One Jasper evacuee plans to sleep in his truck as Calgary’s evacuation centre closed Friday, and those in hotels have to leave by Tuesday.
The evacuation centre at Shouldice Park is closed and evacuees still in hotels provided to help will need to make new plans after the long weekend.
Those evacuees told CityNews they received a few hours of notice on Friday to leave on Sept. 2.
“That doesn’t give you a lot of time to make arrangements right?” Jasper resident Peter Lesage said.
“I’m going to be sleeping in the Walmart parking lot in my truck … I’ve never been homeless before.”
A notice from the province says the Jasper Recovery Task Force is going to “support the development of interim and transitional housing options for displaced residents, essential workers and workers to help rebuild Jasper.”
“Given most residents are able to return home and the mandatory evacuation orders have now been rescinded, the evacuation centres have closed,” it reads.
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Suzette Niegas, another Jasper resident, says she doesn’t know what she will do come Tuesday.
“We’re making plans but it’s like, right now, it’s just so hard,” she said tearfully.
“We’ve been living there for like 17 years. I came to Canada with one suitcase and I left Jasper with one suitcase.”
Calgary’s reception centre started receiving evacuees on July 23, helping over 1,800 evacuees. Jasper residents were told they could head back home on Aug. 16, but some are still in need of assistance.
The Jasper Wildfire Complex, which began on July 22, destroyed 358 structures within the townsite, including 820 residential units. It caused an estimated $880 million in insured damages.
After the blaze destroyed a third of the town, the municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada are working to find longer-term accommodation for those in need, but the town is prioritizing essential workers.
“For now, they’re doing the best they can but for essential people only. That hurts. So we’re not essential?” Niegas said.
“Where are we going to go?”
Jasper is working on two types of housing: temporary housing (90 days and under) and interim housing for longer-term housing needs.