Jasper council heard funding requests from external groups on Tuesday (Nov. 12) ahead of budget deliberations in the coming weeks.
Council voted to move all items forward to budget deliberations.
Library board
Joyce Melnyk, chairperson of the Municipality of Jasper Library Board, said the library was closed for two months due to the wildfire.
“While we were closed, our members could still use e-resources and use their library cards at other libraries,” Melnyk said. “Our library members are a dedicated group. Almost immediately, we were hearing from them about destroyed items, even as they had lost their homes. Others were trying to return their items from far away.”
She expressed gratitude to the Valemount and Hinton libraries for supporting Jasper during the evacuation, and she thanked the Yellowhead Regional Library for their assistance and support during this time.
Because of the wildfire, the board paid the regular staff for their scheduled hours and waived all fines and charges for lost and missing items.
The library was able to reopen again on Sept. 26 following the cleaning and other work to make the Library and Cultural Centre operational again.
“As with COVID, the wildfire had a dramatic initial impact,” Melnyk said. “We'll see what recovery will look like. Memberships will probably see a decline as it is impacted by housing and the decision of some to relocate.”
So far, staff have been receiving messages from members who are temporarily relocated but want to keep their Jasper membership and other messages from members not returning.
“Between the loss of housing and the upcoming CN relocation, we are anticipating a drop in memberships,” Melnyk said. “This will impact circulation and programs as well, at least in the short term.”
The board requested $213,156 for 2025, a 2.5 per cent increase compared to last year, with the board planning to contribute funds from its reserves.
“The community, and by extension the library, is in a period of flux,” Melnyk added. “The board feels it will take a few years before we will see the full impact of the wildfire. As we move through this period, the board will adjust operational spending as required.”
Jasper Artists Guild
The Jasper Artists Guild requested a rent reduction from $1,635.95 to $950 per month for its space at the Library and Cultural Centre.
According to the request, it was difficult to determine what the tourist traffic may be for the Jasper Art Gallery in the coming months and years, and gallery closures due to this year’s wildfire, the Chetamon fire and gas leaks have eroded its reserves.
Russ Mann, chair of the Jasper Artists Guild, also requested for $9,150 in unspent funds to be rolled over to next year.
Mann explained the funds were meant to hire additional staff during the high season, but the candidate they found was no longer available due to the wildfire.
“Our first request is that we be allowed to roll that over to use those funds to support staff during the high season in 2025,” he said.
CAO Bill Given said since the funds were already approved, there was no need for council to make a motion for the guild to keep the funds.
Historical Society
The Jasper-Yellowhead Historical Society, which operates the local museum, requested $55,000. This was the same amount approved last year.
Herb Robinson, past president of the historical society, noted that some board members and half their staff had lost their homes in the wildfire.
Like other groups, the wildfire severely impacted visitation to the museum, which was closed for two months but has since reopened.
“We’ve lost a lot of society members who have moved away from town, and perhaps coming out and spending money on a museum or other activities is not high on a list of priorities these days,” Robinson said.
The society was unable to predict the number of visitors and as a result could not reliably forecast future income. Robinson noted they weren’t able to hold many of their usual fundraisers, such as the Duck Race and the Festival of Trees.
The $55,000 in grant funding would be applied to operational activities.
“That'll give us perhaps a bit of breathing room to get our priorities really well organized and perhaps try to raise some revenue,” Robinson said.
Community Futures
Community Futures West Yellowhead requested $10,000 to support its delivery of core services and allow them to work as “boots on the ground” with local businesses, according to a letter to mayor and council.
Coun. Ralph Melnyk, who spoke on behalf of the request, said Community Futures receives funding from the federal government but had not seen any increases in core funding since 1997.
“Each of the partners within the group that forms Community Futures – the five different towns or municipalities – have all committed to review this similar ask which we had last year,” Melnyk said.
Coun. Wendy Hall added how Community Futures would be adjusting to focus on Jasper’s economic recovery, and Coun. Helen Kelleher-Empey noted the group had put together grants for Jasper businesses affected by the wildfire.
Other requests
The Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce requested $5,000, the same as last year, which would go toward renovations at the historical Robson House, which serves as its operational premises.
The UpLift! Jasper Mural Festival requested $25,000 to continue supporting the event in creating public art within the townsite. This is the same amount that was approved last year. It also asked for a letter of support from the municipality so it can better pursue corporate funding.
Habitat for the Arts asked for $15,000 plus rent relief for its space at the Library and Cultural Centre. Last year, Habitat asked for $20,000 plus rent relief.
