Latest news with #Jasperites
CBC
24-04-2025
- Climate
- CBC
With Jasper's devastation in mind, Alberta communities gear up for wildfire season
Social Sharing Memories of the destruction wrought by a wildfire that roared through Jasper National Park last summer are fuelling wildfire prevention efforts across the region. The July 2024 wildfire destroyed one-third of the structures in Jasper's historic townsite, 365 kilometres west of Edmonton. "The situation we watched last summer was absolutely devastating," says Nicholas Nissen, mayor of Hinton, Alta., a town 80 kilometres east of Jasper. Since then, many displaced Jasperites have been calling the town of 10,000 home. "I'm certain those people feel nervous when they look out at a big forest and see a summer coming." That's part of the reason Nissen says they're digging in this spring to prepare for the worst by reinforcing the firebreak south of town. "You can see around us — the grass grows, the shrubs grow, the trees grow up so those firebreaks need to be re-done," Nissen said this week, pointing to a machine mulching the 58-hectare fireguard. Hinton's fire chief, Jim Smith, said he's "feeling really good" about above-average moisture levels this winter. However, he notes that things are already heating up. "A couple days ago we had seven fires, six of those were wildland fires," he says, "One after another, one after another. And then at the end of it, we had a train on fire on rails," Smith said. WATCH | Communities near Jasper on edge this spring: Fireguards and more gear part of this season's wildfire plan 6 minutes ago Duration 2:40 Earlier this month, officials with Alberta Wildfire predicted an average season and Todd Loewen, minister of forestry and parks, said he was "cautiously optimistic." Nonetheless, provincial fire crews and volunteer firefighters are gearing up and training up. "It doesn't matter what type of year it is," said Tyler Olsen, reeve of the Municipal District of Greenview, located north of Jasper National Park. "When you're surrounded by trees there's always that risk." Olsen is based in Grande Cache, Alta., a community of 3,200 located about 200 kilometres northwest of the Jasper townsite. He has spent half his life as a volunteer firefighter on the front lines and said he felt "spoiled" with by Grand Cache's gear and its station, which was built in 2020. "We just got a new sprinkler trailer this year so that brings the total up to three." The other thing Olsen says they have going for them is friendships forged while fighting wildfires across the province. "We were in Fox Creek, Edson, High Level, all those places. You know that they, on the drop of a hat, when they hear Grande Cache, they'll be here." Olsen said the crew from Grande Cache had a hand in saving the area around the Jasper Park Lodge last summer. David Argument, the resource conservation manager with Parks Canada in Jasper, said crews have been on the ground all winter. The goal, he said, is to interrupt how fire could spread in the park this season. He said crews have cleared two large blocks, about 116 hectares in total, located west of town. "Logging equipment is removing all standing pine and spruce, which are a fire-prone species," Argument said. They're leaving Douglas fir and Aspen stands, which Argument called "very fire resistant, or fire resilient, species." Argument also said there are two initial attack teams, or eight people, plus an additional 20 Parks Canada staff members ready to fight fires. As well, they know they can rely on about 30 volunteers with the Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade if need be. Argument said that, as a Jasperite, he is at times still caught by the tragedy of the situation and the long recovery road ahead. "But at the same time. We're going to see it green up this spring and it's going to be really interesting to watch."
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Edmonton conducts its first-ever prescribed burn to mitigate wildfire risk
Edmonton conducted its first-ever prescribed burn within city limits on Wednesday to mitigate wildfire risk. According to the city, the number of outdoor fires that the Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) has been responding to in the river valley and ravines has been steadily increasing. The city says the burn is part of its wildfire prevention efforts — meant to reduce fuel for wildfires, prevent higher-intensity fires, and reintroduce vital nutrients to the ecosystem. Crews closed off the Northeast River Valley Park to the public on Wednesday for the preventative burn, which took place mid-morning. The city said a prescribed burning exercise took place last fall in the Horse Hills area in preparation for the prescribed burn. 'Public safety remains a priority for the city, along with the importance of managing the health of ecosystems,' the city said in a statement. 'To properly manage the urban forest, the city strikes a balance by leaving debris to be 'naturalized' where fire risk is low and managing hazardous vegetation when private property is at risk.' So far this year, EFRS has responded to 36 fires in the river valley and ravines, which include all outside, vegetation, wildland, brush, and grass fires. In 2024, EFRS responded to a total of 400 fires, the highest recorded number, an increase from the 318 recorded in 2023 and the 228 recorded in 2022. The city said the numbers were approximate and may not include all events EFRS has been dispatched to, pointing to the varying event location descriptions by callers. Following a record-breaking wildfire season in 2023 and a challenging 2024 that saw thousands of Jasperites displaced from their homes, Alberta Wildfire told reporters in February that 2025 will be better due to favourable weather conditions. Ahead of the federal election, Ottawa has garnered criticism from the provincial government for its lack of aid with the devastating 2024 wildfire season. On March 20, Liberal Leader Mark Carney committed $187 million to help Jasper rebuild after the 2024 wildfires. The funding will go to Parks Canada over the next two years to reconstruct roads, campgrounds, trails, and both permanent and interim housing for staff and residents. When asked about what the province plans to do to add more wildfire protection in municipalities at a press conference on Thursday related to drought and flood funding, Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said wildfires largely fell under the purview of forestry and parks. However, Schulz said several ministers, including herself, work 'very closely' with communities to ensure the province is helping municipalities protect against wildfires. ctran@ X: @kccindytran Controlled burn closes Edmonton's Northeast River Valley Park Wednesday to prevent wildfire Alberta heads into wildfire season in much better shape than 2024 with more dollars Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal government announces $60M more for Jasper wildfire recovery
The government of Canada says it is spending more than $60 million to help Jasper, Alta., recover from last year's devastating wildfire. Most of the funding will be spent on immediate housing solutions and long-term rebuilding plans, Jasper's new ministerial lead Terry Duguid announced Thursday. "Interim housing isn't a permanent solution, but it's critical to make sure that Jasperites can stay in their community as we rebuild, and as the municipality plans for the long-term housing solutions and increased density," said Duguid, who is also Canada's minister of sport and the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. Of the new money, $30 million will be spent on the 320 total interim housing units Parks Canada has committed to setting up in and around Jasper, about 365 kilometres west of Edmonton. The dwellings, which are for residents displaced by the wildfire, are expected to start being delivered by mid-February. Parks Canada has received roughly $133.1 million total for its Jasper wildfire response efforts, including the interim housing, according to a news release issued by the federal government. Ottawa is also spending $9.4 million on Jasper housing through the Housing Accelerator Fund, a program run by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the national housing agency, that supports local initiatives to quickly boost a community's housing supply. Jasper had a housing shortage before about one-third of its homes and businesses were incinerated. In this case, the goal is to remove barriers to housing construction in Jasper and more quickly build 240 permanent homes over the next three years. This is part of a broader plan to construct 505 multi-family homes over the next decade, the federal government's release says."There never has been enough housing in Jasper," said Bill Given, the Municipality of Jasper's chief administrative officer, during Thursday's news conference. But the federal dollars mean the town "will have places to call home now and into the future," and help build high-density dwellings, he said. Nearly 94 per cent of clean-up and demolition permits are in place. Debris from most properties is expected to be cleared by the spring to make room for rebuilding, said Alan Fair, superintendent of Jasper National Park. The Alberta government is also getting $19.6 million through the federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program, which helps provincial and territorial governments pay recovery costs from large-scale natural disasters. The money will cover some costs incurred in the province's wildfire response last July. Duguid highlighted the importance of collaboration in the recovery efforts. "There's much that we can do to accomplish, together, for the residents and the businesses here," he said. "We have to keep them front and centre, keep the politics out of it, and do what the the residents and the businesses are asking of us." In addition to the money, the federal Employment and Social Development Ministry is leading an employment insurance (EI) pilot project that will send a one-time credit of 300 insurable employment hours to people in Jasper, who established an EI claim from July 21, 2024, to July 19 of this year, the federal government release says. This pilot tries to support people who were unable to work due to wildfire evacuations that closed businesses. Bunibonibee Cree Nation, in northern Manitoba, is also part of the pilot, the release says. The federal government is also focused on ensuring that Jasper remains a major tourist destination. Duguid said some areas may look different, but the national park is still open for business He added that visitors can book camping sites for the 2025 season.
CBC
07-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Federal government announces $60M more for Jasper wildfire recovery
Social Sharing The government of Canada says it is spending more than $60 million to help Jasper, Alta., recover from last year's devastating wildfire. Most of the funding will be spent on immediate housing solutions and long-term rebuilding plans, Jasper's new ministerial lead Terry Duguid announced Thursday. "Interim housing isn't a permanent solution, but it's critical to make sure that Jasperites can stay in their community as we rebuild, and as the municipality plans for the long-term housing solutions and increased density," said Duguid, who is also Canada's minister of sport and the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. Of the new money, $30 million will be spent on the 320 total interim housing units Parks Canada has committed to setting up in and around Jasper, about 365 kilometres west of Edmonton. The dwellings, which are for residents displaced by the wildfire, are expected to start being delivered by mid-February. Parks Canada has received roughly $133.1 million total for its Jasper wildfire response efforts, including the interim housing, according to a news release issued by the federal government. Ottawa is also spending $9.4 million on Jasper housing through the Housing Accelerator Fund, a program run by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the national housing agency, that supports local initiatives to quickly boost a community's housing supply. Jasper had a housing shortage before about one-third of its homes and businesses were incinerated. In this case, the goal is to remove barriers to housing construction in Jasper and more quickly build 240 permanent homes over the next three years. This is part of a broader plan to construct 505 multi-family homes over the next decade, the federal government's release says. WATCH | Feds sending $60M more to Jasper for wildfire recovery: Feds sending $60M more to Jasper for wildfire recovery 3 hours ago Duration 1:59 Terry Duguid, the new federal ministerial lead for Jasper, Alta., says he is ready to work with the Alberta government to ensure wildfire recovery efforts move along efficiently. The CBC's Acton Clarkin has the details. "There never has been enough housing in Jasper," said Bill Given, the Municipality of Jasper's chief administrative officer, during Thursday's news conference. But the federal dollars mean the town "will have places to call home now and into the future," and help build high-density dwellings, he said. Nearly 94 per cent of clean-up and demolition permits are in place. Debris from most properties is expected to be cleared by the spring to make room for rebuilding, said Alan Fair, superintendent of Jasper National Park. The Alberta government is also getting $19.6 million through the federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program, which helps provincial and territorial governments pay recovery costs from large-scale natural disasters. The money will cover some costs incurred in the province's wildfire response last July. Duguid highlighted the importance of collaboration in the recovery efforts. "There's much that we can do to accomplish, together, for the residents and the businesses here," he said. "We have to keep them front and centre, keep the politics out of it, and do what the the residents and the businesses are asking of us." In addition to the money, the federal Employment and Social Development Ministry is leading an employment insurance (EI) pilot project that will send a one-time credit of 300 insurable employment hours to people in Jasper, who established an EI claim from July 21, 2024, to July 19 of this year, the federal government release says. This pilot tries to support people who were unable to work due to wildfire evacuations that closed businesses. Bunibonibee Cree Nation, in northern Manitoba, is also part of the pilot, the release says. The federal government is also focused on ensuring that Jasper remains a major tourist destination. Duguid said some areas may look different, but the national park is still open for business He added that visitors can book camping sites for the 2025 season.
