Jasper says housing plan promised by Alberta government after wildfire falls short

A worker walks through a destroyed neighborhood west of Jasper, Alberta, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.
With more than 600 families left homeless in Jasper, Alberta, after a raging wildfire, the mountain resort town and the provincial government are embroiled in a dispute over temporary housing.

The Alberta government has pledged $112 million to build 250 housing units in the city, where a third of all buildings were destroyed in last summer's massive fire.

However, the state government has made the funding conditional on the construction of permanent single-family homes, which must comply with parking and setback laws.

The city says the rules mean such a plan would only allow for 60 homes if all the space allocated for temporary housing is used. This city wants to abandon the condition of building permanent housing.

Michael Farke, Jasper's director of redevelopment, says the numbers are critical because more than 600 families have applied for housing.

He said in a statement published on the website of the municipality over the weekend:
"Existing realities, including limited access to land, mean that this approach by the provincial government will not be sufficient in any way to meet the immediate housing needs of the community and will have a major impact on the ability to deal with housing challenges in the long term."

"Without adequate temporary housing, families cannot return and recover, and businesses cannot hire for the booming tourism season."

City council members are scheduled to receive a report on the renovation process on Tuesday, and Mayor Richard Ireland will speak to the media afterward.

Ireland was not immediately available for comment, but in a statement released over the weekend, he urged the provincial government to continue working with the city and Parks Canada to meet the needs of residents.

Alberta Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon was also not immediately available for comment.

But in a social media post on Friday, Nixon said he was "extremely disappointed" with City Hall and the federal government for rejecting the provincial plan.

"Ultimately, what we've heard is that Parks Canada and the municipality of Jasper don't want to accept our offer of assistance and are looking at alternatives like work camps that they think are more appropriate," he said.

He added: "We are still concerned about the feasibility of these options, but we wish them success."

Nixon accused the municipality and Parks Canada of making "unreasonable demands" on housing support, including building outside national park boundaries and a plan to "throw away over $100 million in housing after the city rebuilds."

Nixon said Friday that the county's offer is still on the table if the city changes course.

The dispute comes as the city approaches the sixth anniversary of the July 24 fire that caught fire crews by surprise and destroyed 350 structures, including homes and businesses.

The municipality says a portion of the housing will be ready by the end of February as planned as city staff and Parks Canada begin the process of purchasing 50 duplexes.

They are also considering plans to build 120 work camp-style housing units.

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