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CBC
36 minutes ago
- CBC
Anniversary of Jasper wildfire dredges up strong emotions as residents reflect on its impact
Social Sharing Kimberley Stark has a scavenger hunt planned for her three kids on the plot of land in Jasper, Alta., where they used to crawl, play and sleep. They'll be searching for pieces of Jasper's nature, like mushrooms, purple asters, daisies and pine trees. Stark says she wants to bring a light touch to what's likely to be heavy day in the mountain town, still bearing wounds of last summer's destructive wildfire. "We live at our house — it's just that the house is missing," said Stark, a volunteer firefighter who watched her family's home burn the night of the fire. "We'll spend part of the day there, and not in a negative way. In a fun way." Thursday marked one year since their home and 357 other structures in Jasper were turned to ash by a runaway fire that travelled about 30 kilometres over two days. The town commemorated the anniversary Tuesday, a year to the day that 25,000 residents and tourists were forced out of the community. WATCH | Jasperites prepare for one-year anniversary of the wildfire: Jasper gathers to commemorate 1 year after wildfire 2 days ago Jasperites gathered to remember and exchange stories, one year after they were forced to flee their homes as a wildfire encroached on the community. Businesses are rebounding and tourists are back but residents are still waiting to rebuild. Locals say the anniversary has dredged up strong emotions. Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said this week that many are approaching the milestone with trepidation and, for some, the hardest part is just beginning. Stark said it's still a challenging topic. "Emotionally, I'm fragile. I have mostly good days now, which is way better than the winter and the fall," she said. "They were horrific." Winds reported to be more than 100 kilometres per hour pushed a 30-storey wildfire toward the town, a summer tourism hotbed in the expansive Jasper National Park. A tower of smoke eventually rained piping-hot embers into the townsite, incinerating homes at a rapid pace. About a third of the town's structures were burned to the ground, though firefighters were able to protect critical infrastructure, including its water treatment plant, which if destroyed would have likely made Jasper unlivable for years. Rico Damota, a town councillor, remembers a story told to him last fall by Parks Canada vegetation specialist Landon Shepherd during a helicopter tour of the damage. Damota said Shepherd was on the radio with Jasper fire Chief Mathew Conte during the fire and asked how the fight was going on the ground. "And Mat's response back was, 'We're losing,"' Damota said, fighting back tears. The councillor of nearly two decades said it wasn't until he relayed that story to friends that the fire made him visibly emotional. "It didn't connect with me when I was up in the chopper, until I was telling my friends at home ... I had to leave the room for a moment. "I didn't realize how much that would impact you. Everybody gets triggered in different ways. I was OK up until that point." Christine Nadon, the incident commander for the municipality during the fire, said the local fire department has been laser focused on providing mental-health supports to the volunteer firefighters who tried to save the town that night. The department now has its own in-house psychologist. "I think that is still broadly misunderstood, the sacrifice and the service that every man and woman who is in the fire department [and] who was here the night of July 24 last year," Nadon said. "They are heroes and should be treated as such." With tourism season in full swing, many visitors are arriving in Jasper oblivious to what had occurred, said Tyler Riopel, CEO of Tourism Jasper. The front desk at the Jasper Inn asks guests to refrain from asking employees about the fire out of respect for their well-being. "We have a lot of people right now in Jasper that are coming in and genuinely are unaware of last summer," Riopel said. Jasper's rebuild is expected to take up to a decade.


CBC
36 minutes ago
- CBC
CN derailment causes Via Rail changes, cancelations in and out of Windsor
Via Rail says several trains in and out of Windsor are rerouted or cancelled due to a CN freight train derailment in Paris, Ont., that has completely halted rail traffic on a line near Brantford. Some routes are being serviced partially by bus. Via provided CBC with the following status update to Friday's train schedule: Trains 71,75 and 79, Toronto to Windsor: Will operate through the Guelph subdivision. Missed stops will be accommodated by bus. Trains 70 and 72, Windsor to Toronto: Will operate through the Guelph subdivision. Missed stops will be accommodated by bus. Train 73, Toronto to Windsor: Cancelled with no alternate transportation. Trains 76 and 78, Windsor to Toronto: Cancelled with no alternate transportation. "VIA Rail is closely monitoring the situation, and cancellations or schedule changes may be announced during the day," a spokesperson for the company said in an email. "Passengers affected will be informed directly." CN says its crews are responding to an upright derailment of approximately 24 railcars and one locomotive.


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Here's how to get a refund on your Quebec day camp
You've registered for – and paid for – a day camp for the kids, but now your summer plans have changed. Are you entitled to a full or partial refund? You sure are, according to Quebec's Consumer Protection Office. According to the office, if you cancel your plans before the start of the camp, you won't have to pay any additional fees or penalties. In an email sent to Noovo Info, the OPC explained that you will be entitled to a full refund of the amount you've already paid. If you cancel after the camp has started, you will still be required to pay for the services already provided, and the day camp organizers may also charge a penalty equal to the lesser of $50 or 10 per cent of the cost of the services not received. 'For example, your contract provides for a 10-day stay at a rate of $40 per day. You cancel after two days. You will be charged a penalty of $32, which corresponds to 10 per cent of the cost of the remaining eight days,' explained the OPC. The law doesn't apply to certain camps, including camps run by public institutions, such as a municipal recreation department. Here's how to cancel To cancel, send the day camp a written notice or fill out the cancellation form that accompanied the contract you signed upon registration. The OPC recommends sending the documents by registered mail. The contract is cancelled upon sending the form or notice. From the date the letter is sent, the camp has 10 days to reimburse you, if applicable., the office explained. What if the camp refuses to refund me? If your day camp refuses to reimburse you according to the regulations outlined above, the Consumer Protection Office recommends that you should call the office to file a complaint. The office will provide you with an information kit including a formal notice form on the Office's letterhead that you can use to escalate the claim. If that approach doesn't result in a refund, you could then turn to small claims court. - With a report from Émile Bérubé-Lupien at Noovo Info