Parks Canada says 300 or more interim housing units for Jasper on the way

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This article was published 30/01/2025 (423 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JASPER, ALTA. – Parks Canada plans to set up 300 or more interim housing units for residents displaced by last year’s wildfire in Jasper, Alta., by the end of February.

A housing plan published by the municipality says Parks Canada is securing roughly 100 duplex mobile trailers and 120 work camp-style accommodations for the townsite in Jasper National Park.

The document says the duplex trailers will be suitable for families, while the work camp or dorm units can be used by individuals and couples.

Both styles should be ready for occupancy on Feb. 26, says the document.

The duplex trailers are to be rented for $1,000 or $1,500 per month, depending on family size, with utilities included. Each duplex unit is to have its own kitchen, double bed, bathroom and shower, and laundry will be shared.

The document says these trailers are to be set up on four interim housing sites that the town has serviced.

Parks Canada’s plan is to then put the camp trailers on a piece of land just south of the town near Whistlers Campground.

These units are to be rented at $500 per month, with utilities included. Each unit is to have its own bathroom. Kitchens and laundry facilities are to be shared.

Pets are to be permitted in both types of housing, the plan says.

The municipality estimates about 600 families are in need of temporary housing, after a July wildfire destroyed one-third of the town’s homes and buildings.

The fire forced about 5,000 residents of the town and 20,000 visitors in the park to flee. Flames destroyed roughly 350 homes and businesses.

This week, the Insurance Bureau of Canada listed the fire as the second costliest fire disaster in the country’s history, with an estimated $1.2 billion in total damage.

“We’re bringing interim housing, and we’re bringing as much as we’re able to,” Jasper’s director of recovery, Michael Fark, said during a council meeting Tuesday.

“We know it’s not going to be sufficient to meet the overall demand, so we’re trying to find other creative solutions to allow that.”

Last week, Jasper residents held a protest after the Alberta government backed out of its $112-million interim housing plan.

That plan, announced by Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon in October, was initially expected to include 250 interim housing units.

Earlier this month, the municipality effectively turned down the provincial plan, as Alberta wanted the homes it funded to be permanent.

Building permanent homes rather than temporary ones would mean fewer units overall, as permanent homes need to follow existing land use rules, like parking requirements and setbacks.

The municipality had estimated 60 units could be built under those conditions on the land it had available.

Asked for comment Thursday, Nixon’s office referred to his statement last week that the province’s housing plan remained on the table if the federal government provided the necessary land by expanding the town’s boundary further into the national park.

“If the federal government decides to step up and make land available, the province is ready to build the homes,” the statement said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2025.

— By Jack Farrell in Edmonton