| Municipality of Jasper | |
|---|---|
| — Specialized municipality — | |
| View of Jasper from the summit of The Whistlers | |
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Municipality of Jasper
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Alberta's Rockies |
| Census division | 15 |
| Founded | 1813 |
| Incorporated [1] - Improvement district |
August 31, 1995 |
| - Specialized municipality | July 20, 2001 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Richard Ireland |
| • Governing bodies | Jasper Municipal Council & Parks Canada |
| • MP | Rob Merrifield |
| • MLA | Robin Campbell |
| Area[2] | |
| • Total | 925.52 km2 (357.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,062 m (3,484 ft) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| • Total | 4,265 |
| • Density | 4.6/km2 (11.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) |
| Postal code span | T0E |
| Area code(s) | +1-780 |
| Highways | Yellowhead Highway Icefield Parkway |
| Waterways | Athabasca River Miette River |
| Website | Municipality of Jasper |
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley.
Jasper is 362 kilometres (225 mi) west of Edmonton. Jasper is 290 kilometres (180 mi) north of Banff, Alberta, with the Icefields Parkway connecting the Jasper townsite to Lake Louise in Banff National Park. It was established as a specialized municipality on July 20, 2001[3] and the governance of Jasper is shared between the Municipality of Jasper and the federal Parks Canada agency.[4]
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Established in 1813, Jasper House was first a North West Company, and later Hudson's Bay Company, fur trade outpost on the York Factory Express trade route to what was then called "New Caledonia" (now British Columbia), and Fort Vancouver in Columbia District on the lower Columbia River.[5]
Jasper National Park was established in 1907. The railway siding at the location of the future townsite was established by Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in 1911 and originally named Fitzhugh after a Grand Trunk vice president[6] (along the Grand Trunk's "alphabet" line). The Canadian Northern Railway also began service to Fitzhugh in 1912.[7] The townsite was surveyed in 1913 by H. Matheson,[7] and subsequently renamed Jasper after the former fur trade post. By 1931, Jasper was accessible by road from Edmonton, and in 1940 the scenic Icefields Parkway opened, connecting Banff and Jasper.
Jasper is located in the Athabasca River valley, at the confluence with Miette River. It lies between the Victoria Cross Ranges (northwest), Pyramid Mountain (north), Maligne Range (southeast) and Indian Ridge (southwest). Jasper is connected to the west via the Yellowhead Highway and the Yellowhead Pass to Prince George and to the east to Edmonton. Toward the south, the Icefield Parkway leads to Banff and Banff National Park.
Located near Jasper are Pyramid Lake and Patricia Lake, as well as Lake Annette, Lake Edith, Lac Beauvert, Maligne Lake, Medicine Lake and numerous other smaller lakes. The Jasper Tramway, which takes visitors to The Whistlers' summit, and the Marmot Basin ski resort are also located near the town, as is the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The Jasper-Yellowhead Museum and Archives is located in the Jasper town site, as is the Jasper Visitor Centre.
Jasper railway station is served by Via Rail with two passenger services. The Canadian and the Jasper – Prince Rupert train both operate three times per week.[8]
The population of the Municipality of Jasper according to its 2011 municipal census is 5,236,[9] a 10.3% increase over its 2008 municipal census population of 4,745.[10] Jasper's 2011 population of 5,236 comprises 4,584 permanent and 652 non-permanent residents,[9] while its 2007 census counted 4,235 permanent and 510 non-permanent residents.[10]
In 2006, Jasper had a population of 4,265 living in 1,817 dwellings, a 2.0% increase from 2001. The specialized municipality has a land area of 925.52 km2 (357.35 sq mi) and a population density of 4.6 /km2 (12 /sq mi).[2]
According to the 2001 census, Jasper had a population of 4,180 (down from 4,301 in 1996) on a land area of 925.43 km2 (357.31 sq mi).[11] The population density was 4.5/km2 (11.65/sq mi), and the median household income was $53,485. An average value of private dwelling of $247,658 was registered in 2001.
Jasper experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) that borders on a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).
| Climate data for Jasper | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
20 (68) |
26.5 (79.7) |
30.4 (86.7) |
32.8 (91.0) |
36.7 (98.1) |
35 (95) |
32.4 (90.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
15 (59) |
36.7 (98.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −5 (23) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
4.7 (40.5) |
10.8 (51.4) |
15.8 (60.4) |
19.3 (66.7) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.6 (70.9) |
16.4 (61.5) |
10.1 (50.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
9.2 (48.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.8 (14.4) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
4.3 (39.7) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
15 (59) |
14.5 (58.1) |
9.8 (49.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
−4 (25) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
3.3 (37.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −14.6 (5.7) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
2.4 (36.3) |
6.2 (43.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
7.4 (45.3) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −46.7 (−52.1) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−36.7 (−34.1) |
−28.9 (−20.0) |
−13.9 (7.0) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−3 (27) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−28.7 (−19.7) |
−38.8 (−37.8) |
−42.2 (−44.0) |
−46.7 (−52.1) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 26.9 (1.059) |
16 (0.63) |
17.6 (0.693) |
18.8 (0.74) |
29.9 (1.177) |
55 (2.17) |
60.1 (2.366) |
59.1 (2.327) |
37.3 (1.469) |
28.7 (1.13) |
24.5 (0.965) |
24.8 (0.976) |
398.7 (15.697) |
| Source: Environment Canada[12] | |||||||||||||
Grande Yellowhead Regional Division No. 35
Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2
| McBride | Grande Cache | Hinton | ||
| Valemount | Cadomin | |||
| Jasper | ||||
| Jasper National Park | Lake Louise | Nordegg |
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