Jasperites will soon have a chance to help shape a new town plan that will guide the community’s growth and development over the coming years.

Beth Sanders, the Municipality’s director of Urban Design and Standards, told council Sept. 29 that the plan is necessary to transfer land-use planning and development authority from Parks Canada to the Municipality.

“Its role will be to function as the highest plan that the Municipality has that guides all the work that we’re doing,” Sanders said.

Because Jasper is located within a national park, Parks Canada currently oversees building plans and permits. Transferring that authority to the Municipality would allow for greater local input into development and support Jasper’s rebuild following the 2024 wildfire.

Municipal staff and Parks Canada are working together to facilitate the transfer, although no date has been confirmed.

The new town plan will build on the 2011 Jasper Community Sustainability Plan. Unlike other municipalities, Jasper must develop a plan that meets the requirements of both Alberta’s Municipal Government Act and the federal Canada National Parks Act.

“Even if the transfer does not occur, this plan is needed for Jasper, because the current plan we have is from 2011,” Sanders said.

Jasper must also engage with Indigenous partners and the regional and national public because the community is located on federal land.

Staff are proposing four phases of engagement over the next year, with a completed plan expected to go before council in fall 2027.

The first phase will revisit six community values identified in 2025: belonging, connection, nature, responsible, thriving and inclusive.

Mayor Richard Ireland questioned whether the values adequately reflected the community’s economic foundations.

Sanders said the word “thriving” was intended to address the local economy, but the engagement process would give residents a chance to reconsider the values.

“What each of those six words mean is going to get more clear after this next round of engagement,” she said.

The second phase will explore “community levers and preferences” — the factors that will shape Jasper’s future. Both phases will take place in October, with opportunities to participate through two drop-in open houses, an online survey, focused workshops, coffee chats and youth activities.

The third phase, planned for this winter, will use feedback from the first two phases to develop policy statements and future land-use concepts.

In the fourth phase, staff will share a draft plan with the community. Sanders estimated council would see the draft in August 2027, with the overall process extending into spring 2028, depending on approvals.

Members of the regional and national public will be able to participate through online surveys only.

Coun. Danny Frechette asked whether staff had considered offering a toll-free telephone number, noting that traditional engagement methods such as open houses may be attracting fewer participants.

Sanders said the Municipality wanted to offer different ways for people to contribute, whether through hands-on workshops or more informal conversations.

“We want to make sure that we have a robust number of people,” she said. “But most importantly, we want to have diverse perspectives that are contributing input into the plan so that the plan serves residents well, rather than a plan that serves just a handful of residents.”

Peter Shokeir, Local Journalism Initiative // info@thejasperlocal.com