Displaced Jasperites will be able to run, vote in the October municipal election

Piles of belongings line the curb, as part of emergency fire-smarting efforts to save structures in Jasper, Alta., after a wildfire devastated the community on July 26, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken

The province says all Jasper residents, even those who have been displaced to other communities due to the wildfire, will be eligible to run and vote in Jasper in the upcoming municipal election.

The United Conservative government says it will be proposing amendments to the Local Authorities Election Act this spring to allow for the changes.

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“These amendments will ensure displaced Jasper residents retain their residency and eligibility to vote and campaign for office in Jasper, as long as they were eligible to do so immediately before the wildfire, they intend to return to live in the community, and they are not disqualified for reasons due to events following the wildfire not related to residency,” Ric McIver, municipal affairs minister, said in a Wednesday news release.

“As we look forward to October, I encourage any temporarily displaced Jasper residents who are interested in running for Jasper town council or the school board to do so, even if they are currently living outside of town.”

The wildfire last July destroyed about 30 per cent of the structure in the mountain town.

The province, Parks Canada and the municipality have been going back and forth in recent weeks about how best to implement temporary housing for displaced residents in the community.

Municipal elections will be held across Alberta in October.