Dec. 21 marked the first – in what will hopefully be an annual – solstice walk along the Jasper Discovery Trail, lit by candles. The winter solstice marks the time of year when nights become longer and days shorter. These aren’t your regular run-of-the-mill candles. Star-shaped molds were purchased from Lee Valley, according to Karen Byers of the Jasper-Yellowhead Museum & Archives. These molds were filled with water and in some cases foliage as well and then they were frozen.

“Everybody made some at home,” said Byers. “We got about 10 molds and each took some home and we’ve just been playing with the design and some of us are just more creative than the others,” she joked. There were about 40 candles in total with 30 being purchased for commemoration purposes.

Some candles were dedicated to peace on earth or loved ones no longer with us. About 40 people walked through the candle-lit Discovery Trail between Cedar and Balsam streets over the course of the evening. “Even a couple of De’d Dog patrons came over,” quipped Byers.

Occurring on the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, Jasper’s event was inspired by a similar event that took place in an Ontario cemetery for Christmas, said Byers.

Next year the location may be tweaked, said Byers, as well as the number of candles as it’s “kind of a nice thing to do on a dark night.”