As officials announced the date during a Monday news conference, they cautioned residents thatthe homecomingwill bethe start of a dauntingordeal.

Critical routes running through Alberta's rocky mountains, closed down by a wildfire still raging in Jasper National Park, are now slowly re-opening to traffic.

Stephen Nelson is among hundreds of Jasper evacuees now joining a series of grim processions through the wildfire-ravaged community, offering residents the chance to view the devastation firsthand.

An Edmonton woman who alleges that she was sexually assaulted at a northern Alberta work camp, then dismissed for reporting the abuse, is suing her former employer and the man she holds responsible for the attack.

Crews are bracing for a prolonged battle with the wildfire that devastated Jasper and that continues to rage within the boundary of Jasper National Park.

While out-of-control wildfires continueto burn and smoulder in Jasper,the critical highwayroute through the national parkis reopening on a limited basis to commercial traffic.

Until the threat to the community subsides, evacuation orders will remain in effect and the park gates will remain closed to visitors, officials say.