Page 9 - XperienceAlberta-EDA-2025

JASPER
BELOVED BY ALBERTANS and mountain adventurers around the world,
Jasper is a popular destination, welcoming almost 2.5 million visitors every year.
Located in the sprawling Jasper National Park, Jasper boasts both proximity
to outdoor adventure, and the charm of a quaint mountain town. After being
affected by wildfires in summer 2024, the town is beginning to welcome visitors
back, but ask that they respect the recovery efforts and any ongoing closures.
Jasper offers an ideal setting to explore Indigenous culture in the great
outdoors, thanks to Jasper’s location in the stunning Rocky Mountains.
Warrior Women, led by mother-daughter duo Matricia and Mackenzie Brown,
invites visitors to get up close and personal with the plant medicine of Jasper
National Park. They also host the Wapakwanis Plant Walk, which guides
visitors on an educational hike, and then through the process of making
medicine to take home. Or, join them at a Fireside Chat, taking time to connect
with Mother Nature.
Take to the skies with an Indigenous Heli Tour. Lift off from the Jasper
Hinton Airport in your private helicopter into the mountains where you’ll relive
the stories of Roche Miette, Snaring River, Moberly Homestead, Snake Indian
River Falls, Solomon Peak and River, led by Indigenous guide Lauren Moberly.
Jasper National Park is home to the Jasper Indigenous Exhibit, a
collaborative art installation located at Athabasca Park in the heart of Jasper.
The work features pieces by sculptor Lionel Peyachew and artists Lisa
Shepherd and Kristi Bridgeman.
Photo by Indigenous Tourism Alberta / Roam Creative
JASPER AT A GLANCE
Population
4,817
Median Family Income
$113,620
Unemployment Rate
4%
(Banff-Jasper-Rocky Mountain House and
Athabasca-Grande Prairie-Peace River, Alberta)
Residential Vacancy Rate
0%
Life Stress
23.3%
Sense of Belonging
69%
Photo by Travel Alberta / Jeff Bartlett
WOOD BUFFALO
THE WOOD BUFFALO region is best known
as an oil town, attracting workers from across
Canada and around the world who are drawn
to the area’s energy sector. Fort McMurray, the
municipality’s main urban area, is an important
industrial hub in northeast Alberta. Built where
the Athabasca and Clearwater Rivers meet, it is
a longtime meeting place for the Cree people.
Wood Buffalo’s Cree history lives on today.
The 1,100-metre Aboriginal Interpretive Trail
in MacDonald Island Park features public
art by local Indigenous artists — sculptures
representing seven foundational teachings in
Indigenous culture.
Fort Chipewyan, in the north of the Wood
Buffalo region on the shore of Lake Athabasca,
is home to the Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial
Museum, which is an exact replica of an 1870s
Hudson’s Bay store, an important trading post
in the early fur trade. The museum houses
Indigenous embroidery and clothing alongside fur
coats and other items from the early settlement.
The region is an ideal setting to catch the
Northern Lights — considered one of the best in
the world. The Aurora Borealis’ Indigenous Village
offers clear skies atop Birch Mountain, northwest
of Fort McMurray. Home to the largest dark sky
preserve in the world, the village allows guests
to immerse themselves in nature any time of the
year with a stay in a teepee. It’s the only place in
Canada that offers this experience for Northern
Lights chasers. The village also offers traditional
experiences like dog sledding, berry picking and
ice fishing.
Or, explore the gateway to the north on river
boat tours on the Athabasca and Clearwater,
operated by Métis-owned Wild Feathers. Enjoy
breathtaking views and learn about the river’s
historical significance to many Indigenous
ancestor’s survival.
WOOD BUFFALO
AT A GLANCE
Population
77,094
Median Family Income
$176,605
Unemployment Rate
5.8%
(Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake)
Residential Vacancy Rate
8.8%
Life Stress
23.3%
Sense of Belonging
67.6%
Statistics sources: Government of Alberta, Statistics Canada
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