When the devastating wildfire hit Jasper, Alberta, my thoughts went out to all the residents of that town. But I also wondered: What happened to the community’s churches? Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * When the devastating wildfire hit Jasper, Alberta, my thoughts went out to all the residents of that town. But I also wondered: What happened to the community’s churches? Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? When the devastating wildfire hit Jasper, Alberta, my thoughts went out to all the residents of that town.
But I also wondered: What happened to the community’s churches? As it turned out, two of the five churches in the community were destroyed — St. Mary & St. George Anglican Church and the Jasper United Church.
(The Baptist, Pentecostal and Catholic churches were left standing.) Many members of those churches also lost their homes. That included Nancy Addison, the People’s Warden at the Anglican Church.
Addison and her husband were at a family cottage in Riding Mountain National Park when she got the news that her church and home were gone. “I felt physical pain and tears,” she said. “We loved our church.
” As Warden, Addison is responsible for attending to the needs of the 15-20 people who call the church home. It’s a job made all the more important since the congregation hasn’t had a priest since 2021. But nothing prepared her for this situation.
“I feel so.