Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a municipality within Jasper National Park in the Canadian province of Alberta. It has a population of 4,511.
Location
Jasper is located in Jasper National Park near the British Columbia/Alberta border at an altitude of 1,062 m.
It can be reached from the west and east by the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) and from the south by the Icefields Parkway (Highway 93). The Icefields Parkway begins at the intersection of Connaught Drive and the Yellowhead Highway.
Jasper is 287 km from Banff, Alberta, 362 km from Edmonton, Alberta, 414 km from Calgary, Alberta, and 863 km from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Climate
Mean daily max/min temperature:
- Jan −7.8°C/−17.8°C
- Feb −0.6°C/−12.2°C
- Mar +3.2°C/−8.6°C
- Apr +9.6°C/−2.9°C
- May +15.6°C/+1.7°C
- Jun +19.2°C/+5.6°C
- Jul +22.5°C/+7.6°C
- Aug +21.4°C/+7.0°C
- Sep +16.4°C/+3.2°C
- Oct +10.3°C/−1.0°C
- Nov +0.7°C/−8.5°C
- Dec −4.9°C/−13.6°C
Mean rainfall/snowfall:
- 2.4 mm/38.1 mm
- 2.2 mm/21.7 mm
- 3.2 mm/14.7 mm
- 12.7 mm/10.9 mm
- 30.3 mm/3.1 mm
- 54.8 mm/trace
- 49.7 mm/----
- 48.4 mm/ 0.1 mm
- 36.8 mm/1.1 mm
- 24.2 mm/5.4 mm
- 8.6 mm/24.6 mm
- 5.4 mm/32.7 mm
History
The first recorded visit to the Athabasca Valley was by surveyor David Thompson in 1810. The North West Company built a supply depot on Brûlé Lake in 1813, a settlement which later became known as "Jasper House" after North West Company clerk Jasper Hawes.
With the decline of the fur trade, Jasper House was abandoned in 1884. The Dominion government established "Jasper Forest Park" in 1907 with an area of circa 13,000 km². By 1911 the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway had reached Fitzhugh (now Jasper) Station. The Jasper–Edmonton road opened in 1928. In 1930, Jasper Forest Park was officially established as "Jasper National Park".
Tourist Attractions
Jasper is known for its mountain climbing,hiking and whitewater rafting. During the winter it becomes a popular ski location with a medium sized mountain resort, Marmot Basin. Recent years have seen less snowfall and warmer temperatures resulting in a shorter ski season.
Government
The Municipality of Jasper is unique because of its location within a national park. Governance is shared between the Municipality of Jasper and the Parks Canada Agency.
The Specialized Municipality of Jasper was formed by the Province of Alberta on April 1, 2002. The Municipality of Jasper operates under an agreement with the Department of Canadian Heritage, giving it authorities over all municipal matters with the exception of land use planning, development and environmental matters.
Jasper is governed by an elected mayor and six-member council.
The town's population as of 2004 was aproximately 4,500 residents although this number fluctuates due to the summer workforce which supports a strong tourism industry. Jasper is one of the few towns with a "Right to Reside" law which stipulates a demonstrable need to live within the town. This law limits Jasper's growth and development within a National Park.
The economy of Jasper is partly based on tourism in the National Park. Many tourists remark on the presence of elk in the town. Elk will sometimes come into the town from the national park and graze on the lawns of the town's residents.