Jasper no longer in state of emergency, looking at rebuild

Article content

On Sunday, the Municipality of Jasper will remove its local state of emergency, marking a transitional milestone from a town in crisis to one needing to be rebuilt.

“While the immediate threat has subsided, our community continues to face significant challenges in stabilizing the situation and leading into recovery and rebuild,” said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland at a virtual media availability Friday morning.

Article content

After almost two months, news of the downgrade from a state of emergency will be welcomed by all. For some, however, now the hard part begins. The community faces big questions about rebuilding its infrastructure and its economy, both of which were ravaged by the wildfire. The municipality and one business owner said it may be time to start welcoming people back.

Article content

“The economic activity and the social regrowth and rebirth of our community are inextricably bound. So, we have to recognize that as residents return, they will need employment. They need to be sustainable, and that requires a resumption of the visitor economy given the circumstances” said Ireland.

“There’s a major need for it,” said Darryl Huculak, owner and operator of the Olive Bistro and Lounge in Jasper.

In the fire, Huculak was lucky to have not lost his physical restaurant, but he wasn’t spared from other losses. Due to the extended evacuation, Huculak said his business had to replace everything.

“We had to dispose of any liquor that was opened, so I have to restock all my booze. I have to restock all my food — every single item.”

Article content

Article content

The fire struck the town during one of its busiest tourism periods. Huculak estimated that 70 to 80 per cent of Olive’s business happened during the summer, which has left them in a tough place heading into the slow shoulder season in the fall.

As the rebuild gets underway, Huculak said he and other business owners want to remind tourists about Jasper.

“We don’t want people to forget about Jasper. So I think reaching out and just kind of making sure people know that hey, Jasper’s here. We want you to come (but) maybe not just yet,” said Huculak.

He said a potential wage subsidy would be a welcomed assist from government, as it would allow him and others to bring staff back on and ensure the restaurant has the capacity to reopen.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said discussions about a wage subsidy are underway but there are no details that can be shared at this time.

While businesses begin to question when to reopen and how, other Jasperites are left wondering what to do about housing as the days get shorter and colder.

“Housing in Jasper has always been a critical challenge, and this issue is even more acute following the wildfire,” said Municipality of Jasper chief administrative officer Bill Given.

Article content

“All three levels of government are actively working on increasing the interim housing options for Jasper, but it will also continue to be important that Jasperites explore solutions that might work for them as well.”

Soon, interim housing will be made available to Jasperites, but priority will be given to essential workers. Currently the provincial government is funding temporary accommodations for essential workers until Nov. 30.

On Sept. 5, Jasper created an “expression of interest” (EOI) to give vendors the chance to put their names forward to assist with prefabricated homes. The EOI closed on Thursday with 13 vendors, which the municipality and the province will now go through to assess the best options.

“Under consideration are everything from camp-style housing, where there may be a shared kitchen area that may be more appropriate for contractors who are working on rebuilding phases, to individualized living units that may be good for a single or a couple, to family units,” said Given.

The cost and needs of the residents as reported from the housing needs assessment survey conducted early upon re-entry will inform what options will be favoured moving forward.

Article content

Given said prefabricated homes are expected to play a key role in the recovery but any interim housing solution will expect to be rented at market rates, and will not solve the challenge entirely.

zdelaney@postmedia.com

Article content