It’s happened. We are heading back into a provincial lockdown. Some called for the move, some dreaded it. For me, it’s a little of both. While we may need these stricter measures to help flatten the COVID curve, they are not the easy option, and bring their own set of challenges. A public health emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic can increase anxiety, stress and fear, leaving many people feeling a loss of ...

Here we are again.  But this time, things feel different. I have started working on our Year in Review edition, collecting snippets of articles from 2020 for the Dec. 31 Fitzhugh. Going back over news stories from March, when we first plunged into a lockdown, I have relived that wash of feelings: the uneasiness, uncertainty, stress and confusion.  We were frightened. But in a way, that fear of COVID-19 ...

I’ll admit it, our Christmas tree is up already. If there was ever a winter to start the most wonderful time of the year a little early, 2020 is the one to do it. I think we all need a boost of festive cheer this year. Jasper is always a special place to be, but there’s some extra magic during the festive season. Having lived in Jasper for three years, I have experienced some of the town’s charming Christma ...

A couple snowshoes on the shore of Maligne Lake. | Parks Canada photo Ah, winter. Snow is falling, the ski hill is open, and fresh ice is starting to form around the national park. I’m calling it, winter is in full swing! But this beautiful season brings with it new dangers, and now is a great time to remind ourselves how to keep safe in Jasper’s wintry conditions. Before heading out into the backcountry, c ...

November is Family Violence Prevention Month, a time for us to raise awareness and recognize what we can do to help those experiencing it. Family violence is devastating and happens every day, and in many different ways. It is an abuse of power in a family or other trusting relationship where someone’s well-being, security and survival are threatened. It can be experienced by anyone, young or old, regardles ...

Halloween: What was once a single night of chilling celebration now seems to last all month. Spooky season has grown, and I must admit, I love it. October in Jasper is also the Dark Sky Festival - a time to appreciate and explore the wonders and mysteries of our dark sky preserve, and beyond. And what better way for the two to end the month together than the Hunter’s Blue Moon coming our way on Oct. 31. Thi ...

Here we are, seven months later, with the highest active number of COVID-19 cases Jasper has seen yet. The rise, many would say, was inevitable. Doctors have been citing a probable ‘second wave’ since the early days of the pandemic. But just how far the numbers rise, how far the virus spreads, is up to all of us. It felt quite safe here in Alberta, watching cases begin to spike in the U.K. and the Candian e ...

Marking the occasion Two milestones are being noted this week. Not only was it Jasper National Park's 113th birthday on Monday, but it is also my anniversary as editor and publisher of the Fitz. This week's edition marks one year since I took the helm of this newspaper - and what a year it has been. Before my promotion I had been working part-time as a reporter here, and I was excited to step up and take on ...

It has been a long battle for the Jasper Skatepark Committee, the group pushing for a new skatepark in town. Led by chairman Darrell Savage, the committee has worked hard to raise more than $100,000 through donations, grants and fundraising events.  Already, more than $50,000 has been spent on producing a detailed design and concept for the new skatepark - put together by New Line Skateparks, a top-rated co ...

When the pandemic hit five months ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long), working life changed for everyone. Whether it was adapting to working from home, having to take time off to look after children, being laid off, or continuing to work in public-facing essential roles while the world was locked down - we all had to modify our lives. And now as businesses are opening back up, we are still seeing repe ...