Wildfires | Alberta wants to speed up Jasper reconstruction

(Jasper) Premier Danielle Smith has pledged that Alberta will press the federal government and the Town of Jasper to speed up the rebuilding of the picturesque Rocky Mountain town.

M^me Smith says his government has struck a committee of senior officials to work with Parks Canada and Jasper officials to exchange ideas, expedite development permits and collaborate on ways to restore the site as quickly as possible.

“Sometimes these permit approvals can be complicated. They can take a long time,” Mr.^me Smith speaking to reporters in Calgary on Tuesday.

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

Jasper, a town of about 5,000 people, lost a third of its homes and businesses when a wildfire burned through the western part of the municipality last week.

The fires forced the evacuation of the city’s population and about 20,000 visitors. The homeless were ordered to go to evacuation centres in Edmonton, Calgary and Grande Prairie.

The fire in the city is out, but the one still raging in the park remains out of control.

Parks Canada said crews were battling hot spots near the city, including around the Fairmont chain’s popular Jasper Park Lodge.

An expected return

Officials said the rain had brought some relief, but drier conditions were expected to return in the coming days.

Joe Zatylny, deputy executive director of the provincial Emergency Management Agency, told reporters there is no plan to return residents to Jasper. That will happen once the wildfires have subsided and the area is safe, he said.

On Monday evening, city officials listed the steps that remained before residents could return home.

Parks Canada must confirm that the fires no longer pose an imminent threat to Jasper. Emergency services, such as 911 dispatch and medical care, as well as essential retail services, such as grocery stores and gas stations, must also be restored.

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

“Safety will always remain the top priority. Fire hazards could require the evacuation of the townsite at any time in the future,” officials added.

King Charles saddened

King Charles said Tuesday that he and his wife, Queen Camilla, were “deeply saddened” to see the damage caused by wildfires in Jasper National Park in Alberta.

British royalty first visited Jasper National Park in 1939, when King George VI and the Queen Mother visited. Their daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, visited the national park with her husband, Prince Philip, in 2005.

He recalls that the picturesque Rocky Mountain tourist destination is a “truly magical place, whose romantic and wild beauty has captivated Canadians and visitors from around the world.”

King Charles expressed his sympathy for those whose lives and livelihoods have been affected, particularly those who have lost their property and been forced to leave the town of Jasper.

He thanked first responders, volunteers and community leaders who stepped up to help, and commended Canadians for their support.