First responders Fire chief Mathew Conte and lieutenant Kelly Dawson raise a can of First Call with Jasper Brewing Co.’s general manager Justin Melnyk and the brewpub’s head brewer, Spike Baker. | J.Stockfish photo Jason Stockfish | advertising@fitzhugh.ca Bearhill Brewing Co. is once again releasing First Call in honour of first responders in the province and to raise money for local charities. First brewe ...

Three-in-five tourism and travel businesses in Alberta were at least somewhat optimistic about their outlook for 2022, according to a recent survey. Pictured, a photo taken within Jasper National Park. | P.Shokeir photo Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca Tourism businesses are optimistic about what 2022 will bring, according to a first-of-its-kind survey from the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta. The ...

Jashandra (Jay) Naidoo with his guide dog Elsa at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge on April 10. | P.Shokeir photo Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca A guide dog handler is reminding Jasperites about how service dog teams have the legal right to access any location where the public is allowed. Jashandra (Jay) Naidoo, who is blind and works as a registered massage therapist, had two recent incidents where he was de ...

Conservative MPs spoke to the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce during its general meeting at Chateau Jasper on April 20. | P.Shokeir photos Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca The shadow minister of tourism and other Conservative politicians addressed some of the challenges facing the tourism sector while visiting Jasper. The Opposition MPs gave short presentations and answered questions from attendees during ...

Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca The Government of Alberta has increased Travel Alberta’s budget by $63 million over three years to aid the recovery of the tourism industry. The boost to Travel Alberta is part of the Bootstrap Plan, Alberta’s three-year tourism strategy that is centred around three pillars: marketing, air access and destination development. “The past two years have been very difficult for ...

Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca VIA Rail is on track to restore most of its services across the country by the end of June as travel demand continues to progress. This will include returning to three weekly round trips between Jasper and Prince Rupert, B.C. as of June 10. “This is a celebratory and crucial milestone in our service resumption plan after an incredibly challenging two years,” said Cynthia G ...

Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca Rogers 5G is now available to Rogers customers in Jasper on Infinite plans with 5G devices. Rogers 5G now reaches more than 1,500 communities across the country, including Jasper, Grand Cache and Hinton. “5G is a next generation wireless network technology that over time will deliver unprecedented speed, instant response times and fast, reliable connections, fundamentally ...

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. will permanently reduce capacity at its pulp mill in Hinton. | P.Shokeir photo Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca West Fraser will permanently reduce capacity at its pulp mill in Hinton by the end of this year. In an April 5 news release, the company stated the capacity reduction will see staffing levels transition from 345 positions to 270, a total of 75 jobs. “Hinton Pulp has b ...

James Jackson, president and CEO of Tourism Jasper, stands outside the Tourism Jasper office. | J.Stockfish photo Jason Stockfish | advertising@fitzhugh.ca Tourism Jasper has begun to develop a Tourism Master Plan to create a strategic and shared vision for the future of Jasper’s visitor economy. In 2020, the Municipality of Jasper created an economic recovery task force in response to the financial and soc ...

Restaurant owner Michael Cassio speaks to council at a special meeting on March 29. | J.Stockfish photo Jason Stockfish, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | advertising@fitzhugh.ca A working group will be created to study the use of public space for commercial use as businesses express worry over the new patio guidelines. A special meeting was held by council on March 29 to receive feedback from the comm ...