The first emergency alert jolted residents’ phones at 9:59 p.m.
“Everyone in Jasper and Jasper National Park must evacuate now,” warned Alberta emergency officials.
On July 22, 2024, 30-kilometre-an-hour winds had swept two small fires into flames up to 50 metres high. Unable to contain the blaze, firefighters pulled back, and soon, thousands of people were sent fleeing.
Eight months later, tensions between the Alberta and federal government over how to spend $112 million in wildfire reconstruction funds appear to be thawing. Last week, Ottawa said it would put $2 million toward a pop-up village for 11 local businesses. The Alberta government, meanwhile, said it’s looking to add another $3 million to help stabilize the town’s revenues.
But Jasper is not the only town suffering from the disaster’s fallout. As the fire approached, many fled west into the neighbouring province of British Columbia.
Within hours, the Village of Valemount — B.C.’s northernmost resort town — ballooned with more than 20,000 people, more than 20 times its normal population.
Locals opened their homes and restaurants. The municipal government set up public facilities for evacuees needing a place to sleep and bathe.
Then the emergency subsided. Many of the displaced moved on, finally going home from a camping trip or finding lodging with friends and family elsewhere. Today, about 30 of those who were evacuated remain, according to Valemount Mayor Owen Torgerson.
“We basically had 20,000 people. Then we had no people,” said Torgerson.
Steep drop-off in visitors risks up to 70% of businesses
By the time most of the displaced had left, Valemount’s August high season had passed. The multi-week closure of several highways in the area made it even harder for traffic to find their way to the village.
Summer tourist visits dropped by a third as many businesses reporting cancelled bookings well into 2025. The direct lost revenue was later estimated to range from between $1 million and $2 million, with indirect losses expected to be even higher, a report commissioned by the village later found.
It soon became clear that many of the village’s restaurants, hotels and guiding outfits did not see the sustained business they needed to see them through the year. Had helping neighbours in crisis left Valemount unable to fend for itself?
“We don’t want to pose that question ever,” said Torgerson. “We’re Canadians, we’re British Columbians.”
At the same time, the mayor said peoples’ livelihoods are on the line. 鈥�
The village hired Kamloops advisory firm Strategies North to survey and interview the town’s businesses. The results were dire: 70 per cent said that without government intervention, they may not make it through the winter.
Spencer Hall, publisher of the local newspaper, said that since July 2024, they have seen a 42 per cent decline in digital advertising and a 12 per cent decline in print advertising.
“The first thing businesses cut is advertising,” said Hall.
Valemount Pines & RV Park, which at one point hosted 600 evacuees for free, told survey takers in December 2024 that it was in financial distress and risked closure. Hall also pointed to a local Chinese restaurant and brewery that were hit particularly hard by the drop in summer tourism.
“There’s only so much beer 1,000 people can drink,” he said.
Mayor moves to petition three governments
This week, Torgerson and Simpcw First Nation chief George Lampreau flew to Victoria to lobby several members of the provincial government and official members of the opposition. Next week, they are headed to do the same with Alberta lawmakers, and the week after that, to Ottawa.
“It’s one thing to send an email. It’s another thing to show up on an MLA’s doorstep,” Torgerson said of the “non-partisan” trip. “We’re trying to ensure that if government drops the ball, we won’t be left with nothing.”
Between the three governments, the mayor estimates the village’s businesses need an about $1.5 million — administered through a third party — to help pay bills and wages through the winter.
Otherwise, said Torgerson, Valemount could see a widespread exodus as residents look elsewhere to make a living.
“It’s a rounding error,” he said of the money. “But we don’t meet any of the check boxes.”
A spokesperson for B.C.'s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said there is “a lot of work being done” to assess the impacts of wildfires on several communities, and that it was working with other ministries to support Valemount.
Back in the village, Hall said he's been frustrated that it has taken so many months to hire and then register lobbyists to seek help on Valemount's behalf.
“It’s put us in a difficult spot. We’re hobbling along,” he added.
“We’re kind of waiting with bated breath to see what happens.”
— With files from the Canadian Press
