Jasper wildfire recovery: Alberta providing $8M in property tax relief, transit services

The Alberta government is providing more funding to help Jasper recover from last summer’s destructive wildfire.

The province is putting $8 million towards property tax relief for residents and businesses, to help cover lost municipal revenues and to develop regional transit services.

“Our additional support will provide residents and business owners with some much-needed relief, help maintain public services and connect communities through transit services for workers and residents who are still displaced,” said Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver in a news release.

More than $3 million will be distributed to provide tax relief for property leaseholders of residential and business properties. Property taxes will be forgiven for all town residents for the one month when Jasper was evacuated last summer. For lease holders of properties that were destroyed or are remain uninhabitable, Alberta says the property tax relief period will be extended until the end of 2024.

Another $3.1 million will help the municipality cover revenue lost due to the wildfires that destroyed roughly one-third of Jasper’s homes and businesses.

And finally a one-time grant of $2 million will be used for regional transit services between Jasper and Hinton – to create a link to Jasper for workers and displaced residents.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland says the funding is critical to the town’s ongoing recovery.

“We appreciate the province’s recognition of the unique challenges Jasper faces and its continued investment in our future,” Ireland said.

Alberta says it has now provided Jasper with an assistance package of $178 million since the July blaze.

–With files from The Canadian Press