Rebuilding after the wildfire: Updates to Parks Canada policies will ensure community of Jasper is better prepared for future challenges while maintaining the unique character of the town
In preparing for the rebuild, planners from Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper completed a review of Parks Canada’s existing local development policies for how development can take place in the Town of Jasper. The Jasper Superintendent, in coordination with the Municipality of Jasper administration, approved these updated local policies with the following goals in mind:
1. Simplify the development review and approval process to make rebuilding easier for lessees.
2. Rebuild with fire in mind, using the latest FireSmart research to ensure Jasper’s resilience to wildfire.
3. Increase housing options for Jasperites, to ensure our actions now assist with housing supply in the long term.
4. Rebuild with climate resilience in mind, supporting our efforts to be a community at the forefront of sustainability efforts.
5. Enhance Jasper’s built-form character, to ensure the unique qualities of Jasper are maintained.
The aim of the updates is to identify simple changes that could make rebuilding easier. Bigger changes will be left for community discussion and exploration as part of a future community planning process.
All changes have been catalogued and the redlined versions of the updated policies are available on request by contacting jasperrealtymunicipalservices@pc.gc.ca.
Key changes to improve fire resilience
By reducing the susceptibility of a home to catching on fire, the chances of a home – and all the neighbouring homes – surviving a wildfire are greatly increased. After review and engagement with Natural Resources Canada on FireSmart guidelines, several key changes were made to Jasper’s development policies to improve Jasper’s future resilience to wildfire:
1. Prohibiting new wood siding or shingles.
2. Requiring that there be a 1.5 m buffer zone of non-flammable materials around a home.
3. Requiring that landscaping plans align with FireSmart recommendations.
Key changes to increase housing
Housing has been a concern in Jasper for many years. Since 2007, the residential vacancy rate for Jasper has been between 0 and 0.4%. Over the last few decades, community consultations have consistently identified additional housing as a priority for the Jasper community. To create potential for additional housing in Jasper, the following changes were made to Jasper’s development policies:
- Leaseholders with lots formerly zoned for single-detached dwellings can now build either one or two primary dwelling units on the lot.
- Parking requirements are reduced.
- There are more options for accessory dwelling units, including garden suites.
- Subdivision made easier, including options to build a duplex, divide the lot in two, and sell the other half of the duplex.
More details are available in the Rebuilding Guide:
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