Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Jasper quietly reached its 20th anniversary since incorporation on July 20 as the municipality continues to pursue more autonomy.
On July 20, 2001, Jasper was officially incorporated following years of campaigning.
鈥淗ard to believe that it was 20 years ago,鈥� said Mayor Richard Ireland, 鈥渢hough there are other days when it does seem like a distant memory, particularly all the negotiations that lead to it. It seems a lifetime ago. Here we are.鈥�
Ireland was first elected mayor in 2001 when Jasper became a specialized municipality and is the only mayor the town has ever had.
He was heavily involved in the push for Jasper to get a local government in order to establish a sense of autonomy and ensure those who paid for public services were properly represented.
鈥淧olitical accountability is what people were looking for,鈥� Ireland said.
The mayor noted that incorporation helped foster a sense of community too.
鈥淐learly, we were a community before incorporation and we continue to be a community, but I think that as a community, we鈥檝e been strengthened, because we are more aware that our destiny is to a large extent in our own hands, and we have the means and opportunity to affect that, and that makes a real difference in my view.鈥�
Some residents weren鈥檛 as convinced as others of the importance of autonomy when the ratification vote occurred 20 years ago.
But time has shown that it does make a difference, such as how the 2017 municipal election had 16 candidates running for six spots on council.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 significant because it shows that people truly understand that they can impact their community鈥檚 future and so they get engaged, and that level of engagement has grown over the past 20 years,鈥� Ireland said.
Although incorporation was a landmark moment for Jasper, the push for more autonomy continues to this day.
The municipality has gained control of business licencing since incorporation, for example, and now wants control over land-use bylaws, which Parks Canada currently has jurisdiction over.
Back in June, Jasper鈥檚 economic recovery task force provided a number of recommendations to municipal council, which included pursuing transfer of land use and planning to help the town recover from COVID-19.
鈥淚t is seen as a critical component of a healthy community and responsive to the adversity that we face,鈥� Ireland said.
Land rent is another ongoing issue, as the municipality is required to pay $600,000 in land rent to the Government of Canada each year, which drives up municipal taxes.
鈥淲e鈥檙e certainly aware of the issues,鈥� the mayor added.
鈥淲e鈥檙e aware of a growing community interest in having us push for that greater autonomy. In the time that鈥檚 left, this council will see what it can do, and hopefully future councils will continue to act in that direction from the community.鈥�
