‘We’re going to rebuild Jasper together’: Federal finance minister on landmark $500M announcement

The federal government has announced an additional $520 million for wildfire recovery funding for Jasper.

With the premier’s office saying there will be a big announcement about Alberta’s submission to Ottawa’s major projects office, the federal government has also announced an additional $520 million in wildfire recovery funding for Jasper. Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne joined Alberta Primetime’s Michael Higgins to discuss it.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: Let’s touch first on why you’re in Jasper announcing an additional $500-plus million in wildfire recovery funding nearly two years since the disaster. Where are those dollars being directed?

François-Philippe Champagne: You’re quite right. I think the message to the folks in Jasper is simple, but it’s also powerful: We are here for you and Canada is there for you as well. We’re going to rebuild Jasper together. A lot has already been accomplished, but today is a landmark announcement. We’re going to be deploying $520 million in additional funds to do three things.

The first thing is to restore essential infrastructure. Since the 2024 wildfire, there’s a lot of infrastructure that has been damaged, a lot has been destroyed and we want to rebuild this critical infrastructure. We’re talking about camping grounds, utilities, roads, making sure that we rebuild better and somewhat faster to make sure that we can restore what we have seen before the wildfire.

The second thing, which is very important for families and people who have been working here in Jasper, is to accelerate or expand capacity for temporary housing. You just have to walk across town to see how much has been done, but there is still a need to expand interim housing for the people who are here.

The third thing is fire prevention. There’s a number of measures that Parks Canada, in collaboration with the town of Jasper, have been looking at to make sure we have fire prevention measures in place. This package is really about restoring the historical beauty of Jasper and supporting the people, the families, the workers who have been doing so much work during the last two years, and say we stand with you and the country stands with you. I think it was a powerful message to come here and be with the people who have witnessed the devastation, but also with words of hope and support to all the community around Jasper.

MH: You’re here in the province the day before the initial deadline for the Smith government to deliver its pipeline proposal. Are you concerned at all that the Smith government has moved the timeline to Thursday?

FPC: I said that I respect the choice of the premier when we exchanged yesterday. She knows that I’m going to be here for the next few days in Alberta. Yesterday I was with the head of the International Energy Agency and he was talking about the role of Canada as an energy superpower and we’ve been very clear in engaging very constructively the prime minister, the premier of Alberta, and my colleagues to make sure that we are there to support energy exports. I think it’s one of the great opportunities for Canada.

Fatih Birol was saying it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity at a time where the world is fractured, trust is probably the most sought after commodity. I think today people understand the nexus between the crisis you’re seeing in the Middle East and energy security. People want to have a trusted, reliable partner, and in that sense Canada stands out. People see the nexus between economic security, energy security, and national security.

I don’t want to speculate. We’ll see what comes out from the Alberta government, but at the same time we have to make sure that we support energy expansion in the country. Whether it’s conventional energy, renewable energy, nuclear energy, I think there’s a lot for Canada to offer to the world.

MH: If it’s a financing proponent only and not a pipeline company that’s committing, at least at this juncture, to the project, how would that change dynamics of the proposal and whether or not it would be designated a project of national interest?

FPC: One thing I’ve learned in my years in government is not to speculate. Let’s see what’s being put on the table and we’ll take it from there. What I can see though is that Canada is being sought after as an energy producer, as a trusted partner for energy security, both for our partners in Asia Pacific and in Europe.

I think there’s a role for Canada to play and we have worked constructively with the province of Alberta and British Columbia as well. We are very committed to making sure that we reach our full potential and, like I said, the world is craving for what Canada has to offer.

Particularly as people see what’s going on in the Middle East, diversification, they want a country which offers stability, predictability, and opportunity, and I’m not surprised to see that kind of interest in Canada. When I sit at the G7, it’s clear that energy security is top of mind now and energy is destiny in many ways. So the fact that we can produce responsibly and sustainably, is very attractive to people around the world, and our allies in particular, both in Europe and in Asia Pacific.

MH: You mentioned a moment ago you’ll be spending the next couple of days here. We learned today the prime minister will also be in Edmonton on Canada Day. What’s your government’s message to those Albertans, either contemplating or even sold on a referendum vote pushing towards separation?

FPC: We’re stronger together. There’s no doubt about that. The prime minister will be in Alberta, I will be in Jasper spending the day here to support the community, and tomorrow, celebrate Canada Day. This is a town in which you see a lot of resiliency, courage, compassion, very Canadian values. I’ll be very pleased to be with the people here of Jasper after this landmark announcement and say we’re going to rebuild together.

I think this is all about Building Canada Strong. I see many opportunities for Alberta to shine in the Canadian Federation and I’ve always been a good ally of our colleagues here in Alberta to support economic growth, support the province, and really make sure that we reach our full potential together. I think it’s a message of hope, a message of support here to the community in Jasper, but more broadly to all our friends here in Alberta.