Rebuilding Guide

A guide to rebuilding structures within Jasper townsite following the Jasper Wildfire Complex

October 2024

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Introduction

The Rebuilding Guide is a starting point for people rebuilding lost structures within the townsite of Jasper during the 2024 Jasper wildfire. You’ll find four steps to consider as you design your rebuild. You’ll also find a summary of the changes that were recently made to the development policies in Jasper to make rebuilding easier, increase the community’s housing supply, and improve the community’s wildfire and climate resilience.

The Municipality of Jasper is a mountain national park community located within Jasper National Park, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has five National Historic Sites within its boundaries. The park spans over 11,000 square kilometres and is the largest and most northerly Canadian national park in the Rocky Mountains.

To support rebuilding this national park community, Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper have outlined a 5-phase approach to Rebuilding Jasper. In Phase 1, values and principles were identified to guide the update to the policies that apply to development in Jasper: making rebuilding easier, rebuilding with wildfire in mind, increasing housing options, climate resilience, and sustainability. A summary of changes is included in this guide.

Now entering Phase 2, with the information you need to design your building available, planners from both Parks Canada and the Municipality are ready to meet with you to support this design work. Parks Canada continues to receive applications to rebuild and is making changes to improve the application process, knowing that there will be much more demand. More information on updated processes will be shared at the end of Phase 2.

The authority for development approval currently rests with Parks Canada. All permit applications should continue to be made to Parks Canada.

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Where to find more information

Please reach out if you have questions about the rules that apply to your building project, how to interpret land use and architectural policies, how to submit a permit application or any other questions related to project permits.

Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper recognize that more people are needed to process development applications as quickly as possible. We are adding people to our teams to be able to support the needs of our community. Please be patient as we grow our capacity to respond to questions and review permit applications. Stay tuned for additional ways to contact us or receive information updates.

Information will be posted online on Parks Canada and Municipality of Jasper websites.

Other resources that may be helpful:

Insurance information

• Insurance Bureau of Canada
• AskIBCWest@ibc.ca

 

Contractor support

• Public Registry of Builder & Property Information
• Canadian Association of Homebuilders

 

Planning and development questions

• For questions related to specific land use policies and individual applications: jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca

 

Lease questions

• jasperrealtymunicipalservices@pc.gc.ca

 

Other resources

• Canadian Red Cross
• Local Community Supports

 

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Designing your building

The following steps will guide you as you design your building.

Step 1: Understand what your insurance will cover

If you haven’t already done so, contact your insurance provider and start a claim.

It’s important to consider what your policy includes and what you may need to pay for out of pocket. Review your homeowner’s insurance policy to check the coverage limits and specific details. If you are unsure about the details, contact your insurance provider for a clear breakdown of what’s included. This will help you make informed decisions and avoid unexpected costs as you begin the rebuilding process.

If you have questions, contact your insurance representative or visit the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s dedicated Wildfires and Insurance webpage. You can also call IBC’s Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ASK-IBC (1-844-227-5422) or email AskIBCWest@ibc.ca.

Step 2: Consider retaining professionals

Engaging professionals to assist with the design and construction process will help you navigate the building process.

Help to find qualified and reputable designers and contractors can be found here:

• The Alberta Association of Architects
• The Government of Alberta registry of licenced home-builders
• Canadian Association of Home Builders

 

The types of professionals needed depend on the project. For a new build, you will likely need an architect (or architectural technologist) and a builder. You might also need to hire an engineer if your building has features that need to be engineered for safety features like significant retaining walls, if there are steep slopes on your site, or if your building has underground parking.

Step 3: Start designing your building

Development projects in the Jasper townsite are required to comply with the Land Use Policy and the Architectural Motif Guidelines.

The Land Use Policy contains specific information related to what a building can look like (e.g., building height, setbacks from property lines) and what the land can be used for (e.g., commercial business, tourist accommodation, residential use, etc.). The document also contains information on parking and landscaping requirements.

The Architectural Motif Guidelines set out requirements on site layout, and architectural style requirements to protect and promote Jasper’s iconic Mountain Architecture within the townsite.

To start:

1. Check the zoning of your property. Review the Town of Jasper Land Use Map to identify what land use district your property is in.
2. Review the development rules on the Parks Canada website. This page has information about the rules that apply to different types of development. You can find information about the rules that apply to each of the following types of development:
   
   1. Residential homes
   2. Commercial buildings
   3. Garages
   4. Mobile homes
   5. Secondary suites
   6. Fences
3. Review updated exterior building materials permitted in Jasper. Exterior materials are restricted for wildfire resiliency, and other climate hazards and to preserve Jasper’s mountain architecture.
4. Work with your project professionals to design your building, taking into consideration your budget and ensuring your proposed design complies with the Land Use Policy and Architectural Motif.
5. Contact Parks Canada if you have questions. We recommend that you contact the Parks Canada Development Office to set up a meeting before submitting a permit application. This can help prevent delays that come with an incomplete application or an application that needs changes to meet development requirements.
   
   Development Officers are available for in-person or virtual meetings on a by-appointment basis. Setting up an appointment allows us to review your file before the meeting to make sure that you get the best guidance and answers to your questions. To set up a meeting, please email at jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca or call at (780) 852-6123.

Step 4: Submit permit applications

Once you have reviewed the requirements for your property, the next step is to work with, prepare and submit an application for a development permit (PDF, 199 KB).

Understanding the permit process

There are two main permits that you will need to start construction of your new building: a development permit and a building permit. In most cases, the process will be to:

1. Apply for and obtain a Parks Canada Development Permit
   An approved Development Permit confirms that a development proposal complies with the criteria and specifications set out in all relevant Parks Canada policies, acts and regulations.
   
   The Parks Canada Development Website includes checklists of information you need to provide based on the type of development proposed. Please make sure you review these checklists carefully before submitting an application. Incomplete applications are one of the biggest causes of delays in reviewing permit applications.
   
   The development permit application is your opportunity to provide the clearest possible picture of the proposed project. The more detailed information you provide, the fewer questions the Development Office may have. Review and approval timelines depend on the quality and complexity of the submission.
2. Apply for and Obtain a Parks Canada Building Permit
   A building permit confirms your project complies with relevant provincial building safety codes. A building permit enables you to begin construction.
   
   This webpage has more information on the building permit process, including the application form (PDF, 168 KB) and application checklist (PDF, 143 KB).

 

Fees

There are fees associated with permits. For more information on what fees may apply to projects, please contact the Development Office.

Timelines

Projects submitted to the Development Office are reviewed in the order they are received. Review and approval timelines will depend on the complexity of what is being submitted.

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New development policies

In preparing for the rebuild, planners from Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper completed a review of Parks Canada's existing development policies for the Town of Jasper. After seeking feedback from the Municipality of Jasper’s Mayor and Council, updated policies were approved by the Superintendent on October 28, 2024.

These policy updates were guided by the following values and principles:

1. Simplify the development review and approval process to make building easier for lessees.
2. Rebuild with wildfire in mind, using the latest FireSmart research to improve Jasper’s resilience to fire.
3. Increase housing options for Jasperites to ensure our actions now assist with housing supply in the long term.
4. Rebuild with climate resilience in mind, supporting our efforts to be a community at the forefront of sustainability efforts.
5. Enhance Jasper’s built-form character to ensure the unique qualities of Jasper are maintained.

 

The policy updates are simple changes to make rebuilding easier. More significant changes will take place later, with community discussion and exploration, once rebuilding is underway. Red-lined versions of the updated policies are available on request by contacting jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca.

Key changes to improve wildfire resilience

Development policies play an important role in keeping communities safe. Specific policies to improve wildfire resilience of individual buildings help reduce the potential impact a wildfire will have on a community.

Buildings lost to wildfires are often first ignited by embers. Once one building catches on fire, it can then spread from building to building across a community. By reducing the susceptibility of a building to catching on fire, the chances of a building—and all the neighbouring buildings—surviving a wildfire are greatly increased.

After review and engagement with Natural Resources Canada on the latest wildfire-urban interface fires best practices, like those adopted in FireSmart guidelines, several key changes were made to Jasper’s development policies to improve the community’s future resilience to wildfire to ensure community safety:

1. Prohibiting new wood siding or roofing. Wood has historically been a key feature of Jasper architecture but is highly flammable. Moving forward, wood other than heavy timber will no longer be permitted. Heavy timber, metal, fibre-cement board, stucco, and masonry will continue to be permitted as they are less flammable and less susceptible to melting.
2. Requiring a 1.5 m buffer zone of non-flammable materials around a home. This ‘immediate ignition zone’ is the area most vulnerable to embers. Flammable materials in this buffer zone can act like a wick - if they catch on fire, the fire can spread to the home.
   Under the new policies:
   
   1. Wooden fences are still permitted, but they must be separated at least 1.5 m from the edge of a structure to reduce the risk of a fence catching a home on fire. This could be managed by having a metal gate or non-combustible panel closest to the building.
   2. Wooden decks will still be permitted, but decks, porches, or steps within the 1.5 m buffer zone must be made of non-flammable material or surfaced with non-flammable material. The spaces under decks should be kept clear of debris and flammable material and should be skirted to stop debris from accumulating there.
   3. Only non-flammable landscaping options will be permitted within the first 1.5 m of the buffer zone. Planners will work with you to find options that are suitable for you and are in alignment with the FireSmart guidelines.
3. Requiring that new coniferous trees be planted at least 10 m away from a building to reduce the flammability of the yard. This is important because these types of trees are highly flammable and if combustible landscaping ignites it can produce embers that may ignite combustible materials and increase the chance of direct flame spreading to the home.

 

A word on wood

Wood is an important part of the architecture in Jasper. Plentiful in the early days, it became a common part of the local architecture and an iconic part of important buildings. Since the 1990s, the Architectural Motif Guidelines largely supported this, promoting wood siding and roofing, wooden detailing and wood’s use in everything from signs to lamp posts.

Wood siding and roofing is a major risk both to individual structures and to the community as a whole and is no longer allowed for new developments in Jasper. This is a significant change and necessary to help protect Jasper in the long term.

Heavy timber log construction, or the use of wood detailing in the form of heavy timbers, is still allowed and aligns with the bold, robust detailing that is emblematic of mountain architecture.

The FireSmart Home Development Guide has information on how to design or retrofit buildings and yards to provide protection from fire.

Key changes to increase housing

Housing has been a concern in Jasper for many years. Since 2007, the residential vacancy rate for Jasper has been between 0 and 0.4%. Over the last few decades, community consultations have consistently identified additional housing as a priority for the Jasper community.

To create potential for additional housing in Jasper and to give leaseholders more flexibility, the following changes were made to Jasper’s development policies:

1. Leaseholders with lots formerly zoned for single-detached dwellings can now build either one or two primary dwelling units on a lot.
   Leaseholders will now have the option to build a duplex on most residential lots in Jasper. Leaseholders still have the option to build a single detached home. This builds on previous work to allow secondary suites and garage suites in many residential areas.
2. Parking requirements have been reduced.
   Under the new rules, only one parking stall is required per primary dwelling unit. Parking takes up a lot of space. For example, four parking spaces side-by-side on a surface parking lot require a similar amount of space as a one-bedroom apartment. Reducing parking requirements creates more space on a lot for housing. Leaseholders can build more parking on their lot if they choose.
3. More options for accessory dwelling units.
   Leaseholders can now build garden suites on residential lots—a source of long-term rental income and increase housing density. A garden suite is a self-contained home that can be built in the rear yard of a residential property instead of a garage.
4. Subdivision was made easier.
   Subdividing one lot into two or more lots that can be bought or sold will be easier in two ways: 1) subdivision is now permitted in areas where it used to be prohibited, and 2) minimum lot widths have been eliminated. This means that leaseholders can now build a duplex, divide the lot in two, and sell the other half of the duplex.

 

Possibilities when designing your building

The updated rules for residential buildings in Jasper allow for a wider range of housing options. These options improve the financial feasibility of rebuilding and allow more housing for Jasperites.

The following section shows some of the housing options allowed in Jasper.

Housing forms: One-Unit Dwellings

Districts allowed: R1, R2, R2H, R3a, R3b, R4

New property line

New property line

Housing forms: Two-Unit Dwellings (aka duplex, semi-detached homes)

Districts allowed: R1, R2, R2H, R3a, R4

Shared property line

Unit 1 entrance and Unit 2 entrance

Housing forms: Multi-Unit Developments

Districts allowed: CCWc, R3a, R3b and most other residential area with permission of neighbours

Shared property lines

R3a, R3b: Small Apartments (up to 6 units allowed in R3a)

R3b: Larger Apartments (6+ units)

Accessory Dwelling Units

An accessory dwelling is a second, smaller home on the same lot as a main house. This can include a unit attached to or within the main house (secondary suite).