When Estelle Blanchette first hitchhiked from Quebec City to Jasper in 1998, she didn’t intend to stay. But after getting a taste of the mountain town’s warm sense of community and beautiful surroundings, Blanchette couldn’t help but make it home.
Over 25 years later, Blanchette’s chosen career path is all about sharing a little slice of Jasper with visitors as owner and founder of Jasper Food Tours.
Blanchette was among the estimated 25,000 people forced to evacuate town on July 22, 2024. No matter where she travelled upon being displaced, it was what originally attracted her to Jasper that stayed front of mind.
“I was in Oliver, B.C., and there was Lake Okanagan, but it’s not blue like Lake Annette. It’s not that beautiful turquoise colour,” she says. “I just kept thinking ‘I’m never going to be able to go to Lake Annette again.’”
Blanchette’s fears have now been put to rest, as Lake Annette is among the many areas open to residents and visitors once again. And while the landscapes of Jasper may look different right now, Jasper’s Rocky Mountain beauty shines through.
Returning to town came with mixed emotions for Blanchette. Luckily, her home did not succumb to the fire. But without a storefront, Jasper Food Tours did not qualify for business interruption insurance, meaning she’ll have to supplement her income in other ways until tourism returns in full force.
Some of Jasper’s most iconic landscapes have been permanently changed, and Blanchette and other residents are getting familiar with their transformed town. “Biking through town, you would turn a corner and have no idea where you were,” she says.
Riding through a particular area of Jasper, Blanchette couldn’t get her bearings. Finally, she realized where she was. “This is where my first home [in Jasper] was. I lived for six years in the home that I was standing in front of, and everything was gone.”
But the spirit of Jasper is alive, and like other residents, Blanchette is looking to the future. She's most excited to keep sharing what brought her permanently to town 26 years ago.
“I missed the landscapes, the lakes, having the trails in our backyard, the bears everywhere. It’s very wild, and it’s even wilder now. But just sharing the love for Jasper is something I’ve always loved. And I can’t wait to do it again.”
Help Blanchette celebrate a return to the mountains. Book our Jasper Strong: Jasper Food Tours package, including a stay at The Crimson or Chateau Jasper, a $200 gift card to Jasper Food Tours and a $50 contribution to Jasper wildfire recovery.
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