Jasper Evacuated due to wildfire

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Has anyone heard about any injuries, deaths, missing people?

I just saw a post on one of the Jasper Park Official Social Media sites.

25,000 people evacuated from the Park & Townsite

No injuries or deaths or missing people

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I just saw a post on one of the Jasper Park Official Social Media sites.

25,000 people evacuated from the Park & Townsite

No injuries or deaths or missing people

Awesome news, thank you.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Yeah, but it says a lot about your character that the first thing you thought of was "well this sucks, but redevelopment!". Again, pretty heartless, but glad you can think about a hypothetical that may never happen.

We will rebuild

https://twitter.com/user/status/1816507928263983263

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Russic

I don't mean this in a hand-wringing "development is good" sort of way at all, but Jasper is extrodinarily different from the other fire towns in that it's an obvious tourist destination. Whether that makes it feasable to rebuild or not I have zero idea. What was the figure on the other lost towns? 9 billion or something? I can't even fathom what Jasper would cost.

I wonder what that drive is going to look like once this fire is out. We make the trip to Jasper every few years and it's without doubt my favourite drive on the planet.

Yeah, I completely agree on that drive. It's surreal when you do that ~160° curve on the highway and then start driving up and over a fricken mountain. There's nothing like it. I can't believe I won't be doing that in a month. It was to be the highlight of my summer.

(feels so shallow to put something like this in personal terms; I'm fully aware the residents, the town and our collective loss for a beloved Alberta/Canadian town is orders of magnitude more important than my camping trip, of course)

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, I completely agree on that drive. It's surreal when you do that ~160° curve on the highway and then start driving up and over a fricken mountain. There's nothing like it. I can't believe I won't be doing that in a month. It was to be the highlight of my summer.

(feels so shallow to put something like this in personal terms; I'm fully aware the residents, the town and our collective loss for a beloved Alberta/Canadian town is orders of magnitude more important than my camping trip, of course)

I don't think it is shallow at all to think about how this affects you personally. Putting it above the losses of locals would be a dick move, but we all have our own love for these places, and it's totally normal to be saddened for their loss, and the loss you imagine in the future. It's why they are special in the first place.

It would be far worse to be oh, I dunno, thinking about re-development opportunities while peoples homes are still on fire.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yeah, I completely agree on that drive. It's surreal when you do that ~160° curve on the highway and then start driving up and over a fricken mountain. There's nothing like it. I can't believe I won't be doing that in a month. It was to be the highlight of my summer.

(feels so shallow to put something like this in personal terms; I'm fully aware the residents, the town and our collective loss for a beloved Alberta/Canadian town is orders of magnitude more important than my camping trip, of course)

National Geographic ranks it one of the top ten drives in the world.

I've probably done it over 100 times and it never gets old.

[Galakanokis]

An old high school buddy has lived in Jasper for 25-30 years. He's safe with his family, Hinton I believe but he's pretty sure he's lost everything. All he said was he was safe with his family and that is all that really matters. There will be a lot of time to worry ahead.

These fires seem to get scarier and scarier every year. It really is time for people to pull their heads out of their asses and have a real constructive look at how we handle things. What we have been doing is no longer working.

[Skaloper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxGA...nel=GlobalNews

Live press conference update

[DoubleK]

The Premier can't even speak she's so upset.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

The Premier can't even speak she's so upset.

Call my a cynic but that seemed so very performative. A minute later she's talking just fine but at the beginning she's sniffling and sighing every 5 seconds?

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by Russic

I don't mean this in a hand-wringing "development is good" sort of way at all, but Jasper is extrodinarily different from the other fire towns in that it's an obvious tourist destination. Whether that makes it feasable to rebuild or not I have zero idea. What was the figure on the other lost towns? 9 billion or something? I can't even fathom what Jasper would cost.

I wonder what that drive is going to look like once this fire is out. We make the trip to Jasper every few years and it's without doubt my favorite drive on the planet.

The fact it is in a national park also makes the situation different than what we've seen with other communities.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Torture

Call my a cynic but that seemed so very performative. A minute later she's talking just fine but at the beginning she's sniffling and sighing every 5 seconds?

Part of me wonders the same thing. Considering her previous history as a performer/entertainer/media personality it seemed strange that now she wasn't able to keep her emotions in check. Maybe it was authentic but it sure felt like it was done to show how much she cares about the magic of Jasper.

[Geraldsh]

It is very traumatic to lose your home this way, prepare for another hit when you call your insurance provider.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by Torture

Call my a cynic but that seemed so very performative. A minute later she's talking just fine but at the beginning she's sniffling and sighing every 5 seconds?

I don't know that I can be convinced that it wasn't performative.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by chummer

National Geographic ranks it one of the top ten drives in the world.

I've probably done it over 100 times and it never gets old.

Yup. One of my most favorite drives too. Absolutely stunningly beautiful.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

Maybe it was authentic but it sure felt like it was done to show how much she cares about the magic of Jasper.

Hey, as long as it's not trans kids or anyone who needs healthcare, then she cares!

[Torture]

And now she's answering questions and seems to have composed herself to normal Danielle Smith speaking.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

People who live and work there are seasonal low wage folks. They are not redeveloping.

Fort Mac has still not recovered. Lytton is still an ashpile.

Originally Posted by Russic

I don't mean this in a hand-wringing "development is good" sort of way at all, but Jasper is extraordinarily different from the other fire towns in that it's an obvious tourist destination.

This.

Originally Posted by 3thirty

But as others pointed out the two most recent devastating fires around have yet to see their towns rebuilt to where it was. Where do the funds come from? The government can't even support Health Care and other necessities, let alone rebuilding a town.

Private industry would do it, banks and investors would fund it. This is probably about the most valuable land in the province. It will get done. Just perhaps not as a charity to the people and businesses who were there before.

And I don't think calgarygeologist's post deserves the dogpiling it's getting. I read it more as looking for the silver lining on this dark, dark cloud.

[kevman]

Any meaningful updates on the fire situation or is it mostly a forum to bash Smith. (Which I'm all for btw, I'd also just like to know what's going on in Jasper.)

[Torture]

Originally Posted by kevman

Any meaningful updates on the fire situation or is it mostly a forum to bash Smith. (Which I'm all for btw, I'd also just like to know what's going on in Jasper.)

30-50% structural loss. More will come from Parks Canada rather than Govt of AB.
$1250 per person, $500 per child, have to wait until you're out for 7+ days
170 wildfires burning in AB, mostly lightning caused, 50+ out of control.

Other than that, not a whole of of substance at this press conference tbh aside from 'we're working with other levels of government, we've sent resources from x to Jasper, etc'