The first trailers for displaced residents arrived in Jasper, Alberta, seven months after a wildfire destroyed a third of the town. This marks a significant milestone in the town's recovery, but challenges remain as available land is limited and funding disputes persist between provincial and federal governments.
The first trailers to house displaced locals rolled into Jasper, Alta., this week, about seven months after a third of the town was ravaged by a runaway wildfire.
"It's been a process that's been full of compromises, and there was no perfect or elegant solution that was going to meet everybody's needs and in a perfect timeline." The interim housing will take up most of Jasper's available land. As such, the town won't be able to accommodate all of the more than 600 individuals and families who have applied for housing.
The municipality and Parks Canada have said they wish to take a different direction by prioritizing higher-density housing, though it will take longer to build. Jasper, which relies on tourism and the workers who support the industry, has long experienced a zero per cent vacancy rate. In a statement, Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said Parks Canada is building on land the town paid to service.
WILDFIRE HOUSING RECOVERY ALBERTA POLITICS
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