Tragic Incident in Jasper

Dear colleagues,

It was devastating to receive the tragic news yesterday of the passing of a young firefighter from Alberta Wildfire who was working on the incident at Jasper National Park.

Today, I stood with hundreds of personnel from across the country in an honour guard as we watched members from Alberta Wildfire, Parks Canada and RCMP members drive slowly by. I was privileged to express my sincere condolences and appreciation to his family members on behalf of Parks Canada, and would like to further extend our deepest condolences to other members of his family, friends, and fellow colleagues during this unimaginably difficult time.

This wildfire incident has touched hundreds of people at Parks Canada and many employees from across the county are working in supporting the response. I know together, as a team, especially those currently working on the incident in Jasper, those from across the Agency who support all aspects of the Parks Canada fire program, and the Fire Management Program, will be feeling this news deeply.
I have been on the ground in Hinton for a week, together with hundreds of Parks employees and personnel from Alberta and several other agencies, and I have witnessed up close how the community of wildland firefighters is much like a family. I have witnessed firsthand, too, the incredible dedication of selflessness of these crews while here in Alberta. I am humbled by the work that they do.
In the coming days, with the permission of the family and Alberta Wildfire we may be able to share more details about this individual. Today, we honour him, his work, and his life.

In the face of such loss, and as the work to fight this fire continues, let us recommit ourselves to the safety and wellbeing of one another. If you or a colleague need someone to talk to or require any support, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Employee and Family Assistance Program.

Ron Hallman
President & CEO

#ParksCanadaProud #StrongerTogether

Reminder to managers: In keeping with Parks Canada’s procedures for communications with employees, managers are responsible for ensuring all team members under their responsibility receive the information intended for them. It is important that you find a means to transmit this message and, if any, the attachment(s) to employees without access to Parks Canada e-mail or the intranet, e.g. by posting it, circulating a paper copy or by any other appropriate means.