Currently owned by Parks Canada, units would be managed by Jasper Municipal Housing Corporation
The Municipality of Jasper wants to utilize 24 CorCan housing units within the townsite for affordable housing once Jasper’s interim housing program wraps up.
On Tuesday (Aug. 18), council authorized Mayor Richard Ireland to write to Parks Canada, requesting that the agency consider transferring use or ownership of some or all the units. The discussion took place during the Aug. 11 committee of the whole meeting.
“I think this is a good opportunity for us to be proactive in planning two-to-four years down the road and how we can work with our partners and help to continue to solve our housing problem,” said Coun. Ralph Melnyk.
Following the Jasper wildfire, the federal government through Parks Canada has provided various forms of interim housing for residents who lost their homes. Two dozen of the in-town units were built by CorCan, a subsidiary of Corrections Canada.
CAO Bill Given said he sent a letter to Jasper National Park’s superintendent inquiring about Parks Canada’s plans for the CorCan units and received an invitation to formalize the request at the political level.
While the Connaught housing development will add 40 below-market units to the local housing stock once it opens in early 2027, Given noted Jasper’s pre-fire housing gap of over 600 units.
“There’s still a need for additional housing units,” he said.
Coun. Danny Frechette asked where these units would be located, since they were currently sitting on lands that the Municipality did not own.
Given replied that this would be part of the potential discussions between the Municipality and Parks Canada. He said they could be a community asset owned and operated by the Jasper Municipal Housing Corporation, and the units would likely be a mid-term option.
“Land in Jasper is very valuable in terms of its use, and we probably need to look at housing units that yield greater densities — more units per acre,” Given said.
Mayor Ireland suggested rewording the recommended motion to ask for some, not all, of the CorCan units, since Parks Canada may want to repurpose some.
Parks Canada stated in an email that it welcomed intergovernmental discussions on the subject and any proposal “will be reviewed in accordance with Parks Canada’s responsibilities and the public interest.” The agency declined to comment on the proposal itself, since it had yet to formally receive one.
The interim housing program is currently funded until 2028.
Wastewater lagoon project
Council signed off on recommissioning a lagoon at the wastewater treatment plant.
The lagoon will provide emergency storage during treatment disruptions as well as divert and temporarily store peak wastewater flows.
According to administration, the project is necessary so the Municipality can meet its obligations under its operating licence for the wastewater treatment plant.
The project would cost $4.8 million, with the Municipality contributing $336,000.
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is expected to cover 50 per cent of the cost through its Build Communities Strong Fund. The Municipality has also secured over $2 million in provincial funding through the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership.
Records retention and disposition
A new bylaw gives the chief administrative officer (CAO) authority to decide how long records are retained and when they are destroyed.
Council gave third and final reading of the bylaw. While administration previously handled these matters internally, this bylaw officially authorizes the CAO to establish, approve and maintain records retention and disposition schedules. These cannot contradict provincial regulations.
Administration previously stated that most records had a retention period of roughly seven years, whereas certain records such as council minutes can never be destroyed.
Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative // info@thejasperlocal.com
