Nearly seven weeks since a wildfire forced the evacuation of Jasper National Park and burned nearly a third of the townsite's structures, Parks Canada says the blaze is now officially under control. Landon Shepherd, incident commander with the parks agency, told an online media briefing Saturday the change in status means the fire has been sufficiently suppressed to ensure it won't spread outside of its defined perimeter. Shepherd says that perimeter is 278 km long. The fire's status was last changed on Aug. 17 when it moved from being out-of-control to ``being held,'' which meant it wasn't

Parks Canada says a weekend drenching of rain on parts of Jasper National Park is doing a lot to quell fire activity, but the wet weather also comes with a warning. In a daily update on the local wildfire situation, Parks Canada says parts of the national park received over 30 millimetres of rain on Friday night. Cooler temperatures were also in the forecast, which the agency says could further decrease fire activity. But Parks Canada cautions all that rain could make slopes and burned trees unstable, and gusty or shifting winds could cause fire-weakened trees with loose roots to fall. The wil

Thirstier lawns, shorter showers and fewer but fuller dishwasher loads are in store for Calgarians again as a troubled water main undergoes a new round of repairs starting this week. The Bearspaw South Feeder Main in the city's northwest burst in early June, drenching a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway and forcing the city to impose onerous restrictions on water use for several weeks. The rationing had just started to ease earlier this month when Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced several additional problem spots had been detected on the more than 10-kilometre pipe that would need to be fixed bef

One of Canada's most scenic highways has reopened as the wildfire in Jasper National Park continues to be held. Jane Park, incident commander with Parks Canada, says Highway 93, also known as the Icefields Parkway, is now open to through traffic. But she warns travellers must head straight through the mountain- and glacier-lined road without stopping. She says there are no services available on the highway between the town of Jasper and the Icefields Discovery Centre and Saskatchewan River Crossing, a stretch of about 150 kilometres. Park says RCMP and emergency services are available on the r

The people of Jasper are making progress on getting back to normal after being allowed back to their town, cleaning their homes, re-uniting with neighbours and seeking insurance information. Friday was the first day residents were allowed back after a wildfire forced the evacuation of the entire community, which eventually lost close to one third of its structures in the blaze. Over the weekend, Parks Canada announced the status of the Jasper Wildfire Complex had changed from out-of-control to being held, and an evacuation alert that advised returning residents to be ready to flee again on an

Some residents of the Municipality of Jasper are set to return to the town today after a massive wildfire forced them out more than three weeks ago. Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland has said only residents will be allowed to enter the town and other visitors will be directed to stay on the highway and drive on by. The plan had been for a full reopening, but Ireland said this week plans changed after some residents said they were concerned about visitors intruding on their privacy as they learn first-hand the state of their homes and businesses. The town's 5,000 residents, along with 20,000 more vi

The town of Jasper says early numbers indicate last month’s wildfires destroyed $283 million worth of property. The town also reports that while 358 structures were destroyed, mostly businesses and homes, the total number of housing units lost is about 800. The figures were delivered to councillors by chief administrative officer Bill Given at a virtual meeting today. Given says the numbers get even more daunting as the town moves forward with rebuilding because the lost structures equate to a $2.2-million loss in annual property tax revenue. Councillors, meanwhile, approved motions to suspe

The mayor of Banff, Alta., says the town plans to find ways to reduce vehicle traffic after residents voted in favour of removing a pedestrian zone in the downtown. Corrie DiManno says the vote to reopen Banff Avenue year-round doesn't change the need for more public transportation into the popular tourist destination west of Calgary. The town has reported there were 1,328 votes cast against council's decision to have the pedestrian zone every year from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving long weekend. It says 1,194 residents voted in favour of the zone. DiManno says the pedestrian area cause

Details about when and how evacuated residents of Jasper will be allowed to return to their homes nearly three weeks after a wildfire forced them to flee will be announced today. Parks Canada says Unified Incident Command will hold a virtual media briefing this morning to provide information on the phased re-entry into the town of Jasper. On Saturday, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said the date when people will be permitted back into the town would come Monday. Ireland said the dedicated work of the fire incident management team meant plans to re-enter the town safely were moving faster than ex