B.C. village struggling to survive following economic impact of Jasper wildfire
Valemount lobbying province, feds for $1.5 million as businesses fight to stay afloat
It's a 120-kilometre drive between Valemount, B.C., and Jasper, Alta. — but business owners in the B.C. village say the ripple effects of the wildfire that devastated the Alberta town last summer have many of them struggling to stay open.
A community of just over 1,000, Valemount welcomed nearly 20,000 Jasper evacuees last July.
Most left within a matter of days, but parts of Highway 16 and 93 that connect Valemount with Jasper stayed closed, cutting off the village's economic activity for weeks.
The remote community, which is about 300 kilometres from both Prince George and Kamloops, relies heavily on tourists travelling through northern B.C to Jasper.
"In the last few years, we've become very dependent on our tourism dollars coming in, and to lose a month-and-a-half worth of that financial income has been catastrophic for some of the businesses," said Donna Hamilton, who owns Twin Peaks Resort, a collection of five cabins and a vacation home on the outskirts of Valemount.
The village, which describes itself as a resort community and whose economy relies heavily on the northern B.C. and Alberta tourism circuit, is lobbying the B.C. and federal governments for $1.5 million in financial support, saying the community fears economic collapse.
"Our village faces the prospect of losing nearly all our businesses and livelihoods because we helped evacuees and then were cut off for weeks by circumstances out of our control," said Valemount's mayor, Owen Torgerson, in a news release.
In his first week as prime minister, Mark Carney announced a $187-million investment to repair and rebuild critical infrastructure in Jasper National Park, including funding for campgrounds, trails and permanent staff housing.
Valemount says that while it received money from the province to develop an economic recovery strategy, the funds are not enough to cover what is needed.
In an email to CBC News, Torgerson said the village was able to use the funding to hire a consulting company, Strategies North, which surveyed 64 local businesses. It found that 70 per cent of the businesses indicated that, because of the reduction in revenue, they did not have sufficient resources to cover their expenses and remain viable.
It also heard that many businesses had been unable to make insurance claims because they were not directly damaged by wildfires, despite the drops in revenue.
In its economic recovery strategy report, the firm estimates $1.5 million is needed to support the village's recovery — money it says is required to help offset the losses experienced and keep operations going until the next tourism season.
"Until this funding is forthcoming, we are unable to implement the plan," Torgerson told CBC. "We are confident, however, that the province would not wish to waste the money approved for development of the economic recovery strategy and Plan, by not providing the support needed to implement the plan."
The province, through the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, has said it is working with the community to aid in its recovery efforts, including by providing support for its recovery plan and to access existing programs and grants, but has not committed to additional funding as requested.
"I'm worried about the whole town," said Hamilton. "It's quite depressing when you go into town and there's absolutely nobody there."
Michael Lewis, the owner and operator of Three Ranges Brewing in Valemount, said most businesses rely heavily on summer tourism — which all but dried up after the Jasper wildfire.
"We make our money in the summer and you put it all in savings, and then throughout the winter, your savings are how you pay your taxes and pay your staff and you keep the business open," he said.
"It's going to be a death blow for some businesses for sure."
Businesses told to apply for grants
B.C.'s ministers of emergency management and economic development have directed the village to apply for existing grant programs.
However, Lewis said there are no specific grants available that would help his businesses in the short term.
"If your village is devastated by the ripple effects you can't see, you get nothing except kind words," Torgerson said in a news release. "The B.C. government's words have to turn into action or our village will be struggling to survive, and what message does that send to small communities across our province?"
A statement from a B.C. Economic Development Ministry spokesperson said that, as they understand it, the consultant hired by the village was developing a plan that would likely include next steps in accessing government grants and programs.
"[The ministry] also has regional staff available to the table and local businesses to support with economic development efforts," the spokesperson added. "It is up to Valemount and businesses to act on the opportunities."
The spokesperson added that Destination B.C., a Crown corporation, continues to market the village as a travel destination, and multiple funding organizations have been brought together to share information on grants.
"Valemount receives over $300,000 annually through the Municipal and Regional District Tax program to market the community and over $200,000 annually under the Resort Municipality Initiative to bolster its amenities for tourists," the spokesperson said.
Hamilton said she's hopeful that tourism will pick back up in the summer, but she expects fewer visitors as Jasper is still recovering and worries international tourists are wary of wildfire threats.
"These businesses need an actual cash inflow because, well, we've noticed even in town, some of the businesses are running fundraisers. Some of them have people working for free to try and sustain a business," she said.
"I don't know how those people will survive without an actual cash influx."
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With files from the Rocky Mountain Goat/Local Journalism Initiative