While on VIA Rail's "The Canadian" from Vancouver to Toronto, there were extended stops where we could walk around for a specified period of time. There were two places where we were able to get off the train and stretch our legs, and I will talk about one of those places. We got to explore the municipality of Jasper in Alberta for about an hour. I have never been to Jasper before, and it was nice to be in a mountain town with the picturesque setting of the Rocky Mountains surrounding it. People come to Jasper primarily for tourism, including exploring Jasper National Park.
Jasper and the surrounding area experienced a massive wildfire back in 2024. Although much of the town had recovered from the natural disaster, there were still scars from the spread of the flames.
Inside the railway station, there was a taxidermied brown bear on display, and it was hard for me to get a clear picture because of how shiny the glass is. The railway station staff really keep that glass clean.
I got this nice picture of the railway station, our train, and the mountains in the distance. Weather was in the single digits (celsius) and I did not feel overtly chilly.
Here is a steam engine locomotive on display just next to the station.
There were a number of souvenir shops and restaurants in the streets of Jasper, where I had to go check out the wares and try to support the local businesses as much as I can.
I was able to get this video of a worker cleaning the panoramic windows on the VIA Rail train, which was pretty cool.
That is pretty much all there is to it in my extremely brief time in Jasper. Honestly, I was just happy to get off the train and stretch my legs, but I am glad to see a town I have never seen before.
More pictures below:
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