Town of Jasper Updates

[wormwood]

Also upgrading that highway would allow transport traffic to better move through a more reliable mountain crossing. There is a route planned for the Hinton Bypass. When I was last out there riding the locals pointed out the route to us.

Alberta Highway 16X - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[supaflyryguy]

Edmonton and its people have got to stop feeling so insular. Hinton is an exceptional stopover -- Edson perhaps a little less so but with great potential also. Whitecourt has exceptional natural beauty with the Athabasca and McLeod Rivers converging on the town. As Edmonton grows in population I think a spillover effect on the towns in all directions surrounding the City will begin to have a positive growth and development outcome for the smaller centres. Being of the aged variety, I can remember back when Red Deer was little more than a convenience stop between the Big E and the small c -- it has blossomed into a City in its own right with lots to see and do and with its neighbors, Lacombe and Sylvan Lake, both adding to the character development of the region. Alberta is a beautiful Province and one of Canada's most diverse in terms of geological and geographical makeup. It really is a special place.

The challenge with Edson, Hinton, and others in the area is that to flip to tourism they need to find a way to wash off the roughneck regressive taint. Small, closed, rural mindsets tend to be incompatible with welcoming of new or different ideas and cultures that comes with tourism.

 

[David A]

Tourism jobs often tend not be as well paying as say oilfield jobs. So I suspect that is one reason why some of the more industrial but comfortable towns here don't put more effort into sprucing things up.

 

[archited]

My past dealings with the Mayor et al of Hinton have been the very opposite of

Small, closed, rural mindsets

 

[yeggator]

The challenge with Edson, Hinton, and others in the area is that to flip to tourism they need to find a way to wash off the roughneck regressive taint. Small, closed, rural mindsets tend to be incompatible with welcoming of new or different ideas and cultures that comes with tourism.

I could see Hinton successfully embracing tourism, being the last settlement before the park gate a 10-minute drive away. Not sure how the pulp mill factors in, but development on the hill side would avoid most of the impacts. Not sure if Edson will turn around its roughneck image though.

 

[Tropical]

I could see Hinton successfully embracing tourism, being the last settlement before the park gate a 10-minute drive away. Not sure how the pulp mill factors in, but development on the hill side would avoid most of the impacts. Not sure if Edson will turn around its roughneck image though.

I concur. Hinton has potential in this direction that Edson simply doesn't.

 

[Airboy]

Know of a few people that have bought property in the Hinton Area. There is a growing population of people using Hinton similar to Canmore. I looked at areas near Cadomin a few years back. That whole area is ripe for a new Park similar to Kananaski. I believe Getty had one proposed years ago.

 

[northlands]

I am surprised Cadomin hasn't become a lot more popular with hikers, mountain bikers and other back country enthusiasts. Such a beautiful area! The town itself is pretty cute as well. I think the rough trunk roads and challenging winter access really puts people off, though.

 

[ADob]

When I lived in Whitecourt, back in the dark ages, we'd do jaunts to Cadomin. Agreed, it is highly underrated!

 

[David A]

Know of a few people that have bought property in the Hinton Area. There is a growing population of people using Hinton similar to Canmore. I looked at areas near Cadomin a few years back. That whole area is ripe for a new Park similar to Kananaski. I believe Getty had one proposed years ago.

Yes, I also know someone who bought a property in the Hinton area and goes out there regularly too. It is a lot closer from here and of course much cheaper than Canmore too.

 

[Gronk!]

I'm all for the improvements to the Yellowhead all the way to the Jasper park gate. I just hope that the United Calgary Party will play ball. The feds could also kick in, given that it's a Trans Canada Highway. I'm a bit hesitant about twinning the Yellowhead through Jasper National Park. How many of us would miss being stopped by the bighorn sheep on the road, or being slowed down while passing by Talbot Lake?

 

[Airboy]

Feds will upgrade if GoA upgrades. No reason for the Feds to do anything yet. Also heard the right of way has been looked at already. Its tough because the path is quite narrow. You have the TMX along a portion of it until it goes along the north shore.


Another place that gets no love, Brule.

 

[David A]

Feds will upgrade if GoA upgrades. No reason for the Feds to do anything yet. Also heard the right of way has been looked at already. Its tough because the path is quite narrow. You have the TMX along a portion of it until it goes along the north shore.


Another place that gets no love, Brule.

It is nice to see people here highlighting some of the smaller but overlooked great places already here. Really, there is only one industrial town that needs to spruce up a lot along the way.

Unfortunately it is big and half way between Edmonton and Jasper, so it affects the perspective of the trip between Edmonton and Jasper a lot.

 

[Yeggy]

I really wish the provincial and federal governments would commit to upgrading Highway 16 between Edmonton and Jasper. If the province expands the roadway and limits access through Gainford, twins the bridge through Entwistle, builds bypasses around Edson and Hinton and twins the highway up to the park gate, you could drive from the Henday to the park gate in 2.5 hours if these upgrades were coupled with the speed limit increase to 120. (Knowing Alberta drivers though, everyone will go 130 and save 12 more minutes).

Then, if the federal government twinned the highway from the park gate to Highway 93 and added wildlife overpasses and fences, the speed limit could be bumped up to 90 or 100. It only reduces the travel time by a few minutes, but it will significantly improve the reliability of the highway (mitigating impacts from summer traffic, wildlife crossings, bad weather and rockfalls). All-in-all, you could shave off an hour from the current 4h-trip and significantly improve the reliability of Highway 16 year-round. A portion of the 93 is shut down as I type this, and recent closures for avalanche control forced last-minute changes to my latest hiking trip, so having that reliability for locals and tourists is no joke. Plus, it would be easier for Edmonton to market itself as a landing spot for tourists going to the mountains and take a big load off the Trans-Canada (horrendous traffic!!!!).

This gets brought up regularly. The upgrades an community by passes have been planned for decades. However, Hinton and Edson have long resisted these improvements as they the cars going through town.

 

[yeggator]

This gets brought up regularly. The upgrades an community by passes have been planned for decades. However, Hinton and Edson have long resisted these improvements as they the cars going through town.

It’s all fun and games until a tanker truck crashes in the middle of a blizzard in the heart of town…