The roads heading into Jasper, Alta., are open, but officials say tourists won’t be welcome in the Rocky Mountain town for the foreseeable future.
Only the town’s 5,000 residents were allowed to return starting Friday following last month’s wildfire evacuation.
At least 500 Jasperites returned over the weekend, but it’s not clear how many have chosen to stay permanently, municipal officials said Monday.
Although the roads into town are now open, the municipality’s incident commander has asked visitors to stay away for now.
“There are no hotels, there are no restaurants, there are no businesses open, and we do need the space to get our residents and our businesses back on their feet,” Christine Nadon told reporters in Hinton, Alta., a town close to the national park’s eastern boundary.
Nadon also said there would be a significant police presence in Jasper and officers on patrol will ask visitors to leave.
“If you do show up in town, you can expect to be intercepted by an RCMP officer,” she said. “They are patrolling and they are interacting with folks on a public relations mission to approach people and speak with them and sort of figure out if they don’t look like they’re residents … that they are directed to move on.”
Nadon said she wasn’t sure if anyone had been asked to leave since checkstops into town were taken down early Monday.
“People have been very good so far.”
When asked, Nadon didn’t say if RCMP would arrest those who refuse to leave.
Mayor Richard Ireland said he expects people to understand that now is not an appropriate time for tourists.
“People respect that our community is suffering,” Ireland said.
“I do not think that we will be overwhelmed with voyeurism.”
Both Ireland and Nadon said many businesses that cater to out-of-town visitors are still assessing damages and figuring out staffing plans before they can reopen.
“The visitor economy, unlike other industries, is so highly dependent on a labour force,” Ireland said. “If we don’t first look after our residents who provide that labour force, the visitors will not be able to come back.”
About 800 housing units were destroyed when wildfires hit town on July 24.
Over the weekend, Nadon said 670 individuals had spoken with insurance adjusters on-site, more than 600 homes had gas restored and more than 500 appliances were picked up for disposal.
She also said 165 property owners have signed up to have crews sift through their destroyed homes and businesses to see if any belongings could be recovered.
Highway 16, the main thoroughfare through the national park, is now fully open after having limited hours over the past few weeks.
Alan Fehr, a field unit superintendent in the park, said Monday that although the highway is open, most of the park remains closed for recreation.
He said the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and the Athabasca Glacier area could reopen before the end of the week.
“We understand that the Icefields Parkway is an important route for many residents, many business operators, and that will be a high priority for us,” he said.
