The Government of Alberta says it cannot move forward with rebuilding Jasper, which was devastated by wildfires, unless the federal government, the municipality, and Parks Canada hold up their ends of the bargain.
Alberta’s $112 million plan to provide 250 modular homes for residents displaced by the 2024 Jasper wildfire has hit a standstill, with the province citing delays and obstacles from Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper.
Alberta’s Minister of Seniors, Community, and Social Services, Jason Nixon, said that the province was on track to deliver 250 homes, but that Alberta cannot proceed without land.
“It’s been radio silence from Ottawa since Premier Danielle Smith sent a letter to the Prime Minister nearly a month ago,” said Nixon.
Smith echoed the concerns in her own post to X.
“This is unacceptable. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his federal government are in disarray, and they are leaving the poor people of Jasper behind,” she said.
Nixon said the province allocated $112 million to build 250 single-family homes by early 2025, contingent on Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper providing the land.
“However, they have not followed through on their promise,” said Nixon.
The roadblocks put up by the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada consist of reducing the land available, requiring high-density solutions that would take years to build, and only providing enough land for eight permanent houses, according to Nixon.
“Parks Canada and the municipality also made unreasonable demands, such as asking us to build outside of the national park, and expecting the province to tear down and throw away over $100 million worth of housing once the town is rebuilt,” he said.
He added that Smith had sent a letter to Trudeau, but no response had been given.
“At this point in time, the province’s hands are tied. This is outside of the province’s jurisdiction, and we cannot build housing without the cooperation of the park, the federal government, and the municipality,” said Nixon.
Despite not receiving a response from Trudeau, Nixon said that Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper are allegedly pursuing other options, like work camps, and that the province remains concerned about the feasibility of other options.
Parks Canada said in a recent interim housing update that it has made over 4 hectares of land available for interim housing, equivalent to four CFL fields. The organization said it is in the process of securing high-density interim housing solutions consisting of work camp-style accommodation of 120 single units.
Additionally, Parks Canada said it had initiated the procurement process for 50 duplex units, totalling 100 units. The agency also said it purchased four pre-built housing units that are ready to be delivered to Jasper.
The Municipality of Jasper’s Director of Recovery, Michael Fark, said that the Government of Alberta’s offer is appreciated but unrealistic.
“With the Government of Alberta’s requirement for permanent single-detached units, using all of the serviceable 4.25 hectares of available land would only yield approximately 60 single-detached units— far below the 250 units of housing support announced,” he said.
The Mayor of Jasper, Richard Ireland, said the town remains ready to collaborate with provincial and federal partners.
The Jasper rebuild has five phases, according to Parks Canada. It is currently in Phase 2, “Design your build,” with construction scheduled for Phase 4 and occupancy planned for Phase 5.
“Alberta’s government is extremely disappointed with Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper for denying this opportunity to truly help those who lost their homes. If they change their mind, Alberta’s government is ready to help,” said Nixon.
The Jasper wildfires caused nearly $1 billion in damage and destroyed a third of the town, resulting in over 360 square kilometres of burned or partially burned areas and 358 destroyed structures.
True North contacted the Prime Minister’s Office but received no reply. Parks Canada said it could not meet the deadline.
The Mayor of Jasper and the Director of Recovery for Jasper, Michael Fark, are hosting a press conference to provide an update on Tuesday.
“Our hearts break for those who lost their homes and are now receiving the incredibly disappointing news that their return to Jasper may be further delayed,” concluded Nixon. “We continue to call upon the federal government to meet their obligations in their national park.”
