Arts & Culture

Some mountain towns and resorts base their appeal on trying to be trendy, boasting ultra hip nightlife scenes, fancy cuisine and edgy fashions. Jasper, which retains its timeless appeal as a peaceful, unpretentious and intimate former railway town that just happens to be set smack in the middle of some of the world’s most gorgeous protected wilderness.

A global village

The Jasper culture is influenced by the past and by the world.  This small little mountain hamlet is the result of First Nations vision, the dreams of European explorers and of a railroad that created a nation.  It’s hard to go far, for instance, without seeing a Greek dish on a restaurant menu in Jasper.  Many Greek sailors jumped ship on Canada’s Atlantic coast and rode the rails to this mountain paradise.  Their children’s children still make Jasper home, and welcome you to it.

Real people powered

Sure, you can get your sashimi fix and buy all the latest gear and gadgets here. But Jasper is refreshingly rough around the edges, something increasingly hard to find as more and more resorts vie to be the coolest spot of the season. And although there is plenty of new development on boutique strips such as Patricia Street, and in shopping malls and nightspots springing up around town, Jasper still retains its rustic and eclectic authentic charm without feeling old fashioned. It’s an authentic place where real people live, not just a tourism driven amusement park.

Culture buff?

Here are just a few of the activities you can enjoy while you're in town...

- Take a classic rail journey through the Canadian Rockies–arriving in style at  the historic train station nestled in the heart of Jasper

- Spend three nights in one of Jasper’s historic hotels

- See the past come to life on a Friends of Jasper guided tour

- Learn about glaciers, ice fields & their impact on our environment at the Athabasca Glacier on the Columbia Ice Field

- Understand the issues, challenges & successes with the stewardship of Jasper National Park on a tour with a senior Parks Canada interpreter

- Paddle your way through the mountains on a professionally guided historical kayak trip, navigating the emerald waters of Maligne Lake as Jasper’s first explorers did

- Cozy up in a teepee and be transported to another time and place, listening to an ancient cultures’ rich story of the legend of creation

- Music doesn’t have to be polished and cultivated; join locals at one of Jasper’s genuine jam sessions to hear the sounds of great live music