this time, and we are in all departments, so we appreciate your patience while waiting to receive a response.

Parks Canada

Wednesday 31 July, 2024

Jasper National Park launches Fundraiser

Tuesday 30 July, 2024

A fundraising campaign has been launched for friends of Jasper and the area to donate to help those in need from afar. Tourism Jasper put out a post to share the news with the below info.

“Jasper is grieving right now. In the wake of news that wildfire had reached our town and the knowledge that the Jasper Wildfire Complex is still classified as out of control, we are faced with a level of loss that’s yet to be quantified. But our strength has always been in our community and in our people (as exemplified by the heroic efforts of emergency responders and local support staff ever since this tragedy began). Jasperites will be back to rebuild, and when they do, one of the best ways to help them in the long term will be to spend within the town. Eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, use our services, explore with our outfitters, and rediscover Jasper.

“Since this tragedy began, we’ve been touched by the outpouring of love and support from people around the world. Jasper has provided countless magical memories for so many, and although we understand changing travel plans can be frustrating, we ask visitors for patience and grace as we wait for a complete picture to develop of the current situation and turn to the future of our community. Know that we will be back. Our mountains have stood tall for millions of years, and Jasper will stand tall through this. 

“We aren’t sure how long it will take at this point, but when the residents and businesses of Jasper are ready to welcome you back – please come back. Until then, donate to the Jasper Community Team Society, a longstanding non-profit organization that will ensure funds go directly to helping this incredibly special place get back on its feet.”

Donate now at jaspercommunityteamsociety.ca

Parks Canada Update:

Monday 29 July, 2024

Jasper-Fire-Crew
One of the brave fire crews in Jasper. Pic: Jasper National Park Facebook page

Parks Canada (PC) has released an update stating, “This is the largest wildfire recorded in Jasper National Park in the last 100 years, and ensuring that residents and visitors are safe to return will take time.”

The 32,000-hectare wildfire is still burning to the north, south, and east of the town. The wildfire perimeter has been generally stable since the 12mm of rain received on July 25th. There were minimal open flames in the forest on Saturday; however, some hot spots began to become more active as the forest fuel dried.

“We expect to see a continued increase in fire behaviour today as fuels continue to dry out,” said PC.

Parks Canada also released a map of fire damage to Jasper’s townsite, which you can access here. PC also said that they are working to build an accurate map of impacted hotels/infrastructure and campgrounds outside of the town. Many people were forced to leave their belongings, trailers or campers behind in the campgrounds during the evacuation.

Access to Jasper’s townsite is currently limited to incident staff and critical contractors. Travel into and out of Jasper National Park remains restricted and can only be evaluated for reopening when the risk of wildfire activity is significantly reduced.

Jasper-Park-Lodge
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

In positive news, The Edmonton Journal reported that the ski resort at Marmot Basin, and Jasper SkyTram are among the structures that appear to have survived undamaged.

Brian Rode, Vice President, Marmot Basin & Jasper Skytram, told Postmedia that Marmot Basin’s insurer contracted a private firefighting group to inspect the facility by helicopter. The facility was found to be largely undamaged.

“We now have confirmation that Marmot Basin is unaffected by the fire. All of our facilities, our lifts, and everything are completely intact,” said Rode, adding that Marmot plans to reopen this winter.

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge also confirmed on its website that “while the hotel did incur fire damage, most of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge structures, including the main lodge, remain standing and intact.”

Read on for a list of useful links to stay up to date with the latest local information.

Open Reception (evacuation) centres

For travel advisors and wholesalers with any travellers currently in the province of Alberta and impacted, they (travellers) should be sent to the designated evacuation centres in Grande Prairie, Edmonton, and Calgary.

  • Grande Prairie – Bonnets Energy Centre, 10017 99 Avenue
  • Calgary – Shouldice Arena, 1515 Home Road NW.
  • Edmonton – Kennedale Site Building #2, 12814 58 Street. 
  • Current road closures: 511 Alberta

Updates on Wildfires

  • This link to active emergency information is updated every couple of hours. You will see the city of Jasper at the top: alberta.ca/alberta-emergency

Rocky Mountaineer route updates

VIA Rail route updates

Other useful links & resources

Please also note that while a fire ban is currently in effect in neighbouring Banff National Park and some smoke is in the area, there are no active wildfires within the vicinity of this area at this time.

Tourism Jasper Update:

Friday 26 July, 2024

Jasper National Park said late Thursday night local time that the wildfire was reportedly started by a lightning strike. So far, some 32,000 hectares of land have been affected.

Jasper, nestled in the heart of stunning Jasper National Park in Alberta, is a renowned tourist destination drawing over two million visitors annually. The town and the park were evacuated on Monday, displacing around 10,000 people from the town and another 15,000 visitors from the park.

Since 1984, Jasper has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is famed for its stunning “Rockie” mountain landscapes, is considered a national treasure, and is an area heavily reliant on tourism. The current situation is, therefore, not just a local tragedy but a significant loss to the global community.

Miraculously, no human lives have been lost, and Parks Canada has confirmed that “all critical infrastructure in Jasper was successfully protected, including the hospital, emergency services building, elementary and junior/senior schools, activity centre, and wastewater treatment plant. Although more time is needed to complete a detailed damage assessment, it is clear that some homes and businesses have been lost.

“The most significant structural damage is concentrated on the west side of town, southwest of Miette Avenue. Firefighting efforts have prevented significant damage to much of the infrastructure in the east end of town. Our priority remains protecting structures that have not yet been impacted by fire.”

The estimated Jasper Wildfire perimeter as of July 25, 2024
The estimated Jasper Wildfire perimeter as of July 25, 2024

At the time of writing on July 26, Parks Canada said, “Temperatures had cooled, and rain started shortly after midnight last night. The 10-15 mm of rainfall in the national park has led to minimal fire behaviour and spread today. This precipitation will likely keep fire behaviour low for the next 72 hours.

“Crews will take advantage of this time to make as much progress as possible to suppress the wildfire and reduce further spread. While rain in Jasper is a welcome sight, warm weather is forecasted and will increase wildfire activity. Currently, the Jasper Wildfire Complex poses no threat to neighbouring communities.”

Over 400 firefighters from around the world, including 116 from Australia and New Zealand, have been deployed to help with the response, but officials warn the extent of the damage is still emerging.

Stay accurately informed when planning a trip to Canada

Destination Canada

Destination Canada said in a statement, “Our thoughts are very much with affected communities and tourism colleagues. We are lending support where they have requested it.

“Wildfires and climate change are global issues. Every year, from early April to late October, the chance of fire increases in certain regions across Canada. Officials monitor and prepare for these events. But not all fires are dangerous, and that’s why it’s important to stay informed when planning your next trip.

“We encourage visitors to visit official, local sources of information. Most fires are localised, so understanding the exact locations within large regions like British Columbia (BC) and Alberta is important.

“Understanding the geographic locality of fires is crucial so that there is no misinformation about where or how big they are. This kind of misinformation can be devastating for small businesses.”

travelalberta.com

All of us at Karryon send our thoughts and love to the wider Jasper community and to the brave firefighters putting themselves on the frontline.