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Town of Jasper Updates

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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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.
 
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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.
 

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