2 weeks Ago By Ricky Leong
Jasper’s mayor expects Canadian National Railway’s (CN) move out of town to create “innumerable challenges” as the town continues its efforts to rebuild after the wildfire. In a media update on the Town of Jasper’s recovery efforts on Friday, Mayor Richard Ireland addressed CN’s recent to move its operations east of Jasper. With rebuilding efforts underway, CN’s decision is expected to affect some 200 employees and their families in Jasper, adding more stresses to the workers and the community’s economy.
“I am deeply disappointed by CN’s decision,” said Ireland. Ireland said Jasper’s history, indeed his own family’s history, is inextricably linked with that of CN, which he said will make their departure all the more impactful. He conceded that as a business, CN is entitled to make its own decisions and understood it was based on a variety of factors, but said the timing has left the community in a tough place.
“This move, this removal, will have a profound impact on local jobs and local families and undeniably on our community fabric, which will be torn and weakened immeasurably.” Ireland said his office wasn’t consulted or informed about the decision until Monday, when a message alerting him to the upcoming announcement was sent to his office before noon. He said he hoped the company would reconsider its decision.
While the news of CN’s departure wasn’t welcomed by the municipality, Ireland praised the provincial government for its recent that will go to the community from the provincial Disaster Relief Program, saying the funding was “one piece” in the ongoing rebuilding and recovery efforts. Friday’s update also included some movement on the housing front, which Jasper’s director of recovery, Michael Fark, discussed. Since , the recovery team continues to work with the provincial government on assessing the expressions of interest and has progressed by identifying sites within the community to put the interim housing.
On some sites, they have begun the process of assessing the utilities needs, while in other locations, Fark said, work had already started to be able to service the sites. “We are working at full speed to do preparation to allow bringing short-term housing solutions, while we continue to work with our partners at Parks Canada and the Government of Alberta to model what the needs are, and to define what the solutions could be, and the funding model that would be required to support that,” said Fark. Reporters asked about unsubstantiated claims regarding seniors and other evacuated individuals who were referred to homeless shelters, which Sarah Carr from the provincial seniors ministry addressed.
“There may have been a couple of instances where ...
it was suggested that individuals could access homeless shelters. I can assure you that’s that’s no longer the case,” said Carr. Carr couldn’t confirm specific instances where that had occurred, but said if evacuees indicated that they had the means to provide their own accommodation and basic needs, and were unable to get emergency funding, but were still asking about other options, they may have been referred to shelters.
Parks Canada director of recovery Robie Gordon said more of Jasper National Park continues to be reopened to the public, but reminded visitors to respect ongoing closures. Some of the recently reopened trail areas include Magic Ridge, Saturday Night Lake Loop, and the Suburbs, which he said was a popular rock-climbing area. A full list of opened and closed areas can be found on Parks Canada’s , which also has pages outlining the in the rebuilding process as has been announced by Parks Canada previously.
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