Love for Jasper: An outpouring of grief for a place that has touched many Albertans

The wildfire that ripped through Jasper National Park and the Town of Jasper this week has caused acute grief for those who've lost homes, businesses and livelihoods. 

But there's a secondary loss for the many people in this province who love the place, and for whom Jasper holds a multitude of memories. 

Kristin Heimbecker is one of those. She grew up in Fort McMurray; when she moved to Edmonton she discovered Jasper as a breath of fresh air and escape from the city. 

"Jasper just feels like coming home ... To experience the peace and calm that it brings has just been just such a gift to us," said Heimbecker, who surprised herself at how emotional she felt hearing news of the fire this week. She posted photos with her favourite memories on social media and invited others to do so, too.

During COVID, her family would make the four-hour drive from Edmonton to Jasper for day-hikes. Their favourite is Valley of the Five Lakes, a route she hopes has remained untouched by the blaze.

Heimbecker is also worried for town residents. Having friends and family who lived through the 2016 Fort McMurray fire, she knows how long it can take for a community to rebuild, even for those whose homes are still standing.

"This is a long road ahead of them. I've seen it."

Latest figures from Jasper National Park officials on Friday show that 32 per cent of all structures in the townsite were destroyed. Of the 1,113 total structures within the town, 358 were destroyed.

 Most of the destruction occurred on the west side of the municipality, and critical infrastructure — including the hospital, schools, activity centre and wastewater treatment plant — were saved, said Parks Canada officials. 

Gardening expert Kath Smyth was scheduled to go on CBC's call-in show Alberta at Noon on Friday to take questions on plant health and pruning. When the show pivoted to focus on the Jasper wildfires, her memories of the place were top of mind.

"Jasper just entranced me," she said. Working in Jasper as a chambermaid to put herself through university, Smyth said she saw her first elk in the townsite and was surprised by a bear on her way home one night.

Smyth said she was relieved when she saw a post on social media asserting that the famous Jasper the Bear statue had made it through the fire unscathed, a claim CBC News has been unable to independently verify.

A now widely shared photo posted to Facebook by Edmonton resident Gord Stewart shows Jasper in the evening light, a snap Stewart captured on a previous trip to the town. He said he decided to share the photo when he saw what he thought was the statue in the background of a live newscast from Jasper after the wildfires this week. 

More news on whether that landmark — an emotional touchstone for many — alongside others have survived, has Albertans waiting on the edge of their seats.