Jasper residents displaced by wildfire ‘fully eligible to vote and run’ in fall municipal election
Posted February 5, 2025 10:31 am.
Last Updated February 5, 2025 10:33 am.
All Jasper residents who were temporarily displaced by last summer’s fast-moving, devastating wildfire will be able to vote and campaign for office in Jasper this upcoming municipal election.
That’s the message from Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver, who says any Jasperite eligible to vote and run for office prior to the wildfire will be able to do so in October.
“While many residents have returned to their homes, some have tragically lost their residences and remain displaced. Regardless of their circumstances, it is critical that all residents who call Jasper home have the opportunity to participate in their local democracy,” McIver said in a statement Wednesday.
The Alberta government will propose amendments later this spring to the Local Authorities Election Act, McIver says, that will ensure displaced Jasper residents retain their residency.
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“As long as they were eligible to do so immediately before the wildfire, they intend to return to live in the community, and they are not disqualified for reasons due to events following the wildfire not related to residency,” McIver specified.
“Local voices are crucial in shaping the future of Jasper, and we want to ensure the right to participate remains intact, regardless of temporary circumstances.”
Last July’s wildfire tore through the national park and the town, destroying roughly one-third of the structures and causing $1.23 billion in insured damages – according to the latest estimates from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
