A look at (temporary) life in Jasper, a year after the wildfire
While these interim housing units were quickly filled, there are still many who haven’t returned home
Tracy Hahn’s walk home in Jasper looks a little different these days.
A year after a wildfire destroyed a third of the Jasper townsite, forcing her and thousands of other residents and visitors to flee, she’s living in one the interim housing complexes set up in the area earlier this year.
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She says, though, that all things considered, she’s grateful to have a roof over her head in the beautiful mountain town she’s called home for years.
“Once you’ve been in Jasper, definitely you’re determined to get back even with the fire happening,” she told The Weather Network a year after the wildfire destroyed the apartment building she had been living in.
The apartment building Hahn was living in before the fire. (Connor O’Donovan)
Hahn and her partner moved into the interim complex, which was procured by Parks Canada, back in March. After evacuating west last July, they spent time in Grande Prairie and Edmonton, before finding a hotel to stay in in Jasper after her partner was called back to work.
She’s been told it could take up to three years for that same building to be rebuilt, but for now, the couple have made a new home, albeit smaller, just a couple of blocks away.
“It’s actually really nice. I think we have to be thankful for what all of the people have done to put this together for us. It’s a roof over our head. It’s livable,” said Hahn.
“I think we’ll be here for three years, and hopefully everything runs smoothly with reconstruction. And you never know, maybe we’ll find a different spot.”
Each duplex in the interim housing complex contains shared laundry, and has been serviced with utilities and wifi. (Connor O’Donovan)
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This new, temporary Jasper suburb sits at the southwest end of town houses around 40 duplexes. Some rent a single unit, others an entire trailer. There are a few larger, prefabricated homes on the site as well.
Each duplex contains shared laundry, is serviced with townsite utilities and wifi, and features a kitchen, living space, bathroom and bedroom. Bicycles, plants, and flowers are plentiful along the paved corridors that divide the units.
Jasperites can be seen enjoying the mountain air in deck chairs outside their doors, while some of the younger residents tear through an ever-evolving bike park set up at one end of the complex.
And, Jasper’s signature views remain plentiful.
That doesn't mean, of course, that life outside of home is back to normal.
Jasper resident Tracy Hahn kindly allowed the Weather Network a look inside her temporary home. (Connor O’Donovan)
While these interim housing units were quickly filled, first with workers critical to town and park operations, then with those supporting the rebuild, and finally with displaced residents, there are still many who haven’t returned home.
Some opt for accommodations in nearby communities like Hinton. Many have moved further abroad.
“A lot of the people that have lived here for 20, 30 or 40 years, it’s a slow go with them coming back. We’re definitely noticing that,” Hahn said.
She says that one noticeable difference now, compared to pre-fire times, is a lesser amount of cultural experiences and entertainment in town, like live music.
A painting by artist Greg Deagle is featured as part of the “Stories of Resilience – Voices from Jasper” exhibit at the Jasper Art Gallery. (Connor O’Donovan)
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But signs of cultural recovery are appearing as well.
After being cancelled in 2024, the Jasper Folk Music Festival is returning in September, and some weekly events like the farmer’s market have resumed as well.
The wildfire has inspired at least one brand new cultural experience too.
A new exhibit at the Jasper Art Gallery, which was spared by the blaze, is telling personal stories of the days immediately before and after the fire, the year that’s gone by, and the road ahead.
“Stories of Resilience – Voices from Jasper” showcases paintings, poems, photography and other stories from ten Jasper locals, some of whom lost their homes, in an effort to expose healing, change and resilience.
Built around three themes — “uprooted”, “reckoning” and “renewal” — are accompanied by recordings voiced by the artists themselves, which are available to hear online. One of the artworks was created with paint using pine soot from the fire. Another featuring a prominent burn mark, used fire as a tool of creation instead of destruction.
Katie Potter’s “The Resilience of Fireweed” was painted, in part, with flame. (Connor O’Donovan)
The exhibit opened July 25 runs until August 16, which is the day residents began returning to the townsite.
It was coordinated by the Resilience Institute, a national charity focused on minimizing suffering due to climate change impacts.
“‘Stories of Resilience’ is a signature program at the Institute. In the Jasper edition, this case, we’re really trying to figure out: what is recovery, what does resilience look like, post-wildfire?” Resilience Institute Fellow Brooklyn Rushton explained.
“I hope people can find meaning and inspiration to tell their own stories, to come and find a safe place to connect and reflect, and for visitors, I think this can be a place to help people understand what it was like to go through the wildfire, and the recovery over this past year.”