JASPER – The wildfire clean-up has caused an additional $900,000 in damage to municipal infrastructure, according to a report presented to council on Tuesday (Aug. 12).
The repair costs are expected to be paid by contractors and insurance, although lessees are being contacted directly.
“I hate to see that just all this pressure is being put onto the lessees,” said Courtney Donaldson, director of operations and utilities. “Unfortunately, that’s just the way the permit conditions are written right now, and it ultimately holds them liable.”
Following the wildfire, administration engaged an engineering firm to complete an inventory of municipal infrastructure damage caused by the wildfire and related emergency response activities.
The assessment identified around $3.5 million in damage, which was included in the Municipality’s application to the provincial Disaster Recovery Program (DRP).
“Recognizing that demolition and debris removal activities might further impact public infrastructure, a follow-up assessment was conducted in July 2025,” Donaldson said. “At this point, cleanup efforts were largely complete, including at several challenging properties in the Cabin Creek area.”
The reassessment identified $900,000 in additional damages, specifically to sidewalks, curbs and gutters. Some councillors were given a tour to see the damage on Monday (Aug. 11).
Administration estimated that 135 leaseholders have adjacent municipal damage related to debris removal activities. On July 25, the Municipality issued letters to 14 leaseholders whose properties had the most significant infrastructure damage.
As stated by Parks Canada’s development permits, lessees are responsible for damage to adjacent public property.
“In many cases, however, such damage results from contractor activity,” Donaldson said. “To assist leaseholders, the Municipality encouraged recovery through contractor reimbursement or insurance claims and issued letters outlining the process.”
She added how the decision to promptly notify leaseholders had been intended to enable timely claims before insurance settlements closed, although she noted this coincided with a sensitive community period, prompting public concern around communication.
“To reduce burden on individual leaseholders and to ensure fairness, administration is also engaging directly with contractors and exploring consistent approaches to recovery,” she said.
The Municipality will delay any full-scale infrastructure repair until after the rebuild to avoid further damage to newly repaired assets. Donaldson said they expected further infrastructure damage to occur.
Coun. Ralph Melnyk noted it was probably prudent for builders and lessees to take photos and speak with their contractor about liability.
Donaldson replied that they were providing education to builders, and there was consistent engagement with them.
The report will return to council at its regular meeting next week, where members of the public will have the opportunity to speak.
