When Alice Foubert entered her home in Jasper, Alta., for the first time since a wildfire roared into the community, the rancid smell from her fridge made it difficult for her to recognize where she was.
"Even amidst the profound grief and staggering loss experienced by so many, the community's familiar pulse is unmistakable. Neighbours and friends, who had been apart for weeks, are reuniting with heartfelt embraces and teary smiles," a post on the town's Facebook page said on Saturday.
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland has said only residents will be allowed to enter the town and other visitors will be directed to stay on the highway and drive on by.
Following the Jasper wildfire, some have suggested we should direct funding toward adaptation to climate change instead of prevention. This thinking is fundamentally flawed — and will only cost more in the long run.
Residents of Jasper, Alta., who lost their homes in last month’s wildfire face unique rebuilding challenges tied to leasing provisions nearly as old as Canada, followed modern rules dictating what they can and can’t construct.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Hinton, Alta., to get a briefing on the status of the Jasper wildfire, as well as meet with the province's premier and evacuees who fled the blaze that destroyed a third of the town.
It didn’t take long for Namneet Singh to find full-time employment again, after a fire in Jasper, Alta., last week destroyed the hotel he had worked at for more than a year.
The Alberta premier says her government is striking a committee of senior civil servants to work with Parks Canada and Jasper leaders to swap ideas, expedite development permits and collaborate on ways to restore Jasper as quickly as possible.