JASPER – Jasper’s wildfire recovery has reached a milestone with the insurance industry completing its debris removal and site preparation program.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) says this paves the way for Jasper's reconstruction once permits are approved.
“Alberta’s insurers are committed to supporting the rebuild of Jasper as quickly and efficiently as possible following last year’s devastating wildfires,” said IBC vice president Aaron Sutherland for Pacific and Western in a Friday (May 2) news release.
“Residents have shown tremendous resilience, and insurers will be there every step of the way to support recovery efforts,” Sutherland added. “Insurers are proud to have completed the debris-removal and site preparation program, despite challenging logistics and unexpected costs.”
The Jasper wildfire destroyed 30 per cent of the townsite last summer. To expedite recovery, insurers launched a co-ordinated bulk debris removal and site preparation program for residential properties.
Most residential property owners signed on to this program, and EllisDon was contracted to co-ordinate the program.
With debris now cleared for nearly all residential properties, residents can begin rebuilding once permits are issued and soil is tested. As of last week, Parks Canada has issued roughly 100 development permits.
“While the debris removal process took longer and was more complex than initially anticipated, it was important for insurers to respect the guidelines set out by Parks Canada,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland expressed hope that local officials and Parks Canada would work together “expeditiously” to issue development and building permits to get shovels in the ground as quickly as possible.
“Many home insurance policies have limits on the coverage provided for additional living and alternate accommodation expenses, so the sooner residents can get back home, the better it is for the families that have been impacted,” he said.
Last summer was the most expensive on record in Canada for severe weather events, with 228,000 insurance claims and over $7.7 billion in insured damage.
The IBC called on governments to take “meaningful steps” to adapt to extreme weather, such as no longer building unprotected structures in high-risk areas and investing in FireSmart.
