After months of lobbying three different governments for reimbursed costs incurred while hosting Jasper wildfire evacuees, the Village of Valemount and nine Valemount businesses have had their voices heard.

In August, the Village received $302,585.60, disbursed by the Alberta Government via the Municipality of Jasper. The compensation was for expenses related to providing services to evaucees. 

Local businesses which submitted receipts for expenses related to hosting evacuees also had their reimbursements approved, the Village said in a media release September 15.

“It’s a good moment for our businesses,” said Anne Yanciw, CAO for the Village of Valemount.

Owen Torgerson, Mayor of Valemount, said Valemount businesses and service organizations selflessly hosted evacuees. 

“That resulted in growing our community 20-fold overnight,” Torgerson said. “We are deeply grateful to all those who demonstrated extraordinary generosity, bravery and community spirit during the July 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex.”

At 10 p.m. on July 22, 2024, when Jasper was ordered to evacuate due to a fast-approaching wildfire, thousands of visitors and residents headed west.

One hundred and twenty three kilometres later, the miles-long procession of vehicles arrived at the Village of Valemount; exhausted motorists parked on any available lot, pull-out or piece of pavement they could find. Over the coming days, while visitors largely moved on, Valemount hotels, campgrounds, cabins and homes remained overflowing with displaced Jasper residents. And as those Jasperites learned of the wildfire’s destruction in their home community, Valemounters stood by them.

“The support that the residents of Jasper have received from the Robson Valley community has been truly remarkable,” Jasper Municipal Councillor Wendy Hall told The Rocky Mountain Goat newspaper last July. “We immediately felt like we were part of the community.”

The Anglican-United Church Thrift Store gave away clothing and household items. The Valemount New Life Centre and the Valemount Food Bank served meals to evacuees, as did the Valemount Legion. Robson Physiotherapy provided services. A Cut Above provided free haircuts. Valemount Pines Golf and RV provided free camping spots. The list goes on and on.

“We are deeply grateful to all those who demonstrated extraordinary generosity, bravery and community spirit during the July 2024 Jasper Wildfire Complex,” Torgerson said.

At the Best Western Inn and Suites Valemount, doors were opened to Jasper’s displaced seniors. Meals were prepared and every effort was made to provide care and comfort, said Chad Gullevich, whose company Vantage Hotels also owns the destroyed Mount Robson Inn in Jasper.

“The circumstances reminded us why we do what we do: to be there for people when it matters most,” Gullevich said. 

In the weeks that followed the Jasper wildfire, parts of Highway 16 and the Icefields Parkway that connect Valemount with Jasper stayed closed, cutting off the village’s economic activity.

The totality of the impact compelled Torgerson and his fellow officials to lobby the federal government—as well as the B.C. and Alberta governments—for help.

In the spring, Valemount was asking for $1.5 million in urgent financial support to avoid business shutdowns and layoffs as the community struggled with the ongoing economic impacts of the Jasper Wildfire.

The Village noted that of 64 local businesses surveyed, 97 per cent experienced a reduction in revenue during wildfire closures, with almost 30 per cent indicating that they experienced a reduction in revenue of 81-100 percent. 

“Seventy percent indicated that because of the reduction in revenue, they do not have sufficient resources to cover their expenses and remain viable,” Yanciw said in April.

In the end, while the B.C. government provided the Village of Valemount with funding to develop an economic recovery plan, no support for the incurred costs was forthcoming. It was the Alberta government which stepped up with the $302 K and approved business expenses Torgerson said. 

“The subsequent post-emergency recovery efforts undertaken by the Province of Alberta highlight the significance of collaborative partnerships with the Municipality of Jasper, the Village of Valemount, and the unwavering commitment to provide support during challenging times,” Torgerson said. “This exemplifies exceptional leadership and a genuine desire to assist in times of need.”