Jasper's Maligne Canyon left battered and burned

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As tourists may begin to wonder when they’ll get back to Jasper following the destructive wildfire, recent images of the Maligne Canyon show that it may be a tough rebuild before visitors can return to the treasured attraction.

In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, Jasper National Park provided an update on Maligne Canyon, which was hit hard by the wildfire when it rolled through the canyon in early August.

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“The Maligne Valley experienced significant fire activity and damage in the Jasper wildfire complex. Infrastructure in the lower Maligne Valley was damaged or destroyed,” Jasper National Park wrote in the post.

The post listed the Maligne Hostel, Maligne Range, and the Maligne Canyon Wilderness Kitchen among the structures destroyed by the fire. Bridge 5 and Bridge 6 in the canyon are still standing but Parks Canada information officer Janelle Verbruggen said in an email that the higher bridges “are much smaller and in very narrow spaces, making it more difficult to assess.” The update said that further assessments would still be needed to determine the severity of the damage to the canyon.

Early this year, Parks Canada released a report outlining the impact of the Maligne Valley on the park, which estimated that more than 350,000 people visit the valley in the summer, while an additional 20,000 make the trek between November and April, making the fire’s destruction a hard hit for tourism. As an attraction close to town, and without overnight accommodations, the Maligne Valley was a consistent catalyst for visitors in both the summer and winter who flocked to view the slash in the Earth that’s as deep as 55 metres in some sections and spans more than one kilometre in length.

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Much of the upper Maligne Valley was spared by the fire, including the Maligne Lake region, but access to the area remains closed due to the remaining hazards near the canyon and roadway.

“Parks Canada, in consultation with engineers and danger tree fallers, will address hazards over the fall season and are working toward opening Maligne Valley this winter. Assessments are ongoing in Maligne Canyon to evaluate the potential for a winter opening,” said Parks Canada.

While the exact extent of the damage has yet to be determined, Parks Canada said it will take “substantial work and time” to address the dangers that are currently a risk to visitors, including hazardous trees, damaged bridges and unstable terrain.

The post concluded with a reminder that many areas throughout the park, including the Maligne Canyon region, remain closed, which visitors must respect in the interest of their own safety. Parks Canada did open some areas of the national park last week.

Miette Hot Springs and the surrounding area are open, including all pullouts, viewpoints, and the Miette and Sulphur Skyline trails. However, accessing the backcountry is prohibited.

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Pyramid Lake and Pyramid Beach roads are open, as are Highway 16 and Highway 93N (Icefields Parkway) with restrictions.

At this time, all campgrounds in Jasper National Park remain closed until further notice, including all reservations, tent and RV campgrounds, and self-serve backcountry campgrounds.

“Despite all the damage, the iconic turquoise water which characterizes the canyon continues to flow,” said Parks Canada in its Facebook post.

“We look forward to welcoming residents and visitors back, once safe to do so.”

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