Good morning,
Wendy Cox filling in today for Mark.
This must have been one of the longest weeks of Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland’s life.
A week ago, he entered the charred ruin of the neighbourhood he grew up in as he toured his hometown with Premier Danielle Smith, federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan and others to survey the damage of the ferocious wildfire that consumed a third of the structures in Jasper.
He could see his back fence, the roof of his garage and his neighbour’s house.
The garage survived. His house did not, such is the capriciousness of wildfires. In briefing reporters last week, his voice cracked with emotion.
The weather co-operated this week and the flames were extinguished from within the townsite by Monday. Although work has begun to restore power to the community, there are no timelines for when people can return.
On Thursday, officials announced the highway that runs through Jasper National Park is being reopened for select commercial vehicles. Seniors who were living in the town’s three care homes and who were evacuated to British Columbia will soon be transported back to Alberta. And officials are working to determine when it would be feasible to allow Jasper residents into the community to check on their homes and properties.
But despite the progress, Ireland stressed it’s not over.
The wildfires continue to burn around the town and the forecast for the coming days is ominous, he told a briefing in Hinton, Alta. on Thursday.
“Weather like what we have coming – increasing temperatures, decreasing humidity and a forecast of increasing winds – are all prescriptions for fanning the flames,” he said.
He sighed before adding: “It will happen. There will be more flames.”
More than 10,000 seasonal and permanent Jasper residents have been out of their homes, along with roughly 15,000 visitors. Firefighters have said the flames could burn for months.
Some 32,000 hectares within the park have been consumed, making it the largest burn in 100 years in the park, which draws tourists from all over the world every year.
Earlier this week, King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed their deep sympathy for those affected by wildfires in Western Canada, particularly the Jasper fire.
“We are immensely saddened to see the significant damage that has occurred in Jasper – a truly magical place, whose rugged and romantic beauty has captivated Canadians and travellers from around the world,” the statement said.
Randy Boissonnault, federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, said Ottawa is fast-tracking the provision of all employment insurance claims, old-age security and child care benefits through Service Canada.
“But with fires burning in the region, we cannot talk right now about restoring tourism.” Mr. Boissonnault added.
Todd Loewen, Alberta’s Minister of Forestry Parks and Tourism, said officials are working to get businesses running again as soon as possible, but he was staggered by the size of the destruction.
Loewen said he drove for 25 or 30 minutes, and all he could see was burnt-out forest.
“We are talking about something that is on a scale that is hard to imagine. It is heartbreaking.”
Ireland said he knows many Jasper residents are anxious to view the damage to their own properties. He said with fire still nearby, return can only happen when it’s safe for residents and for those still battling the flames.
“It is jarring, but it is also part of the healing journey we all have to go through,” he said.
This is the weekly Alberta newsletter written by Alberta Bureau Chief Mark Iype. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for it and all Globe newsletters here.