In a unanimous vote, Jasper town council members have approved new plans to change the names and addresses of several streets and approximately 70 buildings in Jasper, as the current naming pattern has been deemed irrational.

“It’s just a more rational approach to wayfinding,” said Mayor Richard Ireland.

He explained that when someone’s life is on the line, there’s no time to stop and ask for landmarks and fuss about with strange addressing systems. Someone needs help as fast as they can get it and he is hoping this change will make sure that happens.

“The Jasper RCMP detachment relies on Edmonton-based dispatch services where dispatchers are not familiar with Jasper locations and nicknames,” states a March 16 Jasper town council agenda item on the matter. “Patricia Place, Patricia Circle and Patricia Crescent, while familiar to locals, can be confusing for off-site dispatchers and responding members.”

Several other streets will see name changes. For example, a part of Pyramid Lake Road will change to Bonhomme Street in order to avoid the sudden change in street names. Cedar and Pyramid Avenues will be changed to Pyramid Lake Road.

In terms of numbering, the majority of changes will occur in the Jasper trailer park.

Mayor Ireland explained that when the trailer park in Jasper was first built in the 1970s, the planners didn’t think to make the addressing system match up with the rest of the town’s directional, incremental approach.

These new changes will rectify that situation, explained the Mayor.

The Mayor also explained that while the costs of changing a building’s number sign will be paid by the owners, the most expensive costs will probably be on the businesses that have to change their promotional materials.

Those businesses have yet to make their feelings on the matter known formally, however.

Deputy Fire Chief Ron Stanko told council at their March 16 general meeting that feedback on the plans so far has been “incredibly minimal.” Meetings with both the Chamber of Commerce and the RCMP have fallen through due to postponements.

Stanko also explained that there have been some complaints from people who have lived on Pyramid Lake Road who are now unhappy that their street name is going to be changing.

“Overall, the feeling seems to be that this is about time and that it makes good sense,” said Stanko, who was the lead on developing the plans.

“This will be a much longer process yet. We really are just at the beginning,” said Councillor Ralph Melnyk. “This is a good step towards making things standard.”

The changes will come into effect on Jan. 31, 2011, which is expected to give residents plenty of time to change their personal information.