My name is Ali Howat and I recently moved to Jasper and became a reporter at the Jasper Fitzhugh. I am 23-years old and a single mom to a beautiful two-year old daughter. I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alta. I come from a very big family. I have an older sister and brother along with two younger sisters and brothers. Growing up, my first love was photography and the arts. Ever since I can remember, I wa ...

Peter Shokeir | editorial@fitzhugh.ca Another summer is just around the corner, and as both pedestrian and vehicular traffic are set to increase along Jasper’s busiest corridor, we are forced to ask if one form of traffic should get preference to the other. It has been proposed in the past that Patricia Street ought to be closed between Hazel and Miette avenues during the summer months. Last year, Banff clo ...

David Suzuki | Jennifer Roessler photo David Suzuki | Special to the Fitzhugh Protection and restoration are two sides of the conservation coin — protection for spaces that haven’t yet been damaged or destroyed by large-scale human impacts and restoration for ecologically critical places that have.  Although both might seem like relatively straightforward scientific tasks, they have been and continue t ...

Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca When walking along the trails ringing the town, it’s not uncommon to see elk grazing on the grass, lounging beneath the shade or wandering around aimlessly. These ungulates typically congregate on the outskirts of town or along the northern end of Connaught Drive, but they may venture into residential areas and even downtown. From what I’ve been told, elk like to use the t ...

Here at the Fitzhugh, we have not been spared from many of the same struggles you have faced over the last year, and without the support of the community, we might not be here now. We would like to take this opportunity to return the favour. We know that it has been a difficult year for many of our local restaurants and that you may not be in the position to advertise your businesses. So, we want to offer o ...

I am an Albertan. I was born here and have lived most of my life near Edson. My parents lived in Mountain Park, Alta. after WWII until the coal mine closed in 1950. My older brother was born there. I have spent some of my working life at a few of the different coal mines in the area. I have lots of friends who are or have been coal miners in the local open pit operations. Many have left the area to pursue e ...

Off-highway vehicle (OHV) users have more sway with the UCP government than all of Alberta’s doctors, teachers and unions combined. In April 2020, the province attempted to restrict OHVs - quads, dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles - in order to prevent Alberta from facing the double whammy of a pandemic and a major wildfire. It took less than a week for the government to reverse its decision. Ostensibly, it w ...

Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca I’m a bit of a newcomer to Jasper, but I don’t think I’m out of line by saying spring is the worst time for hiking here. Summer is perhaps the most optimal with the warm weather and lush greenery, not to mention the glaciers exposed for viewing. Winter presents additional challenges but opens up new opportunities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and the frozen spl ...

Peter Shokeir | editor@fitzhugh.ca Consistency is a luxury that our society might not be able to afford in the COVID era. But that doesn’t mean much of this back and forth between easing and reinstating restrictions is unavoidable. On April 6, Premier Jason Kenney announced that Alberta is returning to Step 1 of the four-step framework. Updated mandatory health measures came into effect for retail, fitness ...

The premier has always welcomed debate and a diversity of views within our caucus. I’m personally in favour of a more regional approach, so I’m disappointed with the reintroduction of some restrictions in areas less affected by the virus. A new caucus working group is being formed to work on potential regional reopening plans with Dr. Deena Hinshaw. I’m looking forward to that work getting underway. I’ve he ...