Latest news with #RichardIreland
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Solemn events planned to mark one year since 25,000 fled Jasper wildfire
Jasper Fire Chief Mathew Conte addresses the media in one of the most heavily impacted neighbourhoods, roughly one year after the wildfire in Jasper, Alta., on Monday, July 21, 2025. Conte says 2024 was an unprecedented fire season but his team is addressing preparedness, including residential sprinkler systems and fire smarting, to prevent further losses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken JASPER, ALTA. — Today marks one year since roughly 25,000 tourists and residents of Jasper, Alta., were forced to flee on a single highway, after several runaway fires were discovered in Jasper National Park. There's expected to be solemn reflection in the beloved mountain town, as events are held to remember the evacuation and the flames that incinerated neighbourhoods two days later. A third of the town's structures were destroyed despite firefighters' best efforts. It's estimated about 2,000 people were displaced by the fire. A ceremony is scheduled with Mayor Richard Ireland and federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski. Talking circles, group bike rides and other events are set throughout the week. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Jasper mayor stands by critical wildfire report, not concerned with relationship with province
The mayor of Jasper says he stands by a report commissioned by his town that criticizes Premier Danielle Smith's government response to a wildfire that destroyed a third of the Rocky Mountain community. Smith has demanded the report, issued last week, be retracted and that the town issue an apology. 'We don't doubt the report at all,' Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland told reporters at a news conference with officials Monday. 'The report is the report. It was not intended to ascribe blame. It does not ascribe blame, and it is not a political instrument. Our regret is that it has been used as a political instrument.' Ireland said the independent report commissioned by the town has been misrepresented and was never intended to be, in his words, a 'political document.' The report surveyed front-line firefighters and other officials to determine ways to improve future fire responses. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith dismisses, demands apology for Jasper wildfire report It determined the province's interference disrupted the focus of fighting the fires. The Alberta government was not responsible to lead the incident because Jasper is located inside a national park, but the report says the province regularly asked for information and sought 'to exercise decision-making authority.' It concludes that this jurisdictional overlap 'created political challenges that disrupted the focus of incident commanders.' The authors do not elaborate on how severely these challenges impeded the emergency response, but Ireland said, 'There is no suggestion in that report that any disruption led to any negative consequence.' Ireland made the comments as the town approaches the one-year anniversary of the fire this week, and he says he's not concerned the bad blood will interfere with the two sides rebuilding the community. Smith's office said they share Jasper's concerns that the report was misrepresented and appreciates the town acknowledges it was not intended to criticize her government's contributions. Her office declined to comment on questions surrounding her call for an apology and retraction. Ireland said he's not concerned about the town's relationship with the province, which has provided millions of dollars to help aid the town's emergency response and recovery. The news conference marked the beginning of a solemn week in Jasper as it was a year ago that flames as high as a 30-storey building approached the small mountain town, sending a shower of embers into neighbourhoods and lighting homes on fire. Earlier Monday, Jasper fire Chief Mathew Conte and the municipality's incident commander Christine Nadon spoke to reporters from piles of dirt where an entire neighbourhood of homes once stood. In one plot sat a small camping trailer. Several blocks away, an apartment complex that miraculously survived the fire stood alone with a small group of homes that also withstood the embers. Combustible materials such as cedar shake roofing materials made certain homes particularly prone to fire, Conte said. Before the fire, about 220 homes had combustible roofs, he said. That number is currently down to 90. Conte and seven other members of the local volunteer fire department lost their homes while they defended the town. 'It was pretty difficult to work the incident knowing that we've lost our stuff, but we are all professional in what we do. We persevere,' he said, adding six members of the 31-person fire service went on temporary leave after the fire for various reasons. Parks Canada officials also provided a media tour around a patch of empty forest that had recently been logged – one of the measures Parks Canada is taking to help prevent another fire from damaging town. Jasper is holding a number of events through the week, including an official event on Tuesday that will be attended by Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister of emergency management. Tuesday will mark one year since 25,000 residents and visitors were evacuated out of Jasper and the national park. The fire hit the town two days later.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jasper mayor stands by contentious wildfire report
The mayor of Jasper, Alta., says he stands by a report that criticizes Premier Danielle Smith's government response to a wildfire that destroyed a third of the Rocky Mountain community. Mayor Richard Ireland says the report, which led to Smith demanding an apology from the town following its release, has been misrepresented and was never intended to be a "political document." (July 21, 2025)
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Jasper, Parks Canada officials giving tours, remarks ahead of wildfire anniversary
Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland looks at what is left of his home of 67 years in Jasper, Alta., on Friday, July 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken JASPER, ALTA. — Officials with Parks Canada and the town of Jasper, Alta., are to provide remarks and tours of the community today as they get set to mark the one-year anniversary of a devastating wildfire. The fire destroyed one-third of the Rocky Mountain town on July 24, 2024, and displaced some 2,000 residents. Officials are scheduled to give media tours of the area to show what's been done to recover from the fire, and Mayor Richard Ireland is to speak. A week of activities are also set to bring the community together, including a bike ride, painting workshops and a talking circle. The anniversary comes after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith demanded an apology from the town for a report it commissioned that says the province interfered in the wildfire response. Smith has called the report, which was based on surveys and interviews with hundreds of firefighters, untrue and unfair. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal minister Olszewski to visit Jasper this week to discuss wildfire recovery
Federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski will be in Jasper this week to meet with Mayor Richard Ireland, local officials and business owners to discuss the area's recovery from the 2024 wildfire. There will be one-year commemoration events in Jasper throughout the week. 'This is a tragic event that left a scar, left its mark, not only on the national park and on the town, but on the residents of Jasper as well,' Olszewski said during a press availability Friday. She said she will have 'further discussions as well with respect to the rebuilding of Jasper and all of its components.' She highlighted hotel owners as one of the groups she wants to meet when she heads to the Rockies. Olszewski is the lone Alberta MP in the federal Liberal cabinet. She represents the riding of Edmonton Centre. But Olszewski reserved comment on a report commissioned by the Municipality of Jasper that criticized the province for its response to the fire. The report stated that the Alberta government 'created political challenges' when it came to wildfire response. Premier Danielle Smith demanded Friday that Jasper officials apologize for the report. 'I will have more to say about it in the coming days,' said Olszewski, who stressed that while the report was commissioned by the town, it was produced by an independent body. As Olszewski will be in Jasper to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the wildfire, she has her eye on yet another hectic summer wildfire season nationwide. As of Friday, there were 561 active wildfires burning across the country. So far in 2025, there have been about 3,000 wildfires that have sparked across the country, and a total of 5.5 million hectares have burned. Firefighting help has been brought in from Mexico, Costa Rica, the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Chile to help battle wildfires. In Alberta, there have been a total of 802 wildfires so far, with 62 of them still active. More than 670,000 hectares have burned. And while much of Alberta has experienced rainy, cool conditions for the past couple of days, the forecast for most of Western Canada is for the rest of summer to be hotter and dryer than normal. 'Wildfire activity is expected to increase, and persist to well above average conditions across much of Western Canada, with the highest fire danger in southern British Columbia,' said Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson. 'Dry conditions are expected to intensify in the coming weeks, particularly in the west and the north.' He said that insured costs from wildfire damage in 2024 totaled $8.5 billion across Canada. The feds announced Friday that they have pledged $11.7 million to create a new Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada, which will bring together domestic governments, get international input and look at innovative ways that wildfires can be tackled in years to come. It will also look to embrace Indigenous knowledge when it comes to forest management and wildfire mitigation. 'We are here for you now, and we'll be here for you when it's time to return home, and time to rebuild,' said Olszewski. Related Premier Smith demands apology from Jasper for critical wildfire report 'So many people crying': Jasper fire deputy chief reflects on blaze, recovery You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun
