After two months, feds still have no new ministerial lead for Jasper’s recovery

The federal government is still mum on who will be the next person to lead its efforts to rebuild Jasper following the devastating wildfire.

Oliver Anderson, director of communications for the office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, confirmed in an email on Thursday (Jan. 23) that they had no information to share about a new ministerial lead at this time.

Last summer, nearly a third of the mountain town was destroyed, including 820 residential units, further exacerbating Jasper’s chronic housing shortage.

In October, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, an Edmonton Member of Parliament, to lead the federal government’s work to support residents and businesses in Jasper while helping the town rebuild.

Boissonnault had visited Jasper several times for various announcements – such as business grants and Parks Canada foregoing rent – before he left the Liberal cabinet in late November over questions around his shifting claims of Indigenous identity and his business dealings.

Since then, the federal government has made no announcement about who will be replacing Boissonnault as ministerial lead for Jasper.

“We recognize the importance of having a federal ministerial lead to support Jasper’s recovery efforts,” said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland in a statement. “Strong federal leadership is critical to addressing our community’s ongoing challenges, and we look forward to the appointment of a new ministerial lead to continue this vital work.”

Mike Day, owner of Evil Dave’s Grill in Jasper, said losing Minister Boissonnault on the Jasper file was “a critical blow” for the community’s ability to get the ear of the Prime Minister’s office.

“Obviously, now that the prime minister has announced that he’s essentially retiring from politics, I can understand why the party would have other things on their mind, and it doesn’t seem like we’re top of mind right now,” Day said.

Day did highlight the efforts of PrairiesCan when it came to supporting Jasper businesses, such as the business grant program that the federal department was providing in partnership with Community Futures West Yellowhead.

Paul Butler, executive director of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged there was a concern with the change in ministerial leadership and the upcoming election.

“I am concerned that Jasper could sort of fall off the agenda to some extent, so the Chamber of Commerce is working actively to reach out to federal departments and make sure that Jasper is still part of the conversation,” Butler said.