Jasper council is leaning toward supporting a proposed provincial electoral district that would have it join Banff and Canmore.

On Tuesday (Dec. 9), committee of the whole recommended that council direct the mayor to provide a written submission supporting this change. Council will discuss this matter further at next week’s meeting.

In late October, the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission released an interim report proposing changes to the boundaries before the 2027 election.

Mayor Richard Ireland told council that one of these changes would take Jasper out of the West Yellowhead riding—which also encompasses Hinton, Edson, Whitecourt and Grande Cache—and unite it with its sister mountain communities down south. The new riding would be called Banff-Jasper.

Ireland noted how West Yellowhead MLA Martin Long expressed his desire for Jasper to remain in his district.

“I can well understand that. Who in the world would ever want to give up Jasper?” he joked.

Ireland had also spoken to his counterparts in Banff and Canmore, who indicated they would be happy to share the riding with Jasper.

The deadline for written submissions to the commission is the end of next week, and although council is not required to act, Ireland brought the matter forward in case council wanted to take a position.

Couns. Wendy Hall and Danny Frechette both voiced support for the change.

“We are certainly much more aligned with Banff and Canmore’s issues than we are not,” Frechette said.

Jasper also recently joined Banff and Canmore within the new boundaries for the federal Yellowhead riding.

Housing corporation appointments

Former councillor Scott Wilson has been recommended to briefly become a public-at-large director for the Jasper Municipal Housing Corporation (JMHC).

Laurie Rodger, who was recently elected to council, went from being one of five public-at-large directors to one of two council representatives, alongside Kable Kongsrud. This left a vacancy on the board.

CAO Bill Given said Wilson, who was the founding chair of the JMHC, was well positioned to support the board until March 1 when the other four public-at-large director terms would end.

Council will decide on the appointment next week. Committee also directed administration initiate recruitment for the five public-at-large director terms expiring on March 1. Given said the term length was up to council.

Incorporated in 2023, the JMHC is responsible for developing affordable housing in Jasper and is specifically working to build a 40-unit affordable housing apartment building on Connaught Drive.

Skatepark naming

The new skatepark may be called Jasper Flyers Skatepark as part of a sponsorship deal.

The 4M Charitable Foundation and the David Morris Family Foundation had promised to donate $100,000 each toward the design and construction of the skatepark. One of the conditions was granting the donor naming rights.

Council is expected to approve the naming and accept the $200,000 in donations at next week’s meeting.

The new skatepark officially opened in September. Council supported this $1-million project with $300,000 in matching funds and later a $150,000 loan.

Peter Shokeir // info@thejasperlocal.com