With just under 5,000 year-round residents, the quaint Jasper resort community is the gateway to exploring one of the most spectacular parts of Western Canada, Jasper National Park, which at 4,200 square miles is the world’s largest park. large in the Canadian Rockies (it is about twice the size of Prince Edward Island). Although it is a relatively small community, it is home to one of the major winter Pride events in North America: the Jasper Pride Festival, which takes place in March this year; dates are March 9-12, 2017.
Jasper’s Gay Pride celebration comprises four days of daytime events and evening parties – here’s a full schedule of events from last year’s festivities, just to give you an idea of what to expect at the next event. Top activities among the more than 20 events included an opening acoustic show with Lucas Silveira, a Pride Beer party at Jasper Brewing Company, a screening of the film Pride, a “Boylesque Bong-Age Show,” the Sawridge Inn, the talented Kate Reid in concert, a Lum-Bear Jack party at Whistle Stop Pub, Family Pride events, the From Jasper With Love 007 Pride Gala Party at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, and other evening gatherings; and skiing, guided ice canyon hikes, ice climbing, tobogganing, a “high heels” ski competition and snowshoeing during the days.
You will find links to purchase tickets online for various parties and gatherings on the Jasper Pride events page.
Various hotels in Jasper host different events and offer special deals during Jasper Pride – the organizers have a helpful guide on where to stay with details. Key lodging options include the elegant Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, the Mountain Park Lodges collection, the mid-priced Best Western Jasper Inn, the conveniently located Sawridge Inn & Conference Center, and the affordable Whistler’s Inn.
Local company Sundog Tours offers a daily bus service to Jasper during the Pride Festival, with options from Calgary (via Banff) and Edmonton airports. For additional details, as well as other tips for getting to Jasper, visit the festival’s Getting to Jasper page.
Like Whistler Winter Pride, which takes place relatively close to Vancouver in late January, Jasper’s event is both a Gay Pride festival and a Gay Ski Week. The event draws revelers and winter sports fans from all over Alberta and British Columbia – Jasper is a four-hour drive north of Banff along the famous and glitzy Icefields Parkway, a four-hour drive to the west of Edmonton and a five hour drive. northwest of Calgary. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jasper National Park is a wonderful place to observe all types of wildlife (from caribou to grizzly bears), see some of the most accessible glaciers in the country, and participate in recreational activities such as skiing and skiing. Snowboarding at Marmot Basin Resort in winter, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, camping, and soaking in hot springs the rest of the year.
Jasper, Alberta Gay Resources
The bustling resort town of Jasper will have plenty of activities during Pride Week. Check out regional newspapers, such as Gay Calgary magazine, which has coverage throughout the province. Also take a look at Travel Gay Canada Alberta’s online directory, which has extensive information on gay travel throughout the region; And for tourist information, Tourism Jasper, which is one of the main sponsors of the Jasper Pride Festival, is an excellent website packed with tips on where to stay, eat and play.
