Jasper, Alberta

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Jasper
Municipality of Jasper
Jasper from the Jasper Tramway 2008.jpg
View of Jasper from the Jasper Tramway
AB locator MUNICIPALITY OF JASPER.svg
Location within Alberta
Coordinates: 52°52′23″N118°04′56″W / 52.87306°N 118.08222°W / 52.87306; -118.08222
CountryCanada
Province Alberta
Region Alberta's Rockies
Census division 15
Founded1813
Incorporated  [1]
 - Improvement district  

August 31, 1995
 - Specialized municipality July 20, 2001
Government
[2]
  MayorRichard Ireland
  Governing bodiesJasper Municipal Council and Parks Canada
   MP See Yellowhead
   MLA See West Yellowhead
Area
 (2021) [3]
  Land921.9 km2 (355.9 sq mi)
Elevation
[4]
1,060 m (3,480 ft)
Population
 (2021) [3]
  Total4,738
  Density5.1/km2 (13/sq mi)
Time zone UTC−7 (MST)
  Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Postal code span
T0E
Area code(s) +1-780, +1-587
Highways
Waterways Athabasca River
Miette River
Railways Canadian National Railway
Website jasper-alberta.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Jasper is a specialized municipality and townsite in western Alberta within the Canadian Rockies. The townsite is in the Athabasca River valley and is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park.

Contents

History

The Jasper Information Centre Jasper Information Centre Jasper Alberta Canada 01-A.jpg
The Jasper Information Centre
The Jasper Welcome Sign at the north entrance to town, 2022. Jasper-Bear-Hunt-11.jpg
The Jasper Welcome Sign at the north entrance to town, 2022.
Jasper, 1920 Canada - Jasper through Henry House Station - NARA - 68154612 (cropped).jpg
Jasper, 1920

Established in 1813, Jasper House was first a fur trade outpost of the North West Company, and later Hudson's Bay Company, on the York Factory Express trade route to what was then called "New Caledonia" (now British Columbia) and Fort Vancouver on the lower Columbia River. [5] Jasper House was 35 km north of today's town of Jasper.

Jasper Forest Park was established in 1907. The railway divisional point at the location of the future townsite was established by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911 and originally named Fitzhugh after a Grand Trunk vice president [6] (along the Grand Trunk's "alphabet" line). The Canadian Northern Railway began service to its Jasper Park station in 1912, about 700 m from GTP's Fitzhugh station. [7] The townsite was surveyed in 1913 by H. Matheson. [7] It was renamed Jasper after the former fur trade post. An internment camp was set up at Dominion Park in Jasper from February 1916 to August 1916. [8]

Jasper Forest Park was renamed Jasper National Park in 1930. By 1931, Jasper was accessible by road from Edmonton. In 1940, the scenic Icefields Parkway opened, connecting Jasper to Lake Louise and Banff in Banff National Park.

The first step towards incorporation of Jasper occurred on August 31, 1995, when the Jasper Improvement District was formed from a portion of Improvement District No. 12 (Jasper National Park). [9] The improvement district was subsequently incorporated as a specialized municipality under the name of the Municipality of Jasper on July 20, 2001. [9] The incorporation order established the Jasper townsite as the Town of Jasper [10] and the surrounding balance of the specialized municipality as a rural service area that was deemed equivalent to a municipal district. [11]

The Jasper wildfire began on July 22, 2024 and destroyed significant parts of the town. [12] [13]

Geography

Downtown Jasper Jasper townsite.jpg
Downtown Jasper

The Municipality of Jasper is in the western portion of the province of Alberta within Jasper National Park. [14] It borders the province of British Columbia to the west and Improvement District No. 12 to the north, east, and south. [14] The Athabasca River, which originates from the Columbia Icefield, meanders northward through the municipality. [14] The Miette River, Maligne River, and Snaring River all discharge into the Athabasca River within the Municipality of Jasper's limits. [14]

The Jasper townsite, which is approximately 362 kilometres (225 mi) west of Edmonton, 290 kilometres (180 mi) north of Banff, and 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of the Yellowhead Pass, is at the intersection of Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) and Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway). It is near the confluence of the Athabasca River and Miette River. It lies between the Victoria Cross Ranges (northwest), Pyramid Mountain (north), Maligne Range (southeast) and Trident Ridge (southwest). Lakes near the Jasper townsite include Pyramid Lake, Patricia Lake, Lake Annette, Lake Edith, Lac Beauvert, Maligne Lake, and Medicine Lake.

Localities

The following localities are located within the Municipality of Jasper. [15] [16]

Climate

Jasper experiences a borderline Humid Continental/Subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb/Dfc). The highest temperature ever recorded in Jasper was 41.2 °C (106 °F) on June 30, 2021. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −47.2 °C (−53 °F) on January 24, 1916. [17]

Summers in Jasper are pleasant, with daily highs usually around 21.1 °C (70 °F) and lows around 7.2 °C (45 °F). Winters are cold, though may be considered mild by Canadian standards, with daily highs around −2.2 °C (28 °F) and lows around −11.7 °C (11 °F).

Climate data for Jasper, 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1914−present
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)13.3
(55.9)
16.5
(61.7)
20.8
(69.4)
26.5
(79.7)
30.4
(86.7)
41.2
(106.2)
39.4
(102.9)
35.0
(95.0)
33.7
(92.7)
27.2
(81.0)
18.0
(64.4)
15.0
(59.0)
41.2
(106.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)−3.3
(26.1)
−0.4
(31.3)
5.7
(42.3)
10.9
(51.6)
16.1
(61.0)
19.6
(67.3)
21.9
(71.4)
21.7
(71.1)
16.7
(62.1)
10.0
(50.0)
0.4
(32.7)
−4.7
(23.5)
9.6
(49.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)−8
(18)
−5.8
(21.6)
−0.4
(31.3)
4.5
(40.1)
9.4
(48.9)
13.1
(55.6)
15.2
(59.4)
14.6
(58.3)
10.0
(50.0)
4.4
(39.9)
−4
(25)
−9.1
(15.6)
3.6
(38.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−12.7
(9.1)
−11.2
(11.8)
−6.5
(20.3)
−2
(28)
2.6
(36.7)
6.6
(43.9)
8.4
(47.1)
7.4
(45.3)
3.2
(37.8)
−1.3
(29.7)
−8.3
(17.1)
−13.5
(7.7)
−2.3
(27.9)
Record low °C (°F)−47.2
(−53.0)
−43.3
(−45.9)
−36.7
(−34.1)
−28.9
(−20.0)
−17.8
(0.0)
−6.7
(19.9)
−3.4
(25.9)
−3
(27)
−12.2
(10.0)
−28.7
(−19.7)
−38.8
(−37.8)
−43.9
(−47.0)
−47.2
(−53.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches)23.4
(0.92)
14.3
(0.56)
16.8
(0.66)
19.7
(0.78)
31.1
(1.22)
51.0
(2.01)
63.8
(2.51)
64.5
(2.54)
33.7
(1.33)
30.5
(1.20)
24.4
(0.96)
19.5
(0.77)
392.6
(15.46)
Average rainfall mm (inches)6.1
(0.24)
3.8
(0.15)
6.2
(0.24)
13.2
(0.52)
30.4
(1.20)
50.4
(1.98)
63.8
(2.51)
64.6
(2.54)
32.2
(1.27)
23.1
(0.91)
9.4
(0.37)
2.2
(0.09)
305.2
(12.02)
Average snowfall cm (inches)23.9
(9.4)
14.7
(5.8)
15.0
(5.9)
8.1
(3.2)
0.75
(0.30)
0.57
(0.22)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
2.5
(1.0)
9.3
(3.7)
20.8
(8.2)
24.4
(9.6)
120.0
(47.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)10.67.98.18.911.113.914.114.710.59.810.49.6129.6
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)1.71.52.66.010.913.914.114.710.07.72.90.886.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)9.97.16.84.10.730.070.00.00.602.78.49.549.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours 71.798.4164.4199.6227.1226.1251.5237.3177.2131.071.856.51,912.5
Percent possible sunshine 28.235.544.847.846.444.849.651.946.439.727.423.740.5
Source: Environment Canada [18] [19] [20] [21]
[22]

Demographics

Federal census
population history
YearPop.±%
19913,567    
1996 4,301+20.6%
2001 4,180−2.8%
2006 4,265+2.0%
2011 4,432+3.9%
2016 4,590+3.6%
2021 4,738+3.2%
Source: Statistics Canada [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [3]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Municipality of Jasper had a population of 4,738 living in 1,674 of its 1,910 total private dwellings, a change of

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Municipality of Jasper had a population of 4,590 living in 1,576 of its 1,702 total private dwellings, a change of

Municipality of Jasper population breakdown – 2011 municipal census [28] [29]
ComponentPermanent
population
Shadow
population
Total
population
Town of Jasperunpublished4,152
Rural service areaunpublished1,084
Total Municipality of Jasper4,5846525,236

The population of the Municipality of Jasper according to its 2011 municipal census is 5,236, [28] a change of 10.3% over its 2008 municipal census population of 4,745. [30] Jasper's 2011 population of 5,236 comprises 4,584 permanent and 652 non-permanent residents, [28] while its 2007 census counted 4,235 permanent and 510 non-permanent residents. [30]

Attractions

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, the Marmot Basin ski resort, and the Jasper Skytram, which carries visitors to The Whistlers' summit, are all near the townsite. Within the Jasper townsite are the heritage building of the Jasper Visitor Centre, the heritage building St. Mary & St. George Anglican Church, and the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives.

Government

Governance of Jasper is shared between the municipality and Parks Canada, an agency of the federal government. [31]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Jasper railway station, seen from Connaught Drive Jasper Connaught Drive East.jpg
Jasper railway station, seen from Connaught Drive
Two Goldleaf double-deck panorama cars of the Rocky Mountaineer in the station of Jasper Jasper.Rocky.Mountaineer.P1033590.jpg
Two Goldleaf double-deck panorama cars of the Rocky Mountaineer in the station of Jasper

Jasper railway station is served by Via Rail with two passenger services. The Canadian and the Jasper–Prince Rupert train both operate three times per week. [32]

Jasper Airport is located 7.2 nautical miles (13.3 km; 8.3 mi) north of Jasper.

Education

The Grande Yellowhead Public School Division No. 77 operates two schools in Jasper: Jasper Elementary School (K–6 English & French Immersion) and Jasper Junior Senior High School (7–12 English & French Immersion), while Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2 operates a francophone school called École Desrochers for kindergarten through grade 12.

Media

Newspapers

Radio

FrequencyCall signBrandingFormatOwnerNotes
FM 92.3 CJAG-FM The Lone Wolf Active rock Athabasca HotelRebroadcaster of CFBR-FM (Edmonton)
FM 95.5 CFXP-FM New Country Country music Stingray Group Rebroadcaster of CFXE-FM (Edson)
FM 98.1 CBXJ-FM CBC Radio One Talk radio, public radio Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Rebroadcaster of CBX (Edmonton)

Television

OTA channelCall signNetworkNotes
11 (VHF) CFRN-TV-11 CTV Rebroadcaster of CFRN-DT (Edmonton)

Sister cities

Notable people

See also

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References

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