Jasper wildfire: Temporary housing a top priority, $283 million in estimated lost property value

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As Jasper residents prepare to return home on Friday, some are unsure of what to expect and officials say providing temporary housing will be a top priority.

John Wilmshurst, a resident of Jasper who has been in Hinton since the early days of the evacuation order announced on July 22, is planning to return home on Friday with his wife. He said from the maps that circulated online, his home is still intact but he has no idea what to expect.

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“It’s been a roller coaster really,” Wilmshurst said. “We’re in a part of town where most of our neighbourhood has been burned. Across the street and around the corner, almost all the houses there are gone.”

Wilmshurst said they are currently staying with friends in Hinton and they planned on going back to Jasper for the day but would not be staying over due to the unknown severity of the damage.

As they prepare to return home, he said he feels officials have been very clear about the reality that residents will be faced with and said the support they are being offered gives him “a lot of comfort.

“We’ve talked to a lot of people here in Hinton who were from Jasper and lots of hugs and things like that. But it would be great just to be able to have a coffee with our community in Jasper because it is a fantastic community and that’s going to continue,” Wilmshurst said.

Temporary housing will be a top priority

At Monday’s town hall meeting Premier Danielle Smith said assessments continue to be done to assess the full damage to homes and properties and temporary housing will be prioritized as residents return home.

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“When it comes to rebuilding your town, we first need to know the full extent of the damage and we’ll need to prioritize temporary housing and a needs assessment in order to be able to move forward strongly,” Smith said.

Several surveys have been given to residents to assess housing needs, which will help with establishing how many temporary structures need to be established within the townsite or near Hinton, Smith said.

The province is working with the municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada to provide a regional accommodation plan so displaced residents can be accommodated as close to Jasper as possible.

Officials told residents at Monday’s town hall meeting that there is no guarantee that temporary housing will be available for winter, due to the volatility of when the season comes to Alberta, but said in the coming days residents will have access to short-term transitional housing.

For those who do not feel comfortable going home, hotel accommodation and food support provided in Edmonton by the Canadian Red Cross will continue through Aug. 24 and a recent survey sent out by the province to displaced residents will assess the needs of Jasperites.

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School opening delayed by at least 30 days

Smith announced that schools in Jasper would not be open in time for the start of the new school year. Schools were initially supposed to open Aug. 27 for the francophone school division and Sept. 3 for the public school division.

“We discovered that unfortunately because of the heat, some of the windows were left open and so there is a lot of soot and smoke damage that needs to be cleaned out and we’re getting estimates of 30 to 60 days before those schools are able to be re-entered,” Smith said. 

To accommodate displaced Jasper students for the school year, the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division will accommodate students in Hinton and Edson. For those who have checked in at a reception centre in Edmonton, Calgary or Grande Prairie, the centres will work to find a school. Busing will also be available for students to attend schools in Hinton.

Virtual schooling will also be available.

Emergency hospital services at the beginning of the re-entry period will be available on slightly reduced basis. For non-emergency health care needs, Jasperites are able to access services from the Hinton Healthcare Centre, Hinton Medical Clinic and Health Link 811.

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Officials said they had to wait until both gas and electricity were restored before they could begin restocking and preparing hospitals, which will be ready by Aug. 15.

$283 million in estimated lost property value

The town of Jasper says early numbers indicate last month’s wildfires destroyed $283 million worth of property.

The town also reports that while 358 structures were destroyed, mostly businesses and homes, the total number of housing units lost is about 800.

The figures were delivered to councillors by chief administrative officer Bill Given at a virtual meeting Tuesday.

Given said the numbers get even more daunting as the town moves forward with rebuilding because the lost structures equate to a $2.2-million loss in annual property tax revenue.

“That will be a reduction in our capacity just when we need it the most,” said Given.

Given said the town is applying for funding from the province and other entities to try to bridge the gap.

— With files from Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press

ctran@postmedia.com

X: @kccindytran

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