JASPER – A year after Jasper was evacuated and a wildfire destroyed a third of the townsite, Mayor Richard Ireland felt that the disparity between residents was becoming more apparent.
Ireland, who lost his home in the blaze, explained that everyone had initially been dealing with the trauma of the event and getting back on their feet.
“Now, we’re coming up to a year in, and some people have progressed further with their plans than others,” he said. “Some are more settled, some are less settled, some have not yet even been able to return to the community.”
Although interim housing has allowed some Jasperites to return to their hometown, at least several hundred remain displaced. Ireland said that a lack of accommodations remained the biggest challenge and acknowledged that some people would ultimately decide not to return.
“And it’s sad that the fire led to that outcome, but all we can do is respect the choices that people make and in the meantime work to create the conditions to allow as many people back into town as want to be back here,” he said.
For Ireland, time often stood still over the past year, and yet the anniversary of the wildfire was already here.
“That seems incredibly quick to me,” he said. “I can’t believe that a year has gone by already. Feels so fresh in my mind. All the events from the end of July last year just seemed so recent, and yet so much has happened in the interim.”
He also beseeched the media not to make a big fuss over the one-year anniversary of the wildfire, since it would be a triggering moment for many residents.
Despite the challenges that the town of Jasper continues to face, such as insurance matters, soil testing and permit approvals, Ireland noted a prevailing attitude and resilience among residents as well as a degree of optimism, particularly because of the strong tourism season and the first signs of the rebuild.
“Every time somebody has success, I think the community sees that as community success,” he said. “So, we see a couple of foundations in the ground now. I think that buoys spirits around the town, and the more we see of that in the coming months, the better it will be for the entire community.”
To assist with the rebuild, the Municipality of Jasper is looking at densification options to address not just the immediate housing shortage created by the fire but also the preexisting housing shortage. It has also dedicated staff to support Parks Canada with the expected surge of development permits.
“Three hundred and fifty-eight structures have to be rebuilt at some point, and that is going to put tremendous demand on the system,” Ireland said.
The municipal government continues to be in negotiations with other levels of government to address outstanding issues, such as accommodations for seasonal workers who are essential for the tourism industry. Housing will also be needed for the incoming workforce dedicated to the rebuild.
Ireland estimated it could take up to five years for Jasper to be rebuilt, but in some respects, he felt the community would never fully recover.
“There are going to be scars remaining in the souls of people here forever, but the physical recovery, I think three to five years is a reasonable expectation,” he said.
With the municipal election coming up this fall, Ireland anticipated that wildfire recovery would be top of mind for voters, although it was still uncertain what would be the driving issues.
Ireland, who has been Jasper’s only mayor since the specialized municipality was incorporated in 2001, said he will announce whether he would seek re-election later this summer.
He remained inspired by the stories he hears on a weekly basis of individuals in the face of the fire and the immediate aftermath. Like COVID, the fire brought the resilience of the community forward.
“I recognize that I will never know all of the interactions between all of the residents, but the more I hear these stories, the more I am aware that this community was unified already, and that the fire simply revealed that strength that was there spread out in the community,” he said.
