What will and won't be open as Jasper residents return home on Friday
Officials shared more information on Monday afternoon about what services residents can expect to see when they return to Jasper on Friday.
People will be able to return to the townsite from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday when Highway 16 is open to traffic.
Residents have already been warned that utilities may not be available in all neighbourhoods, and they will have to make their own decisions about whether to live in their homes at this time.
Evacuation centres will remain open in Edmonton, Calgary and Grande Prairie.
Here's what else residents can expect for services.
Continuing care residents
Residents in continuing care facilities won't be returning home on Friday, Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver told reporters on Monday.
"At this time, all continuing care residents will be kept in alternative locations until the fire is under control and there is limited risk of residents having to be evacuated again," he said.
"The most vulnerable and complex need residents will be invited to return home as soon as their needs can be accommodated, and there are people working actively on that."
Health and emergency services
Work is currently underway to get health services back up in Jasper.
Jasper Emergency Services Building, July 26. (Source: Parks Canada)
"Emergency services and EMS are scheduled to be open on Friday," McIver said.
"The priority is bringing the emergency department online and developing a staffing plan to support that."
Mental health
Anyone who needs support during the return can contact 211 at any time.
"It's our 24 hours a day, seven day a week crisis line, and can refer you to community and mental health supports near you," McIver said.
Housing
McIver says municipal and provincial officials are currently working to understand the housing needs of those in Jasper.
Geikie Street in Jasper, Alta. on July 31, 2024. (Source: Parks Canada)
"The municipality of Jasper has launched a housing needs assessment survey," he said. "If you have not filled out that survey yet please do, even if you're told your house is in good condition, we need as much information as possible about what Jasper residence needs are."
He says the survey will help determine who needs housing, and if anyone in the community is able to open their home to a resident who lost one.
Retail
Owners and operators of critical retail like gas stations, pharmacies and grocery stores have been in the community since last week to get their operations up and running.
Schools
McIver says all children in Jasper will be able to return to school in September, but even though the town schools are still standing, students will be in classrooms outside the town.
An assessment of the school buildings found there is smoke and ash inside, and remediation work is needed before the buildings are safe for students.
École Desrochers and Jasper Junior/High School, July 26, 2024 (Source: Parks Canada)
"We are working with other school authorities like Hinton and Edmonton to provide options for Jasper students to attend at the start of this school year," he said.
"Local school authorities will determine a timeline for when it will be safe for everyone to return to a school in Jasper and provide more information at a future date."
Court services
The Alberta Court of Justice in Jasper remains closed. McIver says cases that were supposed to be heard in Jasper will be moved to Hinton.
Visitor services
While visitors will be able to return to Jasper on Friday, officials are discouraging them from doing so as there are currently no accommodations or other amenities available in the community.
"To be clear this opening date is not an open invitation for visitors," McIver said.
"Jasper wants visitors to come when there is a place for those visitors to be entertained and spend their money."
"Jasperites need the time right now, just in the space to settle back into their homes."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'All bets are off' when Parliament resumes, says NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his team is focused on restoring Canadians' 'hope' but when it comes to the new minority dynamics in Parliament, 'all bets are off.'
Tensions mount as clock ticks down on Air Canada contract talks
Tensions are mounting as a potential pilot strike or lockout at Canada's largest airline is only days away with no signs of a breakthrough in talks.
LIVE NOW Consul general to New York answering questions over $9M luxury condo purchase
After weeks of pressure, Canada's consul general Tom Clark is testifying on Thursday before a House of Commons committee about the purchase of his new official residence in New York that generated a lot of political attention over the summer.
Canada Bread says Maple Leaf used it as 'shield' in bread price-fixing case
Canada Bread is accusing Maple Leaf Foods of using it as a 'shield' to avoid liability in the alleged bread price-fixing scheme that's the subject of two class-action lawsuits and an ongoing Competition Bureau investigation.
PM, senior security officials slated to return to foreign interference inquiry
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his inner circle are slated to return to a federal inquiry into foreign interference in coming weeks.
Investigators say teen smuggled assault rifle into Georgia school in backpack before shooting
The student accused of killing four people in a Georgia high school shooting rode the school bus that morning with a semiautomatic assault rifle concealed in his backpack, investigators confirmed Thursday.
Sony unveils faster, more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro. And it comes with a price tag to match
After years of speculation and hype, Sony will be launching an upgraded version of its popular PlayStation 5 at the console’s highest ever price.
Many Canadians believe the country’s two biggest political parties have moved towards fringes: survey
Some Canadians believe they've become 'political orphans' as all the major parties have become 'too extreme' in their views, according to a new survey by Angus Reid Institute.
Ontario woman misses flight to funeral due to airline ticket typo
An Ontario woman admits she was flustered and stressed trying to book an airline ticket when she found out a close relative had died last month.