The rent and fee relief applies to all commercial and residential lessees and licensees
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Residents and businesses in Jasper, as well as the municipality itself, won’t have to pay their typical rents and fees to the federal government, according to an order in council published Wednesday.
The rent and fee relief applies to all commercial and residential lessees and licensees.
The order in council grants a remission to the Municipality of Jasper for all rents payable as well as leases and licences, from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2027.
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Commercial operations that pay rents and fees to Parks Canada are also eligible to have those remitted, with the agency citing the need to “offset a combination of loss of use, significantly reduced visitation and added costs related to fire recovery.”
Commercial operations that pay rent at market rates are eligible to have two-thirds of their rent remitted for the period between Aug. 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.
Parks Canada is also recommending a blanket $50,000 remission for the year following from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
The rent for Lake Edith cottages is also eligible to be remitted with rates varying based on how habitable a given structure is deemed to be.
“Revenue-generating opportunities in Jasper National Park have been significantly reduced and are not expected to recover quickly due to the wildfire,” reads supplementary material to the order in council.
“Given the unique lease and cost structures for residents and businesses operating within national parks, the Parks Canada Agency seeks to implement measures that will support the community of Jasper during this period.”
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The vast majority, or 1,274, of the 1,419 leases, licences of occupation, and other agreements Parks Canada administers within Jasper National Park are set for a nominal fee of $1, allowing the municipality to levy property taxes on those lands.
All but six of the remaining leases and licenses pay market rent, including 50 leases for Lake Edith cottages where the rent is set as a percentage of the appraised land value.
The Municipality of Jasper also pays an annual rent to Parks Canada for lands used for municipal purposes including a fire station, roads, and water treatment facility.
That rent is due July 1 and amounted to $733,513 as of 2024.
On Wednesday, Edmonton Centre MP Boissonnault was named as ministerial lead for the federal government’s recovery efforts in Jasper where he’ll coordinate with efforts from other levels of government.
Meanwhile, the Alberta government issued a news release Thursday calling on Ottawa to waive the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements cost-share formula, under which only part of Alberta’s expenses can be reimbursed.
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