An intense wildfire has devastated the town of Jasper, in Alberta’s world-famous national park, damaging countless buildings and causing tens of thousands of residents and visitors to flee. Luckily, there have been no reported fatalities so far.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the fire potentially damaged up to half of the structures in town.

How did this happen and how can Canada better prepare for future wildfires?

Today in The Conversation Canada, Edward Struzik of Queen’s University discusses the urgent need for a Canada-wide national wildfire strategy to protect communities before it’s too late.

“More dark days may be coming unless we develop a culture, and political policies, that respect fire, drawing upon the wealth of valuable insights in Indigenous fire stewardship practices,” he writes.

As the fire in Jasper National Park still burns, it is clear that protecting Canadian towns from future fires will require a concerted national effort beyond the business-as-usual.

Also today:

All the best.

Harris Kuemmerle

Environment + Energy Editor | The Conversation Canada
A wildfire burns near Jasper, Alta. on July 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout, Facebook, Jasper National Park

The 2024 Jasper Fire is a grim reminder of the urgency of adopting a Canadian national wildfire strategy

Edward Struzik, Queen's University, Ontario

Fire events, like the one which has destroyed much of Jasper, will only get worse in a warming world. Canada needs a national wildfire strategy to meet these challenges.
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Daniel Lincoln, University of Alberta

The Russia-North Korea mutual defence treaty sheds light on challenges and opportunities the West faces in an increasingly multipolar world.
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Canadians are using Facebook less as a source of news

Colette Brin, Université Laval; Sébastien Charlton, Université Laval

Canadians have been engaging less with news on Facebook since Meta’s decision to block journalistic content on some of its platforms.

Paris Olympics

The more medals Canadian athletes win, the fewer Canadians participate in organized sport

Peter Donnelly, University of Toronto; Bruce Kidd, University of Toronto

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Despite the IOC’s optimistic rhetoric, environmental exploitation by host nations, and the suppression of opposition to such exploitation, have remained a troubling feature of the Olympic Games.

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Jenna Schulz, Western University; Jane Thornton, Western University

While there has been large advances and successes for athlete-mothers and progress since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, there is still work to be done to improve postpartum care and support.

Transgender athletes face an uncertain future at the Olympics as reactionary policies gain ground

Travers, Simon Fraser University

While transgender people have gained some recognition and human rights in the past decade, a well-financed reactionary movement is rolling them back.

La Conversation Canada
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Les Canadiens s’informent moins sur Facebook qu’auparavant

Colette Brin, Université Laval; Sébastien Charlton, Université Laval

Les Canadiens s’informent moins sur Facebook qu’avant la décision de Meta de bloquer les contenus journalistiques sur certaines de ses plates-formes.

Arts

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    Julien Longhi, CY Cergy Paris Université; Arnaud Richard, Université de Toulon; Carine Duteil, Université de Limoges

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Science + Tech

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