Jasper National Park After the Wildfires
Returning to Jasper National Park after the wildfire immediately felt different. It was the first time I had been back to the area since the fires. Much of the landscape could hardly be recognized. Dense, thick forest areas now stood bare. As I drove into the park, it was heavy like it was still bearing the burden. As a photographer, I wanted to capture not only the damage, but the consequences of the damage as well.
Views of Jasper’s peaks appear through the burnt trees
The initial picture in this series makes destruction extremely evident. Burned trees run across the landscape, and stand like reminders of how much has changed in such a short time.
Abstract patterns appear amongst the chaos
The second photo is a bit more abstract. It is not so much about the entire scene as about its details, such as burnt surfaces, fractured lines, and the patterns fire leaves behind. At times, pulling in closer narrates otherwise.
An elk lies still, a witness to the destruction
The third picture could be the one that struck me the most. An elk was lying in the center of the forest that had been burnt. Wild animals do not rest due to the alteration of the landscape. They adjust, live, and continue to move. It was significant to me to experience that.
A rainbow appears in a valley
Next was the fourth picture- a rainbow on the burn area. It was one of those things that you do not plan. Having been in the midst of so much apparent devastation, seeing that felt like a reminder that the process of recovery is already underway, even though it is slow.
A heart-shape opening in the sky in the heart of Jasper National Park
Another surprise moment in the fifth picture was the formation of clouds that created an appearance of a heart shape on the landscape. Perhaps it is coincidence, perhaps not. But in a place which bore so much loss, it was significant.
Spirit Island, Jasper National Park
The last image is about spirit. The spirit of the land, but also the people who are related to the land. The individuals who lost their homes, the families who were affected, the businesses that were affected, and the communities that are still struggling to rebuild their homes. Many of them live in portables.
The healing process is not always easy and quick. What lies behind the trees that have been burnt are real challenges. The most notable thing about this visit was that Jasper is still Jasper. Changed, yes. Scarred, definitely. But still alive. The ash is being pushed through by wildflowers. Wildlife seems different. The landscape is gradually reconstituting itself in its own time. These photos aren’t meant to be dramatic. They are nothing but a straightforward view into what Jasper currently looks like, the damage, the strength, and the gradual process of moving forward. Photography is sometimes not about finding the ideal conditions or postcard perspectives. At other times, it is merely a matter of recording a moment in the history of a place.
