Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am always happy to come before the committee.
I'm accompanied today by Andrew Campbell, senior vice-president, operations, Parks Canada. I am also accompanied by Landon Shepherd, one of the expert firefighters at Parks Canada, whom I've already had the pleasure of meeting. If you have any more specific questions on the subject, I invite you to put them to him, he's really the expert in the room, and even in the country.
Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss this important bill, Bill C-76, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act.
Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that I stand on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.
Last week, I brought forth a unanimous consent motion to expedite Bill C-76, and I want to thank all parties and members for their support.
In the evening of July 22 of this year, a lightning storm sparked four wildfires near the Jasper townsite. By 10 p.m., an evacuation order had been issued for Jasper National Park. In just a few hours, more than 20,000 people had been safely evacuated without any casualties. As fires merged, a wall of fire nearly 300 metres high set across the southern valley in which the town of Jasper is found, projecting fiery pine cones and snapping treetops and branches up to a kilometre ahead of the fire.
Firefighters from Parks Canada, Jasper, Alberta Wildfire and dozens of towns across the country fought heroically to save homes, schools, the hospital. But there was no stopping this fire and no forest was going to escape its path.
Through heroic efforts, the men and women who fought this unprecedented wildfire successfully protected 70% of the Jasper townsite, on top of all the lives saved.
I would like to pause for a moment and thank Mr. Shepherd and all of his colleagues at Parks Canada, as well as the firefighting forces from the city of Jasper, the province of Alberta and other towns across the country who made this possible. I cannot thank them enough. The courage and application of the collective efforts deployed in the first hours and days of the wildfire saved lives and the majority of the community.
We remember especially the loss of Morgan Kitchen, the Alberta Wildfire crew member who died in early August while fighting that fire. It is a sobering reminder of the risks our first responders face every day in their dedication to protecting the safety, lives and property of others. Only through the efforts of Morgan and hundreds of others like him was any further loss of life prevented.
This fire has had profound impacts on the lives of so many people, impacts that are all too familiar to thousands of others in a growing number of communities that have been affected by wildfire in this country.
Buildings and critical town infrastructure have been damaged, and people’s lives and their businesses have been upended. A full recovery for the community will take time, and Parks Canada is already collaborating with the Municipality of Jasper to streamline processes and facilitate a sustainable Jasper of the future.
Bill C-76 is part of helping the reconstruction of a sustainable Jasper community.
I would like to take a moment to recognize the collaborative efforts, ongoing for decades, to prepare and mitigate the risks of wildfire in Jasper and elsewhere in the country.
Parks Canada, the Municipality of Jasper and indigenous partners have worked together for almost 30 years to reduce known wildfire risks in Jasper National Park and around the town, making it one of the most fire-prepared and resilient communities in Canada.
Parks Canada has used prescribed fires for four decades, including 15 in the last 10 years at Jasper National Park, to reduce the risk of wildfire to national park communities and to enhance ecosystem functioning. Millions of dollars have been invested in the battle against pine beetles, removing fuel sources from built areas and establishing a fire break around the townsite.
FireSmart Canada's best practices have been implemented in Jasper National Park, and in fact they have been largely inspired by the work that has been developed in Jasper.
The Government of Canada has invested in Jasper National Park for wildfire risk reduction activities, such as vegetation management to reduce wildfire risks to people, infrastructure and assets. The total area treated in Jasper National Park since 2014 is approximately 1,700 hectares. However devastating the fire was, Parks Canada's response and preparedness ensured that it was not much worse.
The government recognizes the situation on the ground in Jasper and our thoughts are with all those affected by the wildfire and to the family of firefighter Morgan Kitchen. Hundreds of individuals, families and businesses have been forced to cope with being evacuated, the loss of their property, streams of income and for many, their employment.
We are working hard to ensure that all of those affected receive the services and benefits to which they are entitled. We're seeking to ensure barriers to the sustainable reconstruction of the Jasper community are removed.
As part of this effort, we are seeking to update the Canada National Parks Act to enable the transfer of land use planning and development authorities from Parks Canada to the Municipality of Jasper. This change to the legislation will help facilitate streamlined decision-making where locally elected officials are empowered to make decisions regarding the reconstruction of their community.
Parks Canada remains a committed partner in reconstruction. Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper have a strong working relationship that was demonstrated time and again.
A unified command structure with the Municipality of Jasper was established on the first full day of the fire. This unified command has continued through re-entry and will remain in place through recovery and rebuilding. By working together, results are being achieved.
Residents were able to return to Jasper within a month of the evacuation. Roadways, the Miette Hot Springs, and the Columbia Icefield were open within days of the fire in the town. Travellers are once again able to visit Jasper, and their presence is vital for the many tourism industries that cater to this clientele.
As the Municipality of Jasper works to recover and rebuild, adoption of Bill C-76 will that ensure our government is supporting Jasperites. With the current streamlining work being done, and by implementing the right legislative authorities, local knowledge and local skills will be the leaders in addressing the needs of reconstruction in the communities.
Thank you.
I look forward to answering your questions.
