Jasper shaping a model for rebuilding after disaster

By the end of 2027, the majority of the Municipality of Jasper’s (MoJ) 370 businesses, hotels and residences lost in the 2024 fire will have been rebuilt.

“It has really become a model,” said BILD Alberta CEO Scott Fash, when asked about the speed with which the MoJ, Parks Canada, builders, BILD Alberta and both levels of government have all teamed together to rebuild the fire-razed town.

A third of Jasper’s structures were impacted within the national park area including commercial structures, gas stations, a lumberyard, residential homes, the industrial area, hotels (25 per cent of the rooms in the area) and churches.

“There is willingness to the resolve issues as fast as possible and work through things,” Fash said.

BILD Alberta also entered the picture early sending a warning to residents regarding “fly-by-night contractors” in “white panel trucks” who took deposits then disappeared.

He now hosts bi-weekly virtual conferences aimed at the 30 to 40 construction companies that have entered Jasper to raise the community back up on its feet. The sessions focus on resolving construction industry-related issues facing contractors that emerge.

PARKS CANADA -Approximately 30 to 40 contractors have moved into Jasper to rebuild one-third of the community destroyed in the 2024 fire.

“It has been a collaborative effort,” said Fash, reflecting how the construction sector has come together.

The Jasper Recovery Coordination Centre (JRCC) was formed in August 2024 as a partnership between the MoJ and Parks Canada to lead the long-term rebuild recovery.

It would focus on needed functions such as managing debris removal, which was carried out by EllisDon in 2024 through to spring 2025, plus providing the supports on the ground the construction industry needed to expedite the rebuild.

The result has been a town starting to rise up only months after the fire, structures coming out of the ground in 2025 and 2026 expected to be another year of hammers flying.

“From the time of a complete application (submitted for construction) to issuing a building permit is now only 20 days,” said Michael Fark, JRCC director.

The ability to expedite permits was the result of adding more planners to review applications and a desire to get building started. Residents in early 2025 had complained of the slow permitting pace.

“Construction started in 2025 and by end of 2025, over 100 building permits from fire effected buildings were issued and the majority started into the ground late December,” Fark said.

To date, contractors are working through the winter.

“We are tracking 114 rebuilds and 11 have reached occupancy and 66 are fully underway with the foundation in and majority of those are significantly along. Another 30 have permits issued and not quite at the foundation stage but are nearing that phase,” he said.

The construction ranges from prefab to the dominant stick-building, he said.

PARKS CANADA – Determined to get the bulk of the residential, commercial and industrial buildings complete by 2027 year end, contractors are working through the northern winter.

An environment for builders to set to work was created. Early on, the municipality changed building bylaws to reflect elements of FireSmart Canada’s program but also incorporated higher densities in fire-affected areas to accommodate a growing population and seasonal staff.

The JRCC told builders what to expect by downloading the (published March 2025), a comprehensive resource to navigate the rebuilding process. The guide covers design standards, permits, fees, operational requirements, servicing standards and additional resources to support projects.

The local lumber yard was destroyed, so an interim site for it was found. But the level of activity needed demanded more as materials came from outside the community. Laydown and staging areas for a large volume of materials and equipment were designated in the town to accommodate 2025’s level of activity.

Out-of-town contractors and subtrades needed a place to stay. Parks Canada issued a list of dedicated areas for contractors to live. They included RV sites, campgrounds, work-camp sites, unserviced sites and temporary work camp sites with some available through winter.

One builder in the contingency of construction companies entering Jasper is Linwood Homes, which took the expedited step of getting two home designs pre-approved by the municipality. However, said John Summers, Linwood Homes project adviser, most residents opted for a custom-build chosen from the company’s 500 designs.

The Linwood concept is not the traditional prefab but uses pre-cut lumber, packaged components and shipped to site for assembly. Linwood uses a Hinton framing crew. The average home raises up in nine months. The company is currently finishing some homes, starting others and expects by the end of 2027 to have added 10 to 12 new structures to Jasper.

Problems still exist, said Summers, as he sees a shortage of mechanical and electrical skills for the level of activity happening in town. Linwood, with extensive Western Canada branches, has been fortunate to draw its skills from its other areas, he said.

Fark sees skills shortages in electrical and plumbing trades. But, despite the shortages, he expects that by the end of 2027 Jasper will be “substantially done” and in five years completely built.

Returning the economic structure of the time will take longer, he said.

“It is going to take us eight to 10 years to get us back to where we were.”