By Angela Hill, Canadian Red Cross
Nearly two years after a massive wildfire led to the evacuation of the town of Jasper, Alberta, recovery is well underway and the community continues to grow closer.
In April 2026, the Canadian Red Cross held a pop-up session where additional staff and supports were available to residents in Jasper. The team visited with the community to better understand the challenges and realities residents face, and to hear their stories as they navigate the recovery process.
Jennifer and Joe are long-time Jasper residents. Together, they own and operate Grandma’s Place, a homemade ice cream shop in town.
Jennifer and Joe Gil, owners of Grandma’s Place.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
The couple lost their home in the fire. For two years, they have been recovering and working towards their goal of getting their business back to 100 per cent capacity this summer.
“There’s still a lot more down than up. There are still nights where I can’t sleep… You’re thinking if I had just done this, or if I packed that,” said Jennifer.
While there are many challenges, there are also signs of hope. The couple’s first sign of hope came after visiting their property following the fires, when they found their crab apple tree had survived.
“This is the root of our crab apple tree and this is the shoot that’s coming up,” she said, pointing to the new growth. The pair ringed the plant with rocks to ensure it would survive the rebuild process.
Their goal is to get their home back as soon as possible, “and to move in as fast as we can, even if we just have to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. At least we are back,” Jennifer said.
On-going recovery and reconstruction in Jasper, Alberta.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
At the same time, they are eager to continue working towards getting their business up and running again, with support from the Red Cross.
The couple says they appreciate the support they’ve received, not just for their business but personally as well.
“I felt like I was given a hug. That was great,” Jennifer said. “They were able to get us the help we needed financially.”
Alongside case managers, who provide personalized recovery support to people impacted by emergencies and disasters and connect them with available resources, the Canadian Red Cross also has experts in insurance and construction.
Yvonne Raaymakers, a professional engineer and program manager of residential construction, meets with people recovering from natural disasters and emergencies across Canada.
“I work with people navigating everything and anything that has to do with residential construction: building codes, quotes, contracts, specifications, spacing on a lot,” Yvonne said.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
She explains that this type of support gives people who have been impacted by emergencies and disasters the opportunity to start moving forward.
After experiencing loss from an emergency or a disaster, it can be overwhelming to navigate the various steps and processes involved in recovery.
By providing experts, people can ask questions without incurring additional costs to an already stressful process.
“We’re here to help. This is exactly what we want to do. Having people come in and leave with a sense of accomplishment, a sense of a path forward is really important for a lot of people,” said Brett Levac, Canadian Red Cross lead for insurance services.
In April 2026, the Canadian Red Cross hosted an event where various experts provided their expertise and support to residents. Ron Stanko, a resident of Jasper attended the event and met with Brett.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
Ron, who lost his house in the fire, said the process of recovery has been lengthy and difficult. “I think there has been a lot of hurdles that nobody expected,” he said.
To help navigate the recovery process, Ron meets with a case manager on a monthly basis and with various experts when they are available.
“The Red Cross has been phenomenal from day one,” he said. “Not only with just the initial aid and comfort of it all, very welcoming in the process, but also I can go right to them for information, which has been priceless, it’s been a real godsend.”
Without the Red Cross experts, Ron said he would have been relying on information online, which he was concerned about in terms of accuracy, or going to a lawyer, which would become cost prohibitive.
“The best way I can describe it is Red Cross basically picked me up again, dusted me off, pointed me in a direction and led me forward. That’s the best way I can describe it. And if you need help, you can go back and ask for help again and they’ll redirect you. And if they can’t tell you, they’ll tell you who you can go to talk to. It’s been absolutely incredible.”
The Canadian Red Cross continues to support residents who have been impacted by the 2024 Alberta wildfires. To learn more about ongoing and recovery support, visit: Alberta Wildfires 2024 | Canadian Red Cross.
Nearly two years after a massive wildfire led to the evacuation of the town of Jasper, Alberta, recovery is well underway and the community continues to grow closer.
In April 2026, the Canadian Red Cross held a pop-up session where additional staff and supports were available to residents in Jasper. The team visited with the community to better understand the challenges and realities residents face, and to hear their stories as they navigate the recovery process.
Meet Jennifer and Joe, Owners of Grandma’s Place
Jennifer and Joe are long-time Jasper residents. Together, they own and operate Grandma’s Place, a homemade ice cream shop in town.Jennifer and Joe Gil, owners of Grandma’s Place.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
The couple lost their home in the fire. For two years, they have been recovering and working towards their goal of getting their business back to 100 per cent capacity this summer.
“There’s still a lot more down than up. There are still nights where I can’t sleep… You’re thinking if I had just done this, or if I packed that,” said Jennifer.
While there are many challenges, there are also signs of hope. The couple’s first sign of hope came after visiting their property following the fires, when they found their crab apple tree had survived.
“This is the root of our crab apple tree and this is the shoot that’s coming up,” she said, pointing to the new growth. The pair ringed the plant with rocks to ensure it would survive the rebuild process.
Their goal is to get their home back as soon as possible, “and to move in as fast as we can, even if we just have to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. At least we are back,” Jennifer said.
On-going recovery and reconstruction in Jasper, Alberta.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
At the same time, they are eager to continue working towards getting their business up and running again, with support from the Red Cross.
The couple says they appreciate the support they’ve received, not just for their business but personally as well.
“I felt like I was given a hug. That was great,” Jennifer said. “They were able to get us the help we needed financially.”
Red Cross Insurance and Construction Experts Provide Guidance to Jasper Residents
Alongside case managers, who provide personalized recovery support to people impacted by emergencies and disasters and connect them with available resources, the Canadian Red Cross also has experts in insurance and construction.Yvonne Raaymakers, a professional engineer and program manager of residential construction, meets with people recovering from natural disasters and emergencies across Canada.
“I work with people navigating everything and anything that has to do with residential construction: building codes, quotes, contracts, specifications, spacing on a lot,” Yvonne said.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
She explains that this type of support gives people who have been impacted by emergencies and disasters the opportunity to start moving forward.
After experiencing loss from an emergency or a disaster, it can be overwhelming to navigate the various steps and processes involved in recovery.
By providing experts, people can ask questions without incurring additional costs to an already stressful process.
“We’re here to help. This is exactly what we want to do. Having people come in and leave with a sense of accomplishment, a sense of a path forward is really important for a lot of people,” said Brett Levac, Canadian Red Cross lead for insurance services.
In April 2026, the Canadian Red Cross hosted an event where various experts provided their expertise and support to residents. Ron Stanko, a resident of Jasper attended the event and met with Brett.
Photo: Angela Hill / Canadian Red Cross
Ron, who lost his house in the fire, said the process of recovery has been lengthy and difficult. “I think there has been a lot of hurdles that nobody expected,” he said.
To help navigate the recovery process, Ron meets with a case manager on a monthly basis and with various experts when they are available.
“The Red Cross has been phenomenal from day one,” he said. “Not only with just the initial aid and comfort of it all, very welcoming in the process, but also I can go right to them for information, which has been priceless, it’s been a real godsend.”
Ongoing Recovery Support from the Canadian Red Cross
Without the Red Cross experts, Ron said he would have been relying on information online, which he was concerned about in terms of accuracy, or going to a lawyer, which would become cost prohibitive. “The best way I can describe it is Red Cross basically picked me up again, dusted me off, pointed me in a direction and led me forward. That’s the best way I can describe it. And if you need help, you can go back and ask for help again and they’ll redirect you. And if they can’t tell you, they’ll tell you who you can go to talk to. It’s been absolutely incredible.”
The Canadian Red Cross continues to support residents who have been impacted by the 2024 Alberta wildfires. To learn more about ongoing and recovery support, visit: Alberta Wildfires 2024 | Canadian Red Cross.
