More than $1,555,446 was raised during yesterday’s Alberta Day of Caring for Jasper, including donation matching funds from the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta.

On Wednesday, July 31st radio stations from across the province, including 94.1 CJOC and 98-1 the Ranch, came together to raise funds for the Canada Red Cross, as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the humanitarian aid organization reported $518,482 in direct donations.

The total tally continues to be calculated as bottle depots across Alberta also took part in the day, collecting donations for Jasper. Another update is expected later today.

The Grande Prairie RCMP is investigating reports of multiple weapons, a laptop and a short sleeve Alberta Sherriff Uniform Shirt were stolen from a home in Grande Prairie.

Police say they were called to the scene shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday and say an unknown suspect or suspects entered the home and accessed several secured firearms, including long guns and a shotgun. Also stolen were bicycles, a lap top and a short sleeve Alberta Sherriff Uniform Shirt.

Authorities say all of the firearms stolen belonged to the victim and were not Alberta Sherriff firearms. Mounties say they’re working to determine the exact number make and model of the stolen firearms. Anyone with information about the theft are urged to call police or Crime Stoppers.

Members of the Fort St. John RCMP responded to reports of a female in distress on July 28th at 7:25 p.m.

According to police, the FSJ RCMP received “multiple reports” of a female passenger in distress, potentially being held against her will, in a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed in the area of Cecil Lake, northeast of the city.

Law enforcement says frontline police officers attended and located a vehicle matching the description of the reports and attempted a traffic stop. The driver allegedly collided with a police vehicle during the incident and is said to have fled the scene at a high rate of speed.

Officers proceeded to initiate a pursuit based on known information in an attempt to preserve the safety of the passenger. Eventually, police say the suspect came to a stop in a field in the Rose Prairie Road/Cecil Lake Road area.

Initial investigation revealed that the female was the male driver’s partner and that there was an infant in the vehicle at the time. Police say both the female and baby appeared well, but were transported to the hospital as a precaution.

The driver was arrested on scene and transported to the nearby RCMP detachment where he was released on protective conditions.

The suspect was charged with alleged dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, endangering a child, and additional charges under the Motor Vehicle Act.

He is expected to appear in court on September 9th later this year.

Amid the expansion of programs at Northwestern Polytechnic, a new focus is coming to the school according to recent reports.

NWP President and CEO Dr. Vannessa Sheane says as her school continues on its path to providing in-demand programming to support the local economy and workforce with an emphasis on those in the medical field, NWP has not lost sight of what the public expects of a polytechnic.

“We’re always looking at offering new programs that attract and retain the talent and the learners in our area,” she says.

Sheane says the NWP administration team has decided to “really start leaning into” the polytechnic side of the school, and now, she says residents interested in the trades sector will soon have an even greater opportunity to educate themselves locally.

“We’ve started focusing on skilled trades expansion both in our programs and in our skilled trade learning bases, so our shop, our hands-on classroom areas,” she says. “That’s a number one to-do item on my list coming into the Fall here, is really promoting that piece.”

According to Dr. Sheane, the expansion of skilled trades programming is a critical step in localizing education for eager learners in Grande Prairie to ensure that the region’s workforce needs can be met by keeping talent in the area.

“It really is exciting to help meet the workforce needs, the labour needs, and the education needs for people who want to become a skilled trades professional, and maybe right now they can’t get the program they want in our area.”

Sheane says the skilled trades expansion will include both the Grande Prairie and Fairview NWP campuses and more information regarding enrollment and applications will be released as it becomes available.

The Town of Peace River has announced the purchase of a new Town Hall building, due to the old facility being called “out of date” by officials.

Town representatives call the purchase a significant step toward enhancing the accessibility and overall functionality of municipal services.

The old facility, the beloved Clocktower Town Hall, previously served as a provincial building and bank and has been the heart of Peace River’s municipal government for half a century.

According to the town, the old building’s design and infrastructure have begun to fall short of meeting the needs of the municipality. The town says the clocktower has a “complete lack of accessibility” for residents with disabilities, insufficient room to serve the public, and inadequate space to function as a proper Emergency Coordination Centre; a vital component of the town’s ability to serve as an evacuation site due to the region’s increased wildfire activity.

Peace River Mayor Elaine Manzer spoke on the accessibility piece of the purchase, saying accessibility is a “prerequisite” for democracy.

“The new Town Hall building will substantially increase our capacity to function as a government and will be fully accessible to the public and staff.”

As a result, the town administration and council deemed it prudent to purchase a new facility instead of continuing to invest in costly renovations to bring the current Town Hall to standard.

The location of the new Town Hall was purposeful, officials say, as it is in a central location on Main Street, just a block north from the current location.

The Town took possession of the new building on July 31st, which was purchased for $1.05 million. Plans to move in are scheduled for sometime in “early 2025.”

A pair of announcements were made yesterday connected to the wildfire situation in Jasper National Park.

Parks Canada announced all reservations within the park will be cancelled and refunded up to Tuesday, September 3rd. According to the federally run organization when Jasper National Park will reopen is still unknown because the situation is ongoing and all available resources are responding to the wildfire situation.

The announcement reads “Our first priority is the safety and security of response staff, residents, and infrastructure before visitors will be allowed to return.”

As well the Canadian Red Cross announced that starting today one-time support payments of $750 will be distributed to households forced to evacuate because of the Jasper Wildfires. Only one payment will be available per primary residence in Jasper and evacuees need to be registered with the Canadian Red Cross to access the support.

Also, today radio stations across the province, including 98-1 the Ranch and 94.1 CJOC, are taking part in and supporting Alberta Day of Caring for Jasper. Through the province-wide initiative donations made to the Canadian Red Cross will be put towards providing evacuees with humanitarian aid, including financial assistance and relief supplies. On Sunday, the governments of Canada and Alberta announced they will match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2024 Alberta Fires Appeal, making $1 worth $3 in support for those affected. Donations to the Canadian Red Cross can be made online here.

As of 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 30th the Jasper Wildfire Complex is still classified as out of control. Crews continue to focus on reducing the risk to the Jasper community and critical infrastructure, with Parks Canada officials saying the priority areas are the perimeter of the fire closest to the north end of the townsite, Pyramid Bench and south of Pyramid Lake, near Marmot Basin.

Yesterday temperatures reached 26°C with wind gusts up to 30 km/h, with some growth being seen on the southernmost end of the fire along the Icefields Parkway. Temperatures today are forecasted to be similar, which could increase wildfire behaviour.

In the community of Jasper, parts of the town that were not touched by the wildfire are now seeing a risk of risk of trees falling. According to Parks Canada officials complete assessments need to be done on any dangerous trees before they are removed.

Power is being restored to key areas of the town. Yesterday, the buildings the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada operations are based out of were reconnected to power.

Grande Prairie City Council has approved an additional $220,000 in funding to go towards the proposed climbing wall project at the Activity and Reception Centre.

The extra money comes as a result of a surplus leftover from the recently hosted Alberta Winter Games in Grande Prairie. According to Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton, council originally budgeted around $100K for the project, with the expectation that the Grande Prairie Climbing Association support the project through fundraising and grant applications.

The total estimated cost for the project is $400K, and combined with the money that was originally approved by council, and the surplus from the AWG, the climbing club is expected to raise the remaining $65,000 leftover for the project. Mayor Clayton maintains that the money will not be distributed until a new Capital Plan is approved during this year’s budget meeting in the Fall.

“Council will have another check-in point when that comes because conversations still need to happen with the Climbing Association in regards to their portion, and the expectation that they will support this project,” she says.

Should the project come up short, city administration suggests that the climbing wall could still go ahead, on a potentially smaller scale, depending on council’s decisions in the Fall.

The City of Grande Prairie has joined the county in downgrading the Fire Ban in place for the municipality to a Fire Restriction thanks to recent precipitation in the region.

The Grande Prairie Fire Department says while a ban is no longer in place, stringent fire-related restrictions remain in place.

Among the restrictions, no open burning fires are allowed during this time, while small supervised fires in approved fire pits are allowed; however, campfires on public lands are still not permitted. Barbecues, smokers, propane or natural gas-fired appliances, and indoor wood fires remain permitted as long as they are used cautiously.

While the region has enjoyed favourable conditions for the past few days, residents are still urged to remain diligent in reporting any wildfire or smoke by calling 310-FIRE.

Around 300 Jasper evacuees have checked into the City of Grande Prairie’s reception centre as of July 29th according to the latest reports from GPREP.

Despite the number, city officials maintain that just because 300 residents have checked in, that does not suggest that 300 evacuees are being supported, with the actual number of guests in the city closer to around 140, accessing services through GPREP such as food and accommodations.

Chief of Public and Protective Services for the City of Grande Prairie Dan Lemieux shared some insight into why the number has fluctuated in recent days saying it could be due to late arrivals or evacuees simply not registering upon arrival.

“There was definitely frustration [among evacuees] because of the long detour, some people chose to stay in Valemount hoping they could go back home quickly, they realized after a few days they weren’t going home so they did make the trip to Grande Prairie which is a lengthy trip,” he says. “The registration process at the reception centre is absolutely critical so that we can keep track and make sure that everybody’s accounted for.”

Recently, the City of Grande Prairie reached an agreement with the Town of Jasper to host displaced residents through GPREP for one week. The agreement has since been extended until August 7th; however, Lemieux says the city is likely to continue extending the agreement as long as it is necessary.

“We may very well be asked to extend it again, I don’t believe the plans have been firmed up in terms of when people can return to Jasper, so if we’re requested to host the evacuees longer, we’ll certainly do that.”

When it comes to the cost of hosting, Chief Lemieux says the city will reach out to the province to be reimbursed for any expenditures accumulated during the evacuation, meaning Grande Prairie taxpayers will not likely see any reflection.

“We’ll be submitting a disaster relief program application, so most of those expenditures are going to be refunded, if not all of them, by the Provincial Government.”

Jasper evacuees heading to the City of Grande Prairie should be aware that the evacuation reception centre will no longer be located at Bonnetts Energy Centre. The new location is now at the Holiday Inn and Suites and will run during the same hours from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The City of Grande Prairie is advising that sidewalk paving stones on 100th Avenue, east of 102nd Street on the south side of the road are scheduled for repairs beginning on July 31st.

The project is expected to take between four to six weeks. During this time, a walking detour will be set up around the construction site to ensure pedestrian safety.

Parking lanes on the south side of 100th Avenue adjacent to the site will be blocked off and used as a working area; however, the city maintains there will be no impact on transit services during the project.

Construction is set to begin on the south side of 100th Avenue from the alleyway east of 102nd Street to the midblock. Alley access will remain open to the public and westbound traffic on 100th Avenue will see no changes. Officials suggest there could be minor periodic traffic impacts as the work progresses.

As Grande Prairie’s construction season continues, residents can consider viewing the city traffic planner or call 3-1-1 for additional information on traffic changes in the city.

The County of Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service has downgraded the Fire Ban for the county to a Fire Restriction as of 4:00 p.m. July 29th.

The change includes the entire county, along with the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley, and aligns with Alberta Wildfire’s move to a Fire Restriction for the forest protection area that occurred the same day.

County Fire Chief Trevor Grant suggests that the recent cooler temperatures and precipitation observed in the area has been a “welcome relief” for the region; however, the Chief maintains that residents should still remain cautious of wildfire risks this summer.

“We urge residents to remain vigilant and report any signs of smoke by calling 911,” he says. “It’s important to only burn when absolutely necessary, as the risk of wildfires still exists across the region with approximately 125 active wildfires currently burning in Alberta.”

Under the restriction, permitted burning is allowed only in approved recreational fire pits, burn barrels, and propane-fired appliances.

Residents who hold an approved permit must follow the guidelines and safe burning practices, such as remaining on site until the burning is complete. Officials remind all residents that burning is never permitted when winds reach or are forecasted to reach 12 kilometers per hour or higher.

A plan to return Jasper evacuees home has been released, however, there is no timeline yet on when this will happen.

According to an announcement by the Municipality of Jasper, Monday night the Jasper Emergency Advisory Committee met and agreed on the criteria guide to ensure the safe return of residents, with the priority being both evacuee’s mental and physical safety.

“This planning process is happening alongside our ongoing efforts to manage the active, out-of-control wildfire. We understand and appreciate your desire to come home,” the announcement reads. “The site is currently unsafe, and the wildfire status remains out of control. We know and hear that residents want to come home and we will make that happen when it is safe to do so.”

For residents to be able to return home criteria that needs to be met includes Parks Canada saying the wildfire is not an imminent threat to the townsite, hazards in the community being secured or mitigated and an approved re-entry plan in place. Emergency services and critical services will also need to be restored, including utilities such as electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater while grocery stores, and gas stations, banking and pharmacy locations need to be reopened.

Following the re-entry criteria announcement, Mayor Richard Ireland issued a statement saying the community has had some time “to begin to come to terms with the devastating news revealed in the damage assessment map released over the weekend.” Expressing that loss in the community is impacting them all with some having had their worst dreams made reality with the loss of their home or business.

“For those who have lost so much, whose homes are gone, whose memories have been turned to ash, whose future remains so uncertain, whose hearts are breaking, my heart breaks with you,” Ireland says.

The municipal leader says he understands how some evacuees need to see the wake of the fire for themselves, adding it breaks his heart that right now that cannot happen.

“I understand the overwhelming desire to return, to see for yourselves, to sift through the rubble, to perhaps find some small reminder, a treasured memory, of the life that was. I understand because I held tightly those very thoughts. One photograph, one item, one keepsake to help trigger and restore years of precious memories: one link to the life of the past.

In my case, it was not to be, yet I know many of you will continue to harbour that hope.”

Ireland is asking the community though at the moment to not look at what has been lost but rather what has been gained. During the evacuation and the wildfire fight, there were no fatalities, no personal injuries, and critical infrastructure was not destroyed.

“We have not lost our town or our community; we have, and we will suffer grievous pain, but we have not lost hope.”

According to Monday night’s update from Parks Canada, work is being done in the townsite to restore those critical services, while safety concerns are also being addressed. Crews are working to put up perimeter fencing around structures impacted by the wildfire and starting today work debris removal will begin at commercial locations in town.

On Monday, Jasper received light rain and cooler temperatures that helped reduce fire activity. According to the Parks Canada update, firefighters are continuing to put out hotspots and are anticipating some growth and an increase in wildfire behaviour as temperatures rise later in the week.

The update reads, “Our top priority is to protect the community of Jasper from the remaining risk posed by the fire.”

Included in this work is the fireguard between Pyramid Lake and Highway 16, along with the sprinkler system that has been set up along the community fireguard. Crews also are continuing structural protection in those areas considered at-risk in the town and park.

Grande Prairie’s 2Day FM is taking part in a province-wide fundraising effort in support of those affected by the ongoing wildfire situation in Jasper.

On July 31st, the “Alberta Day of Caring for Jasper” fundraiser will see radio stations across Alberta promoting charity options for residents who wish to help support Jasper’s displaced residents after they were forced to flee from their homes earlier in July.

Program Director at 2Day FM Kyle Evans calls the fundraiser a “huge deal” for all of Alberta, saying everyone has a personal connection to the national park.

“So everyone in the province is gathering together to support Jasper, obviously this is a huge deal for everyone, everyone has a personal connection to Jasper,” he says. “It’s not just us that’s going to be doing this, every radio station across the province is going to be joining in as well.”

On top of support from the radio stations, the day will also feature a bottle drive at bottle depots across the Grande Prairie area. Evans says anyone who wants to donate can simply check out 2Day FM’s social media, or donate empties directly at a bottle depot to support Jasper.

“You can go to our social media, that’s one of the big ones, so 104.7 2Day FM on Facebook, you can also find our linktree on all of our platforms,” he says. “They can choose an option locally, or through the Red Cross, one of the local ones that people love is the bottle depots in Grande Prairie and Beaverlodge, all of the bottle depots have an account open for the Red Cross so you can bring your bottles to them, they’ll take it, and all the money will go towards that.”

No fundraising goal has been set; however, Evans encourages everyone who is able to donate to do so, in order to raise “as much as possible” during the event.

“There’s no goal, as much as possible really, whatever amount we get is going to be more than what we started with at the beginning of the week, so we’re happy to just collect as much as possible to give back to Jasper.”

The event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and event organizers say all donations raised on Wednesday will be matched by both the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

As crews continue to tackle the fire in Jasper National Park, Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper are working on a safe re-entry plan for evacuated individuals.

According to the Monday, July 29 update from Parks Canada, the wildfire is still classified as out of control but has not seen any significant growth.

Officials say firefighting resources from Ontario arrived in Alberta Monday morning to help with ongoing fire suppression efforts.

“Crews continue to extinguish hotspots where feasible and will be moving into new areas, including outlying commercial accommodations and Parks Canada campgrounds,” reads the update.

At the same time, unified command is working to facilitate plans for re-entry. Additionally, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has shared her intention to put together a bus tour for evacuated residents of Jasper to view the extent of damage. However, at this time, the park remains closed and the evacuation order remains in place.

Officials say there are 123 active wildfires across the province, with 24 of those considered out of control, 47 being held and 52 listed as being under control. Alberta Wildfire information officer Melissa Story says extreme conditions at the beginning of the month and two weeks of a heatwave increased lightning strikes.

“More of the wildfires were started by lightning in July than we have seen in the past,” Story states.

The provincial government will host a telephone town hall Monday evening for those across the province who have been evacuated. Officials will provide updates on the wildfire situation and evacuees can ask questions. A recording of the town hall will be posted for those unable to attend the event.

Northwestern Polytechnic has implemented more than a dozen new programs in the past year in a variety of in-demand fields.

NWP President and CEO Dr. Vannessa Sheane says the choice to implement all of the new programs is purposeful, as the school looks to fill the workforce needs of the Grande Prairie region.

“What we’re doing and what our goal and vision is we are really leaning into the polytechnic mandate we were given a couple years ago, and really offering programs and services that are in-demand for our region,” she says. “Our vision is to transform post-secondary education in northern Alberta through impactful education, research, and partnership.”

While the implementation of so many different new programs seems to be coming one after another, Dr. Sheane assures that no program is introduced without a careful analysis of the labour market, student demand, and whether enough human and financial resources can be supplied by the school to ensure a new program’s success.

“We have a program review process, so every program goes through this thorough, robust review every two years, and that looks at everything from enrollment data to instruction data, employability of graduates, feedback from our program advisor committee, which is made up of public and industry partners,” she says. “So at any point through that process we may reach a point, and we have for some, that if it’s not a feasible, sustainable program, so some of those decisions may result in us initially looking at a new program idea for a credit program, and through that process we may go- you know what, maybe the need is more of an immediate short-term one.”

She adds that some programs could also serve as short-term ones, filling an immediate need in the region, and upon completion of an analysis in the future, the call is made to determine whether the program is sustainable or worth continuing in the future.

“We look at a program and say we can maybe satisfy or meet that need for five years or whatever that timeframe is, and then move on to something else, because inevitably more needs or different needs will come up.”

Sheane maintains that all of the programming decisions are evidence-informed, based on several factors that ensure quality assurance for school officials who can make the call on which programs are still in demand at the time of the biennial review.

“It may be that this is a sustained, long-term need, that we can satisfy through a degree offering or something, so we’ll go down that route,” she says. “In that process, if there are programs that maybe have reached the end of their life cycle, or maybe the curriculum needs to be updated, then that process is what can flag us to review if there’s more work to do here or maybe it’s time to shift away from this program and look at something else.”

When it comes to the legacy programs at the school, Sheane says at this time it is unclear if enrollment has been affected; however, the CEO suggests that the prominent programs such as University Transfer, Nursing, and Education maintain a high level of enrollment every year.

“Our legacy programs that were successful before we started introducing new programs remain successful,” she says. “I can’t say for sure that some of the new ones have impacted the legacy ones, but through that program review process, our legacy programs are reviewed in the same way so the successful ones continue, and ones that are maybe struggling, we’re trying different strategies to help them be successful again.”

As of July 29th, Northwestern Polytechnic has introduced more than ten new programs this year, across a variety of fields including some in trades, medicine, and science, with start dates scheduled in the Fall for the 2024-25 school year.

The city is advising drivers of a traffic flow change at the intersection of 116th Avenue and 102nd Street beginning the evening of July 29th.

During construction, 102nd Street north of 116th Avenue will remain open to traffic, while 102nd Street south of 116th Avenue between 115th and 116th Avenue will be closed. As a result, commuters are asked to follow detours around the closed portion of 102nd Street.

According to officials, the project is “essential” for the installation of underground utilities connecting pipes to the new storm vault and installing a new overflow pipe leading to a ditch in the area.

“Upgrading our stormwater system will help us handle heavy rains better and protect our neighborhoods from flooding,” Capital Construction Supervisor Mark Hoseasson says.

Work on this portion of the project is expected to last around two weeks depending on the weather.

Route eight of public bussing will have “some bus stop relocations” and residents are asked to visit the City Transit page or consider calling 3-1-1 when planning their trip.

The City of Grande Prairie’s logo has been marked on a STARS rescue helicopter to celebrate a significant milestone between the two agencies’ 18-year partnership.

Since 2006, the City of Grande Prairie has contributed $1.5 million to STARS operations, which Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton says reflects the city’s dedication to assisting STARS for years to come.

“Since becoming the first city to support the Grande Prairie base in Alberta 18 years ago, the City of Grande Prairie is honoured to support STARS’ mission and looks forward to our continued partnership,” she says. “This milestone reflects City Council’s dedication to aiding STARS in their mission of rapid, critical care whose impact on our community is invaluable.”

The City signed a multi-year agreement with STARS to support critical care operations in the region, and STARS officials say the city’s ongoing commitment helps their agency deliver care to rural Albertans when they need it most.

“Every mission flown, every innovation trialed, and every new team member trained is supported through their tremendous partnership,” STARS President and CEO Katherine Emberly says.

According to STARS, 4,787 missions have been flown from the Grande Prairie base since its opening in 2006, including 137 missions so far in 2024 alone.

Over the weekend the estimated perimeter around the Jasper Wildfire Complex remained stable, staying at roughly 32,000 hectares according Parks Canada.

The update reads “Crews continue to work on securing the perimeter of the wildfire to prevent further spread towards the community and critical infrastructures. This work is being done by extinguishing hot spots, aided by helicopter bucketing.”

As well over the weekend a plan was put in place by Parks Canada Environmental Assessment specialists to build containment lines using bulldozers and the work started yesterday along Pyramid Lake fire road. These dozer protection lines can help with future planned burns that are burned to deprive the main fire of fuel, but they will not stop the spread of fires through airborne sparks.

Sprinkler systems will continue to be used and crews will continue to put out any hot spots near the perimeter of the town. The 12” high sprinkler system has been moved from the south side to the north and west sides, which are considered at risk because of the active fire. Ontario firefighters joined Parks Canada and Alberta wildfire crews on Sunday on the north line on the Palisades bluffs, while Canadian Armed Forces mopped up spot fires near the northwest side of town.

On Saturday a map was released of damage to structures in town based on a street view assessment. Officials say that while some homes and businesses say “no visible damage” on the map, they may have sustained damage to the sides, back or inside.

According to Sunday’s update, there is a significant number of requests coming into the unified command centre from evacuees asking for help retrieving important personal items or removing food, fridges and freezers. Officials say they are working to restore power to as much of Jasper as possible, but these requests can not be fulfilled as all of their resources are being used to protect the town from the remaining wildfire risk and recover from the impacts of the fire in the townsite. Before residents are allowed to return home they will be given information on how to clean and sanitize all major appliances and surfaces in their homes. Crews will be working on a detailed damage assessment in the community days that will include utilities, structures, roads, and bridges.

As the community of Jasper and the Jasper National Park are evacuated, RCMP are monitoring the community including check stops on Highway 16 at the entrance into the town and barricades at the Saskatchewan Crossing and the entrance on the border of British Columbia. According to officials, there is a 24-hour police presence in the National Park and town, with patrols happening to make sure there is no unauthorized access to the community and anyone found in the town without authorization will be arrested.

“Access to the townsite is limited to incident staff and critical contractors who are responding to this active emergency. 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.”

There also is still no access to parts of the park not impacted by fire. According to the latest Parks Canada update the situation is “still very much an active incident, and the situation may continue to change rapidly.” There are no emergency services available within Jasper National Park, and all resources are being dedicated to the wildfire situation.

“Our goal is to reopen roadways/areas as soon as possible, however, we must do so safely and in a way which doesn’t divert resources from managing the active crisis.”

Today the provincial government will be hosting a Telephone Online town hall for those across the province who have been evacuated, during this town hall there will be updates given on the wildfire situation and evacuees can have their questions answered. A recording of the town hall will be posted for evacuees who are unable to attend the event.

Resources have also been posted on the Town of Jasper’s Facebook page, for things such as financial assistance, warnings about fraud scams and more.

The Town of Jasper has released a map of the initial damage assessment of the town.

The map, which was released Saturday, June 28th, shows which structures have been destroyed by the wildfire, which structures have been damaged by the wildfire, and which have not been touched. According to officials, the map is preliminary and only based on the damage that is visible from the street.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland says the pain those in Jasper feel is “beyond comprehension.”

“Our homes were full of memories and hubs for family, friendships and community,” Ireland says. “We have rallied many times in the past to support each other. I know this will be the darkest week in our community’s history; I am confident that together we will see brighter days are ahead.”

Jasper Field Unit Superintendent for Parks Canada Alan Fehr made a statement shortly after saying he has never been prouder of Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasperthan now in “response to the most devastating wildfire in a Canadian national park’s history.”

“I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to everyone who experienced losses. We are here to support the entire community of Jasper. Our thoughts are with you, your families, and all residents and business operators during this incredibly difficult time,” Fehr says.

Today Federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit S. Sajjan and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services for Alberta Mike Ellis announced a donation-matching initiative with the Canadian Red Cross that will support wildfire disaster relief in the province, including Jasper. According to the announcement both the federal and provincial governments will match all donations made to the 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal. This will result in every $1 donated being equal to $3.

According to the announcement “The donation matching will be for 30 days, retroactive to when it first opened on July 25, 2024.”

In a statement, Ellis says the loss seen in Jasper has touched the hearts of not just Canadians but those around the world who have spent time in the community.

“Alberta’s government stands firmly behind the Jasper community and every Albertan who has been affected by these wildfires, and matching donations to the Red Cross demonstrates our shared commitment to support Jasperites and Albertans throughout their recovery,” Ellis says.

As of Saturday night’s update visible structural hot spots within the town have been extinguished and firefighters continue to patrol the community for any fire activity. An infrared scan of the town was scheduled for this morning to provide firefighters with the location of any hidden hot spots and the structural protection sprinklers were moved to the active fire perimeter to protect outlying structures in these areas; including Lake Edith and businesses north of the town of Jasper. Parks Canada also has requested a night vision helicopter from Alberta Wildfire so bucketing could be overnight while the wildfire activity is lower.

“Bulldozers are preparing to put protection lines around the north end of the community and to help reduce spread west of the community on the lower slopes of Whistler mountain. Areas under consideration also include widening existing fire guards to ensure no further damage to the community,” the update reads.

According to officials many evacuees were forced to leave pets behind because of how quickly the wildfire spread to the town and with the help of the Hinton and District SPCA donating their van 15 pets have been rescued so far from the community. These pets have been taken to the Hinton and District SPCA and will be provided for and taken care of there until their owners can be reunited with them.

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the Jasper Complex wildfire remains out-of-control and because of the warmer temperatures forecasted in the coming days is expected to increase in activity.