Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
The resilience of the business community and the mutual support from agencies were some of the key messages at the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce (JPCC) general meeting at the Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre on Feb. 9.
This was the first in-person general meeting held for some time.
Merv Bashforth, the chamber鈥檚 secretary/treasurer, chaired the meeting, offering encouragement about getting through the pandemic.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not through this yet,鈥� Bashforth said. 鈥淗opefully, it鈥檚 the beginning of the end.鈥�
Bashforth welcomed presentations from Alan Fehr, Jasper Field Unit superintendent for Jasper National Park; Sgt. Rick Bidaisee, detachment commander for Jasper RCMP; and Jason Leslie, communications manager with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC).
Jasper National Park
The pandemic took its toll on park visitation, but Fehr said the visitation numbers showed improvement in 2021.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting close to pre-pandemic levels. I expect this year we鈥檒l be at the pre-pandemic level.鈥�
In 2020, numbers were at 68,300; in 2021, they rose to 193,800.
This represents a 23 per cent increase over 2020 levels but down from the previous four years due to the absence of commercial group tours.
鈥淭he more we can get people outside enjoying nature, not only is it good for the individual, the more people engage in nature, the more they鈥檙e interested in protecting it,鈥� Fehr said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good all around.鈥�
Significant field unit programs and projects include visitation and people management, Indigenous relations, human-wildlife coexistence, infrastructure, community, housing, species at risk (the caribou conservation program and whitebark pine), wildfire risk reduction, mountain pine beetle and the Trans Mountain pipeline reactivation project.
Fehr said the mountain pine beetle infestation 鈥渉as pretty much run its course.鈥�
鈥淏ut there are a lot of dead trees everywhere. That leaves an increasing degree of fire hazard. We鈥檙e working with Parks and the town about establishing fire guards. Wildfire risk reduction, it鈥檚 constant work to ensure the community is safe.鈥�
Regarding human-wildlife coexistence, Parks Canada now estimates that five bears are living in town, becoming town residents this fall due to a bumper fruit crop.
When asked if planting fruit trees outside of town would help draw bears away, Fehr replied that there are already existing fruit trees outside of town鈥攂uffalo berries, for example.
At the Whistler campground, elk are attracted to that food source, then grizzlies come in to prey on elk calves.
There are now plans to build a fence at the campground.
Another meeting attendee asked Fehr why people can鈥檛 be held responsible for not getting fruit trees out of their yard if an incident occurs.
鈥淲e prefer to educate people,鈥� Fehr said.
鈥淭o remove trees, you have to be careful. I鈥檇 rather not go into people鈥檚 yards. Some people have had trees for 30, 40 years. It鈥檚 close to their heart. I understand why people don鈥檛 want to remove (them).鈥�
The number of permits issued is going up: 362 permits were issued in the Town of Jasper in 2021, compared with 235 in 2020.
Such permits included 173 development permits, 91 building permits, 16 occupancy permits, 82 completion certificates and 263 compliance inspections compared with 66 in 2020.
Jasper RCMP
Bidaisee reported that the Jasper RCMP Detachment was fully staffed as of three weeks ago.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time since 2016 we鈥檙e fully staffed,鈥� he said.
About the detachment building status, Bidaisee said, 鈥淚鈥檝e perused blueprints, plans. The latest is that we鈥檙e still in the design stages. We鈥檙e trying to plan for future growth.鈥�
Bidaisee noted that community-based policing was about engaging with community residents.
鈥淲e encourage members of the community to have discourse with us, bring issues to us, that we can improve on,鈥� he said.
About calls for service, Bidaisee said, 鈥淲e have a high incidence of disharmony in relationships.鈥�
There鈥檚 also a significant call volume for driving-related issues, and Mental Health Act and wellbeing checks.
Bidaisee also noted there is an issue with graffiti.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a problem linked with visitation.鈥�
Alberta Chamber of Commerce
Leslie said things were looking hopeful when it came to the impact of COVID-19 on business operations and the health-care system.
鈥淲e can have some sense of optimism, how that (can) positively affect the economy, people鈥檚 everyday lives,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he economy seems to be improving,鈥� Leslie said later, a good sign considering struggles with COVID and the long-term effects of oil prices.
Leslie said Jasper has a great business community but acknowledged the difficulty businesses have in retaining employees.
In the recent seasons, Jasper has seen lots of visitors from Alberta, Western Canada and Canada overall.
Leslie said the influx of local visitors shows they realize what Jasper has to offer.
鈥淲ith changes in restrictions, it will amp up the visitation from international people,鈥� Leslie added.
He noted with the ACC-initiated 鈥淎lberta Perspective鈥� questions, 1,050 business leaders have joined that community since it started 18 months ago.
Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce
JPCC executive director Pattie Pavlov said with some of the restrictions being lifted and if there continued to be a decline in hospitalizations, she was 鈥渃autiously optimistic鈥� there will be an upswing in the business climate.
鈥淲e will begin to see more of what are regular numbers in visitation,鈥� she said.
Pavlov said this was a positive development, since the entire town was struggling to get over the challenges such as staffing shortages, particularly going into the spring and summer seasons.
鈥淭his is not just COVID. We鈥檝e seen staff shortages in Jasper for a long time.鈥�
She echoed what Fehr noted in his presentation, that a housing shortage has been an ongoing issue for decades.
With the pandemic, 鈥減eople have had to pivot so many times. They鈥檙e going on what they know and understand, they go in that direction, then it pivots.
鈥淓ven the chamber - we鈥檝e planned events and we鈥檝e had to backtrack them, including the Jasper in January event.鈥�
Overall though, Pavlov said, 鈥淎s a community, we have stood fast, had ups and downs, but this is a very resilient business community.鈥�
She emphasized how beneficial the partnership is between the local Chamber and the groups represented at the meeting鈥擯arks Canada, the RCMP and the ACC.
The JPCC is also in regular contact with all three levels of government.
鈥淲e are actively engaged in working on advocacy and support for the business community, which translates to support for the residents as well,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e want people to feel, 鈥楾his community鈥檚 got my back, and I want to invest in this community.鈥� Ultimately, it鈥檚 about the community, not the individual.鈥�
