“Blanket” permits will expedite process of applying for individual permits for residential lease remediation, demolition and waste removal

As the urgency on the Jasper Wildfire Complex ramps down, focus on Jasper’s recovery and rebuilding is ramping up.

“We’ve made significant progress, but many challenges lie ahead,” said Jasper’s recently-hired Director of Recovery, Michael Fark.

To get a handle on those challenges, the newly-formed Joint Recovery Coordination Centre (JRCC)—a partnership between the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada—has created a list of priorities to guide the complex work in the short, medium and long-term future.

On Tuesday, Fark updated council with the work he and his team—including four full-time planner positions and one administrative assistant position—have been engaged with since being established a week and a half ago. Then on Wednesday, Fark provided an abridged version of that update to media members.

“We recognize the delicate balance between welcoming visitors and giving residents the space they need,” Fark said.

Temporary and interim housing

Fark outlined the JRCC’s common priorities. Top of mind is finding temporary accommodations (for up to 90 days) for essential workers and facilitating the establishment of interim housing (90 days-through-to-reoccupying of destroyed or damaged homes). 

For temporary housing of essential workers, the camp which has been used to house firefighters in Hinton during the wildfire incident, will be relocated to Whistlers Campground. Hotels will also be utilized; those partnerships are in the works. 

As for interim housing, Fark said the JRCC is looking at bringing in modular structures. A number of sites are being considered, he said. 

“Those interim houses will be more family friendly and fit-for-purpose,” Fark said.

Residents requiring housing should fill out the JRCC’s temporary housing application. So far, 390 people have applied, more than 100 of whom have already been deemed essential.

Broadly speaking, “essential” captures a wide spectrum of personnel doing jobs critical to Jasper’s rebuild. Included are environmental remediation workers, park wardens, wildlife conflict teams, healthcare workers, education workers, contractors, Service Canada representatives, municipal administrators and other essential staff.  

Additional support for vulnerable residents will also be prioritized, Fark said.

Facilities

Restoring JNP and MOJ functions, as well as local Government of Alberta agencies and schools, is an area of critical importance. The almost-completed Jasper Aquatic Centre renovations have been re-actioned, Fark said.

“The Activity Centre is the number one priority in terms of municipal facilities looking to get back online,” he said. “We understand this is a central hub.”

Also within the facilities file are the re-opening of schools and coordination of corresponding bussing routes. Schools are scheduled to welcome students back September 17. Jasper students living in Hinton will have the opportunity to be bussed to Jasper. 

“Jasper students will be able to attend Jasper schools,” CAO Bill Given told council. “The Municipality of Jasper is working to design what transit services would look like.”

Fark noted the importance of Jasper’s Canada Post Office, which is scheduled to re-open August 29 with reduced hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). After the September long-weekend, the post office will resume regular hours from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Canada Post.

Residential rebuilds

During Fark’s presentation, Mayor Richard Ireland noted the use of the word “ambitious” when it came to the prioritization of rebuilding residential homes. Fark said while the JRCC is reluctant to set hard targets and create false expectations, he said there is an added urgency to this work to help the community heal. The JRCC is establishing “blanket” permitting processes to expedite the demolition, remediation and debris removal work across entire neighbourhoods, rather than requiring individual, site-by-site permits.

“We’d like to have this done as soon as possible to assist the community to heal and move on before we enter the reconstruction phase,” Fark said. 

Commercial rebuilds

The process for destroyed or damaged commercial properties, unfortunately, won’t be so simple. Because of the more complex landscape—largely when it comes to insurance coverage—commercial leaseholds will have to obtain permits on a case by case basis.  

Mental health

Underpinning all of the identified priorities is triaging support services for essential workers and for residents. Fark said there is recognition of the “human element” in all of the JRCC’s work. 

“A large number of residents lost their homes, a large number had their homes affected,” he said. “People need time to return, to re-establish their lives.”

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com