Scott Hayes | [email protected]
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
This year鈥檚 annual public forum for Jasper National Park is returning to its in-person format next week.
As the event that Parks Canada uses to showcase the previous year鈥檚 highlights and spotlight its future priorities, the invitation is wide open for one and all to attend.
The last few years of virtual forums had a different format, but the purpose of them all was just the same.
鈥淥ur annual forum gives us the opportunity to share highlights of the last year, and also priorities that are upcoming for the year ahead. We're really looking forward to being able to have the forum in person again,鈥� said Amy Cairns, Integrated Land Use Policy and Planning Manager in Jasper National Park.
鈥淲e really want people to participate.鈥澛�
The forum was canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19 with virtual-only events held in 2021 and 2022. Attendance for those last two events, although they had modified formats, were actually higher than the last in-person event in 2019.
This year鈥檚 forum is set to take place on Wednesday, April 19 starting with an open house drop-in at 5:30 p.m.
Supt. Alan Fehr will offer his year-in-review presentation at 6 p.m. followed by a world caf茅-style of table topic discussions where members of the public can chat with Parks Canada staff on various topics, including:
- bears in the valley were a significant concern for Jasperites;
- the caribou conservation breeding centre to help the Tonquin and Brazeau herds recover;
- the five-year report on the implementation of the Multi-Species Action Plan for Jasper National Park;
- wildfire risk reduction and prescribed fires; and
- park visitation, trail maintenance, aquatic invasive species prevention programs, realty and development, and Indigenous relations.
The free event will be held in the multi-purpose hall at the Jasper Activity Centre.听
鈥淭his will be really exciting to connect face-to-face with participants and talk to them,鈥� Cairns said.
Her team is heavily involved in writing Jasper National Park鈥檚 , working with 鈥渁ll the different functions within the field unit to report back and ensure that we're being accountable and transparent with how we're moving forward鈥� with implementing that plan.听
To that end, she said that public participation is vital for the forum (and other events and discussions) to be successful. The Let鈥檚 Talk Mountain Park discussion on land-use planning and development in the Town of Jasper was extended to close at the end of day on April 19. You can participate by visiting .听
For those who cannot attend the annual forum or who simply prefer the virtual format, Supt. Fehr鈥檚 year-in-review presentation will be recorded and available for those who request it by sending an email to [email protected].
The 2022 Jasper National Park Annual Report
