Jasper

Jasper, unincorporated community, western Alberta, Canada. It lies at the confluence of the Athabasca and Miette rivers, within the boundaries of Jasper National Park. The park was designated part of UNESCO’s Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage site in 1984.

The community and park take their name from Jasper Hawes, who in 1817 was given charge of a fur-trading post that had been established some years earlier on the Athabasca River. Since the conservation of the area (1907) as a national park and the building of the Jasper Park Lodge (1922), the locality, overlooked by spectacular peaks, has become a popular resort in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Maligne and Pyramid lakes, Miette Hotsprings, Mount Edith Cavell, and the Columbia Icefield are among the local attractions. Jasper is a divisional point on the Canadian National Railway and is strategically situated at the junction of the Yellowhead Highway and the Icefields Parkway. Unlike the self-governing community of Banff to the southeast (which lies within Banff National Park), Jasper is still administered by the national park authorities. Pop. (2006) 4,265; (2011) 4,051.