Year Two Progress Report – August 2025 to July 2026

Fencing managed under contract for destroyed properties to protect public and wildlife.

Status: All JRCC fencing decommissioned; leaseholders manage site safety needs privately.

Mitigations put in place around drains to prevent wildfire debris run-off.

Status: Mitigations redeployed in Year 2 to address any run-off from construction silt.

Debris removal process undertaken safely with complaints addressed quickly.

Status: Debris removal completed safely at 99% of properties; safety continues to be monitored at properties with debris remaining.

Site-specific sampling plans developed to ensure contaminants in air and soil are at safe levels to ensure the long-term health and safety of the community and environment.

Status: 97% of properties have demonstrated soil contaminants are at safe levels and have received a certificate of completion.

Long-term monitoring to assess if any residual contamination is present and to understand how different contaminants may move through soil and water into the broader environment.

Status: Support established for environmental monitoring research.

Mitigations explored to reduce dust from cleared properties in the townsite.

Status: Dust dealt with on an as-needed basis through Municipal Bylaw.

Coordinated debris removal and contamination remediation for national park assets.

Status: 5,558 metric tons (MT) of mix waste removed, 636 MT of concrete recycled, 113 MT metal recycled, 6,603 MT contaminated soil disposed, 11,324 backfill imported and placed.

Wildfire-impacted properties have debris removed and certificates of completion issued.

Status: 99% of properties have debris removed and 97% of properties have certificates of completion (current to July 1, 2026).

Interim housing sites and units procured; utilities connected at additional in-town locations.

Status: Interim housing units established and occupied at Patricia Circle and United Church sites in Year 2, bringing the total to 505 interim housing units across all locations.

Livability of interim housing maintained and enhanced through partnerships with donors and funding agencies.

Status: Community infrastructure installations (for example, bike racks, fire pits, murals) and community building events continued throughout Year 2.

Secure winter occupancy to balance known summer seasonal staff needs.

Status: Outside of peak summer season businesses and contractors were offered interim housing space where units were available and not occupied by displaced residents.

Collaboration with Canadian Red Cross to allocate interim housing units and sign leases with residents.

Status: Year 1: 534 residents (277 households) in interim housing (as of July 31, 2025); Year 2: 767 residents (422  households) living in interim housing (current to July 1, 2026).

Interim housing supports business stability and workforce retention.

Status: Year 2 - 53% of residents housed in interim housing are employed by Jasper-based small businesses and 23% are employed by larger businesses. The Interim housing program houses staff members of 110 Jasper businesses.

Summer seasonal dorm room nomination program for Jasper businesses established to enable businesses to provide housing to prospective staff in advance of hiring.

Status: 15 businesses used this program in Year 2.

Sites available for contractors at campgrounds and other suitable locations.

Status: Sites in use at Wabasso Campground, Sleepy Hollow Road and at Wapiti Campground (winter).

Rebuilding Guide provides guidance, practical tips and consolidated information to support residents and industry professionals through the rebuild process.

Status: Updated in Spring 2026 in response to lessons learned from the first year of rebuilding.

Increased staff capacity to support planning and development review post-wildfire

Status: 23 new team members added since the wildfire.

Development review processes streamlined.

Status: Turnaround times for complete and conforming development applications averaged 19 business days in 2026.

Automated permitting process introduced for low-risk residential projects to expedite permit approval timelines.

Status: 42 permits have been issued under this system (current to July 15, 2026).

Building permits approved for rebuilding homes.

Status: 184 building permits, representing 397 dwelling units approved through rebuilding permits (275 replacement units; 122 new net units) (current to July 15, 2026).

Interim Temporary Use Policy established to allow for storage of construction materials and temporary accommodations for contractors.

Status: Updated in Spring 2026 in response to lessons learned from the first year of implementation.

Jasper Builders Guide published for builders, designers and contractors.

Status: Updated for the 2026 construction season.

Community events organized with support and funding of many donor agencies to help promote connection and foster physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Status: Events include community dinners in collaboration with Canadian Red Cross, programming for families with young children, community thrifting events, holiday programming and community yoga.

Healing Through Fire interpretive program, co-hosted with Parks Canada, Municipality of Jasper and Indigenous partners, discusses fire ecology and ecosystem recovery and connects participants with nature and Indigenous knowledge.

Status: This program reached 350 locals over 9 guided walks in 2025 and will continue in July and August 2026 with a visitor-focused offer and a targeted school offer.

Relationships strengthened with Indigenous partners as part of recovery efforts.

Status: Year 2 - Jasper Indigenous Forum meetings, including site visits and in-person and online meetings, to engage on issues of interest for Indigenous partners.

Community volunteer “Pathfinders” trained in mental health and peer support.

Status: 77 Pathfinders trained in Year 2, bringing the total to 115 volunteers trained to date. In addition, 23 youth Navigators trained in Year 2.

Hosted in-person and virtual open house sessions to provide information and hear feedback from residents.

Status: Year 2 - 7 open houses with JRCC participation held in Jasper and Hinton.

Needs assessment strategy and survey developed and implemented.

Status: A second needs assessment survey was completed with 584 responses in Year 2.

Outreach and targeted psychosocial supports for displaced Jasperites.

Status: Year 2 – partnership with Bridges Foundation in Hinton to support displaced residents, established registry and dedicated communications for displaced residents.

Interim industrial park established with funding provided by PrairiesCan.

Status: 14 businesses operating in this space in Year 2.

Work to expand Indigenous partners’ participation in economic recovery through contracting, procurement, guided business licensing and other business opportunities.

Status: Indigenous business information sessions on government procurement, rebuild projects and work opportunities held. A new gift store featuring products from Indigenous artisans with a connection to Jasper opened at Whistlers Campground registration centre.

Parks Canada estimates 2,137,000 independent visitors to Jasper National Park in the 2025 calendar year.

Status: Parks Canada estimates visitation using traffic counters across the mountain national parks. These estimates account for through traffic and multiple entry points across the shared boundaries of Jasper, Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks. Visitor estimates for 2025 remain below pre-wildfire levels, reflecting reduced availability of frontcountry campsites and commercial accommodations.

Frontcountry campgrounds (77% of pre-wildfire inventory) and backcountry campgrounds (100% of pre-wildfire inventory) sites open.

Status: Year 2 - 80 additional sites opened at Whistlers and Wapiti campgrounds, for a total of approximately 1,600 frontcountry campsites reopened since the wildfire.

Danger-tree clearing on trails, roadways and visitor-use areas.

Status: Removed 500,000 danger trees over 600 hectares, 112 km of wildfire-impacted roadways cleared, 69 km of trails cleared, 1,215+ campsites cleared of hazard trees.

Replacement of minor infrastructure at campgrounds and facilities.

Status: 6 footbridges replaced, 165 picnic tables replaced, 50+ fire pits replaced, 175 campsite markers replaced, 80+ signs replaced.

Rebuilding of staff housing within and outside the townsite.

Status: 3 in-town multi-unit dwellings and a duplex under construction. Planning for replacement of ‘Whistlerville’ adjacent to Whistlers Campground ongoing.

Planning and work for the safe reopening of Maligne Canyon.

Status: Danger tree removal and geotechnical investigation complete; planning ongoing for the re-establishment of the trail and associated infrastructure.

Planning and work for the safe reopening of Edith Cavell Road.

Status: Geotechnical assessments completed; plans for necessary repairs underway.

Road assessment and impact intervention for additional roadways, including Mile 5 Hill, Portal Creek, 93 A.

Status: Site assessments completed and ongoing monitoring, geotechnical assessments to understand slope stability, hydrotechnical analysis to assess water flow and drainage impacts, safety audits to identify roadway mitigation needs.

Douglas-fir and whitebark pine seeds collected, propagated in regional nurseries and seedlings planted. Wolf willow, native grasses and forbs also planted to supplement natural forest regrowth in areas at risk of erosion or vulnerable to the spread of invasive species.

Status: 15,000+ Douglas-fir seedlings planted and 20,000 whitebark pine seedlings propagated since the wildfire.

Revegetation plans for the Caribou Conservation Breeding Centre to supplement natural forest regrowth.

Status: 13,000 plants planted since the wildfire.

Enhanced ecological integrity monitoring to better understand wildfire impacts to habitats and wildlife and to inform trail closures and openings.

Status: Additional bird, vegetation and aquatic monitoring are used to understand wildfire impacts on ecological integrity.

Long-term monitoring of key wildlife populations pre- and post-wildfire (elk, deer, grizzly bears) to track population changes and potential for predator population response.

Status: Monitoring of elk shows population appears stable in comparison to pre-wildfire numbers; 7 grizzly bears GPS collared to provide information on post-wildfire habitat use.

5-year wildfire risk reduction strategy established and implemented to prioritize high-risk areas.

Status: Since the wildfire, Parks Canada has completed 266 hectares of wildfire risk reduction using prescribed fire (37 hectares), hand falling (40 hectares) and mechanical logging (189 hectares).