A month after a wildfire forced 25,000 people to evacuate Jasper, Alta., the community is seeing signs of recovery. Even though Jasper National Park and the town remain closed to visitors, the park service has announced the reopening of the Icefield Parkway Highway 93, a route connecting Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff.
Paul Hardy, owner of SunDog Transportation and Tour Co., emphasized the significance of the reopening. “Getting the Icefield Parkway Highway 93 open all the way between Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff was really important,” he said as quoted by The Canadian Press. SunDog also resumed its shuttle service from Edmonton to Jasper, although it’s only limited to residents and workers. “That’s a big milestone in terms of the rebuild and the restart,” Hardy added.
Some businesses are also starting to reopen in Jasper. Essentials like the grocery store, pharmacy and gas stations are now operational, and the Crazy Elk Cafe has also reopened for residents.
“It’s a good sign,” Hardy remarked. “I really do feel optimistic about both the near term and certainly the longer term.”
Support for businesses is starting to take shape, as local business support organization Community Futures West Yellowhead is launching a low-interest loan program of $5,000 to $15,000 to help businesses through this challenging time. General manager Nancy Robbins, who lost her home in the fire, is aware of the difficulties faced by local entrepreneurs.
“We’ve seen a change now with re-entry that businesses are really feeling the need to reopen,” she said. “They want to get back to work, they want to open their businesses.”
Community Futures is performing surveys with the Red Cross and the Alberta government to assess the fire’s impact on businesses and determine the support needed. An earlier survey by the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta estimated a daily revenue loss that went as high as $4.5 million during peak summer months. This adds to the $283 million in property losses reported by the town of Jasper. The survey also revealed 53% of businesses wouldn’t survive more than two months without immediate support.
The fire destroyed 358 structures in Jasper, including two staff houses and the administrative building of SunDog Tours. Some businesses anticipate a surge in demand as rebuilding efforts start.
Mairead Colbath, who runs Colbath Design Ltd. with her husband, is among those waiting. “Business right now is at a standstill...we just have to wait and see,” she said as quoted by The Canadian Press. Meanwhile, the residents are still battling the emotional and financial toll of the disaster. “It’s been very upsetting and emotional here for people. They’ve seen their dreams go up in smoke,” Colbath added.
Despite the efforts and reopenings, some businesses won’t recover quickly - including Jasper Raft Tours. The company announced it would remain closed for the rest of the season.
