Jasper in January started out as a ski-resort promotion 23 years ago, but quickly grew into a 17-day, community-wide celebration that attracts thousands of additional visitors each year during what was once considered a slow period for tourism.

This year’s events get underway on Friday, with a series of kick-off parties planned at local bars and restaurants, and continue for the next two and half weeks, wrapping up on Sunday, Jan. 29.

“I think it’s done wonders for the community,” said Mayor Richard Ireland, noting that the events have not only provided a more stable source of income for local businesses during the winter, but also helped showcase Jasper as more than just a tourist town.

The mayor said visitors who come for the discounted lift tickets at Marmot Basin and reduced room rates at area hotels are often pleased to discover and take part in events put on by local community members, such as the annual chili cook-off.

“I think when visitors get a chance to be a part of a community event, they love it,” Ireland said. “It’s a good way to demonstrate that we are not simply a resort, we are a community.”

Involving the community at large was part of the idea behind Jasper in January from the get-go, said Brian Rode, vice-president of marketing and sales at Marmot Basin.

Rode helped set up the inaugural Jasper in January during the 1988/89 season, which marked the 25th anniversary of Marmot Basin. While the impetus was largely to attract more skiers and snowboarders to the alpine resort, he said an essential part of the plan was to create a festival atmosphere throughout Jasper.

So Marmot Basin not only partnered with area hotels to offer discounted rates, it also looked to the community for greater involvement.

“A committee was formed way back then of various volunteers from the community,” Rode said. “One person that really stands out in terms of the community events and helping get them organized was Barb Pugh.”

The inaugural series of events both on and off the ski hill spanned nine days. In addition to attracting more tourists, Rode said they also brought many former Jasper residents back to town.

When all was said and done, Marmot Basin crunched the numbers and found the number of visitors during that nine-day period had quadrupled, from an average of about 5,000 skier-days in previous seasons to 21,000 that season.

“So we said that worked really well ... we should do something like this on an annual basis,” Rode said.

The resort saw almost identical visitor numbers during the next three seasons of Jasper in January and in 1994 added an extra week to the annual celebrations.

The impact of the influx of visitors is felt each year not just at the resort, but throughout the entire town, according to the mayor.

“I would think that the January visitation alone has gone up three or four times since the inception of Jasper in January,” Ireland said.

Of course, the busiest season in Jasper remains the summertime, by far. But Ireland said Jasper in January has steadily raised the profile of the town when it comes to winter activities, as well.

“In more recent years there has been a focus on other outdoor interests, not just alpine skiing,” he said. “So people are now more likely to come for canyon crawls or snowshoeing or cross-country skiing or simply to enjoy the community in winter.”

A schedule of Jasper in January events can be found on the back page of this edition of the Fitzhugh and online at  www.jinj.ca.