JASPER – Richard Ireland is seeking re-election as mayor of Jasper after having led his community through an unprecedented crisis only a year ago.
Ireland, who filed his notice of intent papers on Friday (Aug. 15), explained how his law practice was winding down, and he and his wife had already filed the development permit for rebuilding their house, which was destroyed in last summer’s wildfire.
“Just looking sort of generally at things in discussion with my wife, I think that I have certainly the time to devote that is necessary to the job, and I still have the interest in serving the community,” he said.
Although Ireland agreed that the main focus of the next council would be Jasper’s rebuild and continued recovery, socially and economically, he cautioned that it was difficult to predict the future.
“One of the challenges here is that you can’t necessarily anticipate the challenges,” he said. “Before the last election in 2021, none of us would have contemplated that the most significant challenge of the term would be a wildfire devastating a third of the community and causing the need for the rebuild.”
In recent months, some Jasperites looking to rebuild have faced challenges with soil testing, which is required to ensure sites are free of contamination. Ireland noted that the federal government was providing funding through the Red Cross to help address this specific issue.
“There will undoubtedly be other issues that arise over time that haven’t yet reared their heads, I suppose, but we will be prepared to deal with those as they arise, again, with the overall objective of getting people into their rebuilt housing as soon as possible and as soon as practical,” he said.
This year, the Municipality of Jasper has had two separate public disputes with the Government of Alberta, including a disagreement over what interim housing should look like and a report that alleged the Province created command challenges during the Jasper wildfire.
Ireland asserted that both issues have since been resolved and the Municipality continued to have a strong relationship with the Province.
“The Province has contributed significantly to our recovery, and they’ll continue to do that,” he said. “We just have to continue to recognize that that is a really important relationship for our community, and we have to devote the time necessary to keep that relationship strong.”
Ireland is the only mayor that Jasper has ever known since being incorporated in 2021 and served as chair of the town committee prior. He noted how residents would ultimately decide if he was still the right person for the job, as they have always done.
“What I offer is a particular style of approach, a particular tone, and they can judge that against what others might bring to the table,” he said. “I believe that consistency in approach and demeanor and the attitude that you project to our necessary partners is foundational to our sense of self and where we can go as a community.”
As of Friday (Aug. 22), Coun. Wendy Hall and Kathleen Waxer are the only other incumbents to file their notice of intent papers. Gillian Thomas and Theodore Turnbull are also running for councillor positions. The final list of candidates will be available once nominations close on Sept. 22.
The municipal election is slated for Oct. 20. Information for voters and prospective candidates is available on the municipality’s website.
