This isn’t the Jasper you might remember.
The wildfire has left a third of the town in ruins, tourism is on hold until further notice, many services such as water have yet to be completely restored and much of the community has been left without a place to call home.
Nevertheless, the town continues to recover bit by bit each day, a process that may take months or even years, but residents and crews have already made strides toward that goal.
‘It has been a whirlwind’
Helen Kelleher-Empey, a municipal councillor who also works for SunDog Tours, recalled how her husband Jerry and their dog Biggy were evacuated to Valemount, B.C. on July 23 at 2 a.m.
They stayed at a friend’s house, who opened her home that night to at least 20 Jasperites.
“Like many, we were expecting to return within a few days,” Kelleher-Empey said in an email. “We stayed there for two weeks, then a few days in Edson with our friends Heather and Paul, [and a] final couple of days in Hinton.”
Kelleher-Empey kept herself busy by working remotely for SunDog Tours and meeting daily with evacuated seniors and community members during gatherings in the Valemount Community Hall.
She and fellow councillor Wendy Hall made themselves available at these gatherings to answer questions, and the duo also visited campgrounds.
Having visited the Jasper townsite with council the week before re-entry, Kelleher-Empey knew what to expect and prepared her husband and friends for the return.
Nonetheless, re-entry was still an emotional experience.
“I was emotional, and when our Jasper Fire Brigade was there at the east entrance to welcome us home, I shed tears for gratitude,” she said.
Kelleher-Empey highlighted how the Re-Entry Support Centre had been a “very welcoming site” and the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion had been providing meals to returning evacuees.
“This was very welcoming and great for [those who] came back to connect and be together,” she added.
Kelleher-Empey said they were “the lucky ones” since they lived in the northeast of town in the green zone where the wildfire did little damage.
Their home needed some cleaning and a new fridge and freezer, and there were fallen trees and broken deck furniture, but she said it was “very little damage for us in the big picture. We are very grateful.”
Since returning, Kelleher-Empey has been dealing with their insurance company much like everyone else.
She has also been getting her home office ready for her job with SunDog Tours, which lost its offices in the industrial area, and remains available to residents and continues with her council duties.
“To be honest, it has been a whirlwind for the past month,” she said. “It is surreal to walk around our beautiful town, and we are sad for many of our friends and community members that have lost their homes and businesses.”
Kelleher-Empey assured council and all three levels of government were working together to find temporary housing for residents and workers.
She added when Jasper was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they managed to rebuild their tourism industry.
“When there are homes, we have a community, and many Jasperites with homes are sharing their homes with others. Jasper's main infrastructure was saved; therefore, we can rise again,” she said. “I have no doubt that Jasper will rise again as the whole world wants us to succeed.”
‘A long road ahead’
Jasper mettra Pharmacy was among several businesses identified as a critical retail organization needed for resident re-entry.
Tasha Porttin, the pharmacist and store manager, was allowed back into town on Aug. 5 to get her business ready, but she initially only saw the east end of town and the downtown area until re-entry day on Aug. 16.
“I was shocked to see huge trees uprooted and fallen on some of the hotel properties on the east end of town,” Porttin said in an email. “It gave me a good understanding of what the aftermath of this was going to be on all property, not just those that had fire damage. It was also very optimistic to see large areas of town seemingly ‘untouched’ and just how we left them on the night of the evacuation.”
More than two weeks later, Porttin is still in the process of reopening.
A surface swab had initially showed anywhere from 10 to 25 per cent contamination of charred dust in the pharmacy.
The integrity of products was compromised due to temperatures in the downtown core exceeding 30 Celsius, which meant the complete destruction of all ingestible or topical products.
“Our core values include quality and safety, and given all of the stress that Jasperites are feeling upon their return home, I wanted to ensure that medication safety wasn't something that anyone would have to question,” Porttin said.
“At this point, we are working to re-stock our shelves, and greeting everyone with a hug as they enter the doors.”
Jasper mettra Pharmacy can fill prescriptions and is working to restock its shelves in front of the store.
“We have had so many locals come in to say hello and welcome us back with their hugs and warm hearts,” Porttin said.
“We have filled some prescriptions since we have re-opened and know that this will continue to increase back to normal as Cottage Medical Clinic is able to re-open, our doctors are able to be re-housed and our seniors are able to return back to the community.”
From the pharmacy, the view of Signal Mountain has changed “from red and dead to black and charred,” but Porttin is optimistic that next year’s regrowth will bring greenery and wildflowers.
She acknowledged the first responders who saved Jasper from total destruction, and she had faith in the sustainability of the pharmacy, noting all the community support since it opened under three years ago.
“The [Jasper] wildfire complex is another example of how the amazing people of Jasper come together and support each other,” she said.
“It's a long road ahead, but now more than ever, I am proud to be raising my family here, and to call myself a Jasperite.”
