Rugged Relaxation in Jasper

Sip a local brew by the fire or roam the Maligne Canyon by night: You pick the nature of your thrills in this Rockies getaway.

Imagine Mary Schäffer Warren’s astonishment when, 100 years ago, she stumbled on Maligne Lake, the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world and one of the most photographed in the Rockies. Now Jasper, with its instant access to the outdoors, hosts weekenders from Edmonton (four hours to the east) as well as the private-jet contingent – Bill Gates and John Travolta, for starters. Like us, you can take in the area’s natural bounty over a glass of Liftline Cream Ale at the new Jasper Brewing Company, which only uses water from the Canadian Rockies for its brew.

Even when the mercury drops, Jasperites still head outdoors. In winter, the usually rushing rapids at Maligne Canyon freeze, and you can descend into the canyon for a guided nighttime ice crawl. Or you may choose heights of a different kind: climbing to the top of Mount Edith Cavell. When it warms, ask for directions to the cliff-jumping site at the picturesque Horseshoe Lake.  

Lineups at the Bear’s Paw Bakery start as early as 6 a.m. and snake out the door. Fresh loaves of cheese bread sell out quickly. (Pick up two for an afternoon picnic.) The Other Paw, the bakery’s newest outpost, is a little glossier than the original and names its sandwiches after nursery rhyme characters. Case in point: the Humpty Dumpty, a curried egg salad on pumpernickel.  

Shopping in Jasper tends to fall into two categories: functional outdoor gear and touristy knick-knacks. For a change, check out the Tea Leaf Boutique’s well-edited collection of clothes and accessories, featuring the Canadian lines Soïa & Kyo, Chula Pony and Matt & Nat. The boutique’s tea blends include an equally intriguing array – peppercorns and popcorn, anyone?

Five minutes from town, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s low-slung architecture and cluster of cabins sit serenely on Lac Beauvert. The main lodge’s second-floor patio offers mountain views so awe-inspiring that they’re almost corny. Don’t be surprised if you catch one of the area’s hazards – elk – wandering onto the frozen legendary Stanley Thompson golf course. It’ll make for a good story to tell when you’re kicking back at the Fairmont’s subterranean spa.

Nick Bartziokas left Greece 35 years ago and came to Jasper to open Tonquin Prime Rib Village. It’s been a tourist and local hangout ever since. The house prime rib – cooked for eight hours or so – only partly explains Tonquin’s decades-old cult following; Bartziokas is as much a fixture as the food.