The 16th annual Jasper Pride and Ski Festival kicked off 10 days of festivities with the raising of the Pride flag at Commemoration Park on Friday (April 4).
Mollie Lalonde-Lynch with the Jasper Pride and Ski Festival described during the event how the future of both Jasper and the festival had been uncertain following the wildfire last summer.
“Our beautiful mountain town has shown its strength once again, and we rise, we rebuild and we continue forward, and that’s the true spirit of Jasper,” Lalonde-Lynch said.
One of her most vivid moments upon returning was seeing the rainbow and transgender crosswalks still shining bright, a bold reminder that Jasper’s queer community was still standing and still proud.
“Like the rising phoenix, our pride party’s theme this year, we’ll rise from the ashes and fly higher,” she said. “As we raise our flag today, let it be a symbol of joy, love and the unwavering community that makes Jasper so special.”
Matrica Bauer, a local knowledge keeper, drummed a song titled “Gratitude” to acknowledge how she was grateful that Jasper was her home.
“We’re in this place of healing, but we’re also in this place of hope, and we’re also in this place of hurt, and we’re really trying to open the doors for the public, but we’re also negotiating our own tragic losses in lots of different ways,” Bauer said.
Alan Fehr, superintendent for Jasper National Park, told attendees that Parks Canada was proud to support one of the country’s longest-running pride festivals and the first to be held in a Canadian national park.
“This festival is a powerful celebration of love, identity and community,” Fehr said. “It is a time to embrace the diversity that makes Jasper a truly special place to live, work and visit.”
Fehr acknowledged how the wildfire had tested the strength and resiliency of Jasperites, with the community demonstrating “incredible courage, unity and perseverance.”
“We have come together to support one another to rebuild and to reaffirm the values that define us – compassion, inclusivity and respect – as we gather to celebrate Pride,” he said. “Let this festival be a reminder that resilience is woven into the fabric of Jasper as it is in the 2SLGBTQI+ communities.”
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland noted this year’s theme, Phoenix Rising, spoke to something “powerful and personal.”
“It’s about emerging from challenge stronger, more united and more determined than ever to move forward in recent times,” Ireland said. “Jasper has always been and rightly presents and prides itself as being a community which embraces diversity and welcomes everyone exactly as they are. This festival is a manifestation and a reflection of that welcoming and inclusive attitude, of love, of courage and of visibility.”
The festival runs from April 4 to 13. Events include the Jasper Pride Kick Off Party, the Proud Peaks ski parade at Marmot Basin and the Jasper Pride Party: Phoenix Rising. Visit the festival’s website for a full list of events.
