Stories of Resilience – Voices from Jasper is a new installment of one of TRI’s signature programs, Stories of Resilience, designed to explore resilience in its many forms – personal, collective, and environmental. Phase I of Stories of Resilience – Voices from Jasper is creating a space for Jasper residents from diverse backgrounds to reflect on what resilience means in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires they experienced in 2024.
The program is uniting community members through personal reflections, interactive workshops, and art focused on storytelling, healing, and change. Each session has uncovered unique perspectives on resilience, emphasizing creative expression as a key tool for navigating a changing climate.
What we are learning:
- Resilience is deeply personal and ever-changing – Many participants shared their own journeys, reflecting on the ways they’ve adapted to challenges over time.
- Healing happens in community – A key theme across sessions has been the importance of shared experiences.
- Art and storytelling are powerful tools – From painting to poetry, creative expression has emerged as a meaningful way to process grief, celebrate renewal, and build a deeper connection with the community and the land after wildfire.
- Nature teaches us resilience – Participants have reflected on how nature’s cycles of renewal serve as reminders that transformation, change, and resilience is ongoing.
Participant Reflections
- “Resilience isn’t just about surviving – it’s about finding joy and meaning despite adversity.”
- “The land itself teaches resilience through its cycles – change, loss, and renewal.”
- “Through art, we can process loss, reflect on change, and find a path forward.”
- “Building a resilient community means supporting each other through our individual and collective journeys.”
- “Resilience is not just about being strong; it’s about allowing yourself to feel and heal.”
What’s Next?
As the journey unfolds, participants will be developing different forms of creative expression – writing, painting, original songs, and more – culminating in a community event in July 2025 to mark the first anniversary of the Jasper wildfires. This event will serve as a collective reflection on the past year, celebrating resilience, honouring loss, and looking toward the future.
A wildfire northeast of the Jasper townsite was first reported on July 22, 2024, with three other fires being reported later that same day. The fire reached the town within just 48 hours.
Parks Canada estimated that 358 out of 1,113 structures in the town, about one-third, were destroyed by the fire, which resulted in about $880 million in insured damages. Starting on August 16, Jasper residents and businesses were able to re-enter. The fire eventually consumed an estimated 32,722 hectares, and was marked as “Under Control” on September 7, 2024.