Alberta government provides Valemount $302,000 for Jasper wildfire-related expenses

Thanks for being a good neighbour.

The Alberta Government and Municipality of Jasper are saying thanks to the Village of Valemount’s efforts during last year’s wildfire.

Over 302-thousand dollars was provided as compensation related to providing services to evacuees who fled the Jasper blaze.

As many as 16,000 evacuees arrived as a result.

Local businesses who submitted receipts for expenses were also reimbursed.

Highway 16 from British Columbia through Jasper National Park along with Highway 93 south to the Icefields were immediately closed to all commercial and tourist traffic due to the wildfires.

On August 9, 2024, Highway 16 opened to reduced traffic and only fully opened another ten days later.

Highway 93 opened to traffic two weeks later, but routes were still impacted from both fear of further closures and lack of communication for their reopening.

Valemount engaged Kamloops-based Strategies North to help development a recovery strategy and plan to help recoup costs and a loss of revenue for local businesses.