Jasper officials update housing efforts with federal, provincial money aimed at permanent builds

The ongoing efforts to rebuild in Jasper are ahead of schedule, according to the town's mayor. CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny reports.

Both the federal and Alberta government have committed money to more permanent Jasper’s housing as the town approaches two years since a wildfire devastated its landscape and displaced hundreds of residents.

Edmonton MP and cabinet Minister Eleanor Olszewski, who gave an update on the townsite’s rebuild Thursday, was appointed the ministerial lead for wildfire recovery last month to bridge the gap between Alberta and Ottawa governments which have, at times, delayed new builds and frustrated Jasperites.

Olzewski announced $14 million from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Housing Accelerator Fund for 40 new rental builds, which were already in early stages of construction.

“As a fellow Albertan, I totally understand the special place that Jasper holds for all of us, not only in our province, but across the country and internationally as well,” she told reporters. “Recovery, I think, has been moving forward in a great way, but it’s not done yet.”

The Alberta government is also contributing $12 million to build 80 mixed one and two-bedroom apartments along Connaught Drive between Spruce and Hazel Avenues through the core of the townsite with the province’s Affordable Housing Program.

Both financial commitments are intended for the town’s Connaught Affordable Housing Development, which is currently working to build new stable housing within the core community.

Provincial infrastructure Minister Martin Long told reporters that Alberta is focused on removing as much red tape as possible for unique construction needs like Jasper’s.

And work to rebuild Jasper, Olzewski says, is progressing. Parks Canada, which has federal jurisdiction over Jasper National Park, says soil remediation is 100 per cent complete and a “number” of building permits have been issued.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said the town’s housing problems have long been “perennial,” well before the 2024 wildfires. He told reporters Thursday that the money was part of a commitment to transitioning Jasper builds from emergency and transitional housing, to interim, to permanent builds for residents.

“We can rebuild what was here before, or we can rebuild in a way that creates more homes and strengthens our community for the future,” he explained. “This project reflects that second choice.”

Ireland could not give a specific number of new builds or occupancies, but said progress has far exceeded the town’s expectations for where he thought it would be last year.

According to the Municipality of Jasper website, the town still has a 0-per-cent vacancy rate and remains in dire need of development. Rebuilding permanent homes is estimated to take years, Ireland said.

Background

On July 22, 2024, three wildfires burning south of the town merged, growing thousands of hectares within hours on account of wild winds in Jasper National Park. Those blazes would spread through the park’s townsite, burning some 300 homes and businesses.

That day left more than 600 families waiting for temporary housing. Some businesses shut down or packed up and moved away after assessing the cost of a rebuild.

A few months later, Alberta would commit millions for the construction of 250 modular homes in Jasper with the goal of having them ready for renting by January 2025. The provincial government backtracked that money after a disagreement with the town on the vision for types of housing.

By that month, Jasperites took to the streets to call on the province to follow through with interim housing promises. The province in turn announced several million dollars in relief for lost property taxes and revenue.

• ‘The people are desperate’: Jasper residents protest lack of promised housing

By March 2025, the federal government committed $187 million in new funding for an ongoing Jasper rebuild, adding to the more than $160 million it previously promised.

Occupancy for the latest announced builds, Ireland said Thursday, will rely on eligibility requirements like a need to reside in Jasper and income control factors still being decided. Applications are expected to open in the summer of this year.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Evan Kenny