Eligible residency

Jasper National Park

What is eligible residency?

Residential leases in Jasper restrict occupancy to eligible residents as defined in national park regulations. The eligible residency provisions ensure that community lands are available exclusively for community use, rather than recreational or second home purposes.

Why have eligible residency?

To ensure that a broad supply of housing types are available for those who work and raise families in the community, all people living in national park communities must meet eligible residency requirements. This ensures that housing remains available for those whose primary objective is to live and work in the community.

Who is an eligible resident?

According to the National Parks Lease and License of Occupation Regulations , an eligible resident is anybody who meets any one of the following clauses:

  1. Someone whose primary employment is within the park
  2. Someone who operates a business in the park AND whose presence is needed for the day to day operations of that business.
  3. A retired individual who for five consecutive years immediately prior to retirement:
    a) was primarily employed within the park, OR
    b) operated a business in the park AND whose presence was needed for the day to day operations of that business
  4. Somebody who lived in the park at the time of their retirement, AND who was living in the park on July 30, 1981
  5. Someone who attends school full time at a registered educational institution in the park.
  6. An individual, or their descendants through blood or adoption, who leased public lands in Jasper prior to May 19, 1911.
  7. The spouse of anybody referred to above.

Enforcement

Eligible residency will be enforced by Parks Canada to ensure that those living in the community have an established need to reside here. Enforcement is accomplished by:

It is a criminal offense to make a false statutory declaration.

For more information contact Realty and Municipal Services, Jasper National Park, at jasperrealtymunicipalservices@pc.gc.ca or 780-852-6220.

Disclaimer

This document has no legal status and cannot be used as an official interpretation of the various codes and regulations currently in effect. It is meant solely to provide general information that may be of assistance to the developer. The development authority should always be contacted for accurate information

For more information, contact the Jasper National Park Development Office at (780) 852- 6114.

This document is published by Realty & Municipal Services, Jasper National Park as a public information service.

Frequently asked questions
  • Do I have to be an eligible resident to own property in Jasper?

    You do not need to be an eligible resident to lease property in Jasper. Approximately 15% of all residential leases are held by people from outside the community. However, you do need to be an eligible resident to reside in Jasper.

  • Can I be an eligible resident by working from home?

    You do not meet the eligible residency requirement by operating a home-based business, including a Private Home Accommodation, as per the Land Use Policy for the Town of Jasper.

  • I worked in the park and retired and then moved away from Jasper, can I move back to Jasper as a retired eligible resident?

    To qualify as a retired eligible resident a person must have worked in Jasper for five consecutive years immediately prior to their retirement date and must maintain continuous residency in Jasper. If a person moved away from Jasper after retiring, they no longer meet this definition of eligible residency.

  • I have lived in the park since 1981, does this make me an eligible resident?

    The eligible residency requirement came into effect on July 30, 1981. If you were a Jasper resident on that date, and you were considered retired on that same date, and you still reside in Jasper today, you would meet this definition (2.d). A person who resided in Jasper on July 30, 1981 and who was not retired at that time, would not meet this definition.

  • I am getting older and my adult son/daughter lives in Jasper, can I move to town so that they can help me out?

    A person can claim to be a dependent of an eligible resident residing in Jasper. This could be a physical, social, or economic dependency.

    A dependent parent may either live in the same home as their adult child or apply for seniors housing at Pine Grove Manor or Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge through the Evergreens Foundation. Since the intent of the eligible residency requirement is to protect the limited housing in the community, an aging parent claiming eligible residency by being a dependent may not take up residence in Jasper outside these options.

  • What can I provide for supporting documentation?

    The most common supporting document is a letter from an employer. The letter must state: the job title/position; the term of employment (e.g., full-time, part-time, casual, etc.); whether employment is permanent, temporary, seasonal; and the average number of hours per week.

    The letter should be on company letterhead and must be dated, signed by a representative of the employer, and provide contact information in case follow up is needed.

  • What can I provide for supporting documentation if I am retired?

    If you retired in Jasper, the supporting document(s) must: demonstrate that you are retired (and not just unemployed), state the date of retirement, and demonstrate your local employment history for the 5 years immediately leading up to the retirement date (place of work, job title, term of employment).

    Common acceptable supporting documents include a letter from a past employer, a record of employment for the last 5 years of employment, tax documents, pension statements, government issued letters and records (Service Canada). Several documents may be required to adequately demonstrate that you meet this eligible residency definition. Other documentation may also be accepted.

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