Jasper Residents Reflect on ‘Touchstones’ Gone Forever, Thankful for No Loss of Life

Firefighters on a break watch helicopters bucket smouldering wildfires in the forest outside of Jasper, Alta., on July 26, 2024. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken

The wildfire that swept through Jasper on the night of July 24 destroyed one-third of all structures in the townsite, most of which were homes and businesses. By then, as the fire came closer, all the residents had been evacuated.

For longtime resident Mike Day, the devastation brought a range of emotions.

“There’s moments of tears, and then there’s moments of laughter, and then there’s moments of gratitude, where no one lost life. So that’s incredibly important,” the former town councillor told The Epoch Times in a phone interview.

“Unfortunately, our home was lost in that initial phase. It appears that our building, our business, is still standing,” he said referring to his 17-year-old restaurant Evil Dave’s.

“It feels like we’ve lost everything in the sense of, you know, raised five children, and we have grandchildren. The house was filled with all those memories, all those touchstones, collected over the years.”

Mr. Day said he is looking forward to returning and getting his restaurant up and running again.

He said the community will come together at this trying time and surmount the difficulties.

“It’s going to change the landscape and the complexity of the building structure of the community, but I don’t think it'll change the community and how people rally around to help each other in times of need,” he said.

“We’re all collectively going through this together, and I think it'll be a lot of hard work to get it going back again, but I think that there’s a lot of resilience and a lot of dedication.”

Premier Danielle Smith confirmed on July 26 that of the 1,113 structures in Jasper, 358 were destroyed and another seven damaged. Most of the damage was contained to the west side of town.

Ms. Smith said critical infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and water treatment services, remain intact.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland (2nd L in blue) looks at what is left of his home of 67 years, with (L–R) federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan, Alberta MLA Shane Getson, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, Alberta Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen, and Alberta Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis in Jasper, Alta., on July 26, 2024. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken

Burnt buses and cars in Jasper, Alta., on July 26, 2024. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken

Members of the Anglican Church community in Jasper are also grappling with difficult news after their church was consumed by flames, as well as the homes of most members of the congregation.

“All but two in our congregation have lost their homes. Most of us cannot return. There is nowhere for us to land,” people’s warden Nancy Addison told The Epoch Times in an email.

“This fire has ripped us all apart. These are early stages. We are staggering,” she said, adding they have not had time to digest it all.

“The losses continue to mount. ... This is ongoing. Perhaps in a few months we will have our heads more firmly on our shoulders.”

‘Strikingly Similar’

It’s not the first wildfire for Jasper Brewing Company co-owner Brett Ireland, who started his company with friends about 19 years ago.

“We used to have Wood Buffalo brewing up in Fort McMurray,” he told The Epoch Times in a phone interview, referring to the 2016 wildfire that has been classified as the most expensive natural disaster in Canadian history.

“It’s strikingly similar in terms of the process at this point. There was the same waiting game up there to get in to find out if we had smoke damage to [the buildings].”

Mr. Ireland said they had just finished construction of a distiller restaurant in Jasper that was supposed to open on July 25, and he had heard that it was partially damaged.

“The building, the site had caught fire, so they actually bulldozed it, but the brewpub is still standing,” he said. “It’s probably got some pretty heavy water and smoke damage, but I don’t know if it’s got anything beyond that.”

It’s now a waiting game to get back into the town, he said.

“The biggest challenge for me in my role is we’ve got 100 team members that work for us in Jasper, and we can’t really tell them what the heck is going to happen until we know what the damage is to our operations. So just the waiting game of getting back in is really challenging at this moment.”

Ms. Smith said on July 26 that it will be a while before residents will be allowed back, but there is no definite timeline. It has to be ascertained that gas pipelines are not damaged, power and electricity have to be turned on again, and it must be ensured that there are no stray embers left.

“This is not a fast process,” she said.

In a July 29 update, Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister in charge of Parks Canada, said all fires in the townsite have been extinguished and crews are working to bring the power back on and preparing for a staged re-entry, although when that will begin is as yet unknown.

“There are no firm timelines for when that can occur,” he said, adding that wildfires in Jasper National Park are still a threat to the town.

Melted chairs are shown outside the burned Maligne Lodge after wildfires encroached into Jasper, Alta., on July 26, 2024. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken

Mr. Ireland now lives in Calgary, but his parents, who still live in Jasper, lost their home.

Despite the loss and upheaval, he’s already looking ahead.

“The chaos is moving into ‘OK, so we’ve got to start looking forward,’” he said.

“We’re getting so many messages through social media accounts or business about great memories people have [of Jasper]. And it just makes us feel so good about when the community is ready to start welcoming visitors. We’re going to get back up on our feet.”

‘Most Beautiful Place’

“Jasper is the most beautiful place,” Rachel Bailey told The Epoch Times in a phone interview. “That’s where I want to be even if it’s to rebuild it.”

Ms. Bailey, who is from Manchester, England, has lived in the town since 2018 and recently opened up the Peacock Cork and Fork restaurant with partners. She said she was working on July 22, the night the town was evacuated.

“I left the restaurant in an absolute mess,” she said.

A devastated residential block in Jasper, Alta., on July 26, 2024. The Canadian Press/Amber Bracken

Ms. Bailey had called her ex-partner to get their dog, her car, and key documents together so they were ready to leave. Then she, her roommate, her ex-partner, and dog all got out of Jasper and headed to Valemont in B.C. She then went on to Kamloops.

Ms. Bailey said she knew her home was gone but was not sure about her business.

“I have a video of the bordering business which is very smoke- and fire-damaged and probably inoperable,” she said, “but I don’t have confirmation about my business.”

She said she expects that her business is gone.

Ms. Bailey has asked people to consider donating to help the community rebuild through a local fundraiser.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.