Consultations on Land Use Planning and Development in the Town of Jasper

Backgrounder

·  In the Canada National Parks Act, national parks in Canada are dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment, and the parks shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.

·  On behalf of the people of Canada, Parks Canada protects and presents nationally significant examples of natural and cultural heritage in Canada and fosters public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations.

·  The Agreement for the Establishment of Local Government in Jasper was signed between Parks Canada and the Jasper Town Committee in 2001, following the coming into force of the Canada National Parks Act.

·  In accordance with the establishment agreement, the Municipality of Jasper has been delivering a range of services to the community in accordance with the Municipal Government Act of Alberta; except for authorities related to land use planning and development, annexation and the environment. These services and authorities are delivered by Parks Canada.

·  Section 9 of the Canada National Parks Act specifically prohibits local governments from exercising land use planning and development authorities in park communities. The only exception is the Town of Banff through section 35, since that Incorporation Agreement was signed in 1989, before the Canada National Parks Act came into force.

·  Sections 9 and 35 were included in the Canada National Parks Act, along with commercial caps for all townsites and ski area restrictions, to address the negative impacts of growth on the ecological integrity of national parks.

·  Parks Canada has been working to modernize how it administers land use planning authorities across all Parks Canada administered places. National consultations on the National Planning Permit Process (NPPP) were completed in spring 2022. The proposed NPPP aims to provide more tools to better manage stakeholder relations, create flexibility in addressing local zoning issues, and improve revenue generation. More information on the NPPP can be found here.

·  The Municipality of Jasper has publically shared their desire to have a role in delivering in land use planning and development services for a number of years. In July 2022, the Municipality formally requested that Parks Canada transfer the approval authority for land use planning and development within the town boundaries to the Municipality of Jasper.

·  The public and Indigenous consultations on how land use planning and development services are delivered within the Town of Jasper are an important step in Parks Canada’s consideration of the Municipality of Jasper’s request.

·  These consultations are specific to land use planning and development in the Town of Jasper only and independent of the NPPP consultation.

·  In this process, no changes are being considered to development limits in the Canada National Parks Act such as the commercial floor area allocations, commercial zoning, or the town boundary.

Next Steps

·  Following consultations, a What We Heard Report will be published. The report will summarize the feedback received and outline the next steps for Parks Canada to respond to the request from the Municipality of Jasper.

·  In developing these next steps, consideration will be taken on whether:

          ·  changes to the current service delivery model should be considered, and

          ·  amendments to the Canada National Parks Act and Establishment 
             Agreement are required.

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