Alberta’s Smith pushing to fast-track permits for rebuild of fire-ravaged Jasper

EDMONTON — Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta will push the federal government and the Town of Jasper to fast-track the rebuild of the picturesque Rocky Mountain townsite.

Smith says her government is striking a committee of senior civil servants to work with Parks Canada and Jasper leaders to swap ideas, expedite development permits and collaborate on ways to restore Jasper as quickly as possible.

“Sometimes these permit approvals can be complicated. They can be lengthy,” Smith told reporters in Calgary on Tuesday.

“But we also see what happens on the other end, that a few years in, you can actually make great progress.

“We don’t want to be three or four years in and still waiting for development and permit approvals.”

Jasper, a town of about 5,000, lost a third of its homes and businesses when a wildfire overwhelmed crews and torched the western portion of the municipality last week.

Fires forced the town’s population and about 20,000 visitors from Jasper National Park.

Those without homes were directed to go to evacuation centres in Edmonton, Calgary and Grande Prairie.

The fire in the town is out, but the blaze in the park remained out of control Tuesday.

Park Canada said crews were battling hot spots near the town, including around the historic Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.

Officials said rain provided a bit of relief, but drier conditions were expected to return in the coming days.

Joe Zatylny, a spokesman for the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, told reporters there was no timeline yet for Jasper residents to return home or tour the damage.

Re-entry is to happen once the wildfire calms down and the area is safe, he said.

On Monday night, town officials outlined steps that must be taken before residents can go back.

They said Parks Canada must confirm fire is no longer an imminent threat to Jasper. There must also be restoration of emergency services, like 911 dispatch and medical care, as well as critical retail services, like grocery stores and gas stations.

“We know and hear that residents want to come home, and we will make that happen when it is safe to do so,” said a Facebook post from the town.

“Safety will always remain the top priority. Fire threat could require evacuation of the townsite at any point in the future.”

Jasper National Park, the largest in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, has been a tourism jewel and an icon of the country’s scenic beauty, hosting famous names for almost a century.

Royalty visited the park in 1939, when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge’s Outlook Cabin. Their daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, stayed there with her husband, Prince Philip, in 2005.

King Charles, in a statement Tuesday, said he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were “immensely saddened” to see the damage from fires in the park.

“These are dark times, but we greatly admire the strength and resilience of so many people to persevere and rebuild,” King Charles said in a written statement distributed through Rideau Hall.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2024.

— With files from Aaron Sousa

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press