As Jasper residents continue to wait anxiously for interim housing, Parks Canada says it is working with all levels of government to get housing in place as quickly as possible.
According to the federal agency, it is supporting interim housing by making land available and procuring its own interim housing units.
“Parks Canada recognizes that displaced families and individuals from Jasper are facing uncertainty about their future housing options, and we are working with all levels of government to try to advance plans to alleviate that uncertainty,” the agency stated in a Friday (Jan. 17) update.
The Alberta government has promised to deliver 250 modular units by early 2025 to help house Jasper residents displaced by last summer’s wildfire. Parks Canada has made four hectares of land available for interim housing.
Over 600 families have applied for interim housing, according to the Municipality of Jasper.
While site servicing for all parcels was completed by Dec. 6, Parks Canada and the provincial government have since been stuck in negotiations around land leasing.
In a Dec. 14 interview, Premier Danielle Smith said they were getting caught up in Parks Canada’s regulatory processes and accused the agency of being inflexible by refusing to expand the townsite boundary for interim housing.
Parks Canada assured in its update that its priority was to install as many housing units as quickly as possible.
“We are putting options on the table to help meet the Government of Alberta’s requirements to move forward with the units they have announced and remain open to finding creative solutions to move as many housing options forward as possible,” it stated.
Ifan Thomas, associate superintendent of Jasper National Park, said in an interview that expanding the town’s boundary was not needed to accommodate interim housing since there was enough space, provided there was a sufficient level of density.
As well, the municipality wants to maintain the character of the town, which would include maintaining the town boundary. Any expansion of the boundary would also require an act of Parliament, a process that would take time, and the parcels of land would still need to be serviced.
“It’s not a solution in any way in the short term,” Thomas said.
He was unable to comment on the ongoing land negotiations and refrained from speculating on how long it would take to deploy interim housing, once land leases were settled, since that was the provincial government’s responsibility.
In addition to the housing promised by the Alberta government, Parks Canada is working to secure higher-density interim housing solutions for its employees and the community.
These solutions include a work-camp-style accommodation of 120 single units at Marmot Meadows near Whistler Campground. The agency will also procure 50 duplex units – a total of 100 housing units – and has purchased four pre-built housing units that are ready for delivery to Jasper.
“Parks Canada is working with the Municipality of Jasper to identify the most suitable locations for housing units and installations of the interim housing units as quickly as possible,” the agency stated, adding that some of these units could potentially be placed on the serviced parcels.
Thomas said the goal would be to bring this housing online by the end of February.
Other housing options being explored include possibly making land at Wabasso Campground available for a contractor-style camp to house the rebuilding workforce.
Parks Canada will also consider making campsites available for displaced residents this summer and using staff accommodation units outside of town that were or are in the process of being decommissioned.
In addition, the agency and the municipality are looking to identify more land parcels within the townsite where housing could go.
‘Roadblocks and delays’
The Alberta government is pointing the finger at Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper over the lack of progress on interim housing.
Jason Nixon, minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, said in a statement how Alberta had been on track to deliver 250 single-family homes early this year but asserted that Parks Canada and the municipality have not followed through on their promise to provide land.
“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,” he said. “If they change their mind, Alberta’s government is ready to help.”
Nixon highlighted numerous “roadblocks and delays” from these two levels of government, which included reducing the land available, requiring high-density solutions that would take years to build and only making enough land available for eight permanent houses.
“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 throw away over $100 million worth of housing once the town is rebuilt,” he said.
Premier Smith has since sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to draw attention to the issues facing Jasper, but Nixon reported that no response has yet been received from Ottawa.
Nixon noted how “the province’s hands are tied” since Jasper was in a national park outside of provincial jurisdiction and couldn’t provide housing without the co-operation from other levels of government.
He added how the Alberta government was concerned about the feasibility of alternative options, such as work camps, that Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper are exploring but wished them success.
“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,” Nixon said. “Alberta’s government will continue to explore its options to help elsewhere and look at every available avenue to support Jasperites. We continue to call upon the federal government to meet their obligations in their national park.”
In response to Minister Nixon’s statement, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland released his own statement saying he and the municipality remained fully committed to collaborating with the provincial and federal governments to address these challenges.
“Jasper’s recovery depends on solutions that are both timely and comprehensive, and we are asking our Provincial and Federal partners to continue working together with us so that we can meet the needs of our residents and businesses to ensure Jasper’s future,” Ireland said.
Michael Fark, municipal director of recovery, said in a statement that the Alberta government’s offer to provide housing through permanent, single-detached units was appreciated.
“However, the realities on the ground—including limited land availability— mean that this approach would not be nearly enough to meet the community’s urgent housing needs and would significantly impact the ability to meet long-term housing challenges,” Fark said.
According to Fark, only 60 single-detached units would fit on the serviceable 4.25 hectares of available land.
“Housing is the foundation on which recovery is built,” he added. “Without adequate interim housing, families cannot return and recover, and businesses will be unable to staff for the busy tourism season.”
