The hills are alive… with the sound of nail guns, hammers, and engines rumbling.

The hustle and bustle of construction echo across the Alberta mountain town of Jasper, where dozens of projects are underway.

As spring approaches, Jasper is a hub of construction replacing the hundreds of homes lost in the devastating 2024 wildfire while also addressing long‑standing housing shortages.

By the end of this year, 40 apartments are expected to be available to rent in Jasper and a second building of the same size is in the works.

The Jasper Connaught Affordable Housing Development in Jasper National Park is moving ahead with support from both the federal and Alberta governments.

It’s both one of the most significant reconstruction efforts since the fire and also one of the largest affordable‑housing investments the town has ever seen — even before the fire destroyed a third of the community.

New builds are visible across the townsite: foundations are being poured, framing is underway and heavy equipment moves steadily through the residential streets.

Local officials say the pace of work reflects both the urgency of wildfire recovery and the opportunity to rethink how the community grows.

Among the most prominent projects is the affordable housing complex at 737 Connaught Drive: a low-rise apartment complex that governments hope will help stabilize the town’s housing supply.

What the new development includes

The project will be built along Jasper’s main drag — Connaught Drive — between Spruce and Hazel avenues, on the southern side of town where the July 2024 wildfire levelled over 350 buildings.

The apartment building will contain a mix of one‑ and two‑bedroom apartments, including accessible units.

“It helps ensure that recovery is about more than replacing the homes that were lost — it’s also about building more homes than we lost and working to address the housing challenges of the past,” said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland.

The first phase will deliver 40 below‑market rental units for people who live and work in Jasper National Park, with a second phase adding another 40 units.

Ottawa is contributing $14.3 million to Phase 1 while the Alberta government has committed more than $12 million through its Affordable Housing Partnership Program — $6.5 million for Phase 1 and $5.53 million for Phase 2.

The bulk of properties lost to the fire were single-family homes.

Officials say this project is designed not only to replace what was lost in the wildfire, but to expand the overall number of available homes — something Jasper has struggled with for years due to limited land and high demand from workers in tourism, hospitality and Parks Canada operations.

“Housing has been a perennial challenge in Jasper,” Ireland said. “Our residential vacancy rate has effectively remained at zero for generations.

“Even before the wildfire, many of the people who sustain this community and our local tourism economy, our workers, families, and neighbours struggled to find suitable housing.”

The units will be made available to eligible Jasper residents, though full criteria — including income thresholds and other financial requirements — have not yet been finalized.

Those details will be released as the project moves closer to completion, officials said.

Construction on the first 40 units is expected to wrap up in late 2026, with the second phase of another 40 units to follow.

Addressing long-standing housing challenges

The townsite of Jasper exists inside a national park, and land for development is limited.

The wildfire destroyed homes that were already in short supply, leaving many existing residents displaced and forcing employers to scramble for staff accommodations.

Mayor Ireland says the development represents a rare chance to increase density in a community where growth has historically been constrained.

“As we rebuild our homes, our businesses, and our community, we face important choices: we can rebuild what was here before, or we can rebuild in a way that creates more homes and strengthens our community for the future.

“This project reflects that second choice.”

Adding new units, he said, is essential to Jasper’s long‑term economic and social stability — particularly as the town relies heavily on workers who need to live close to their jobs in the national park.

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The next closest major community is Hinton, 75 km to the east outside the park gates, and then Edson, another 85 km beyond that.

Rebuilding Jasper is bringing in tradespeople from those neighbouring towns and they too need somewhere to stay.

Merlin Larson with Casman Builders is based in Edson, over two hours east of Jasper in Yellowhead County, and has been staying in Jasper Mondays through Fridays instead of commuting each day.

He’s been doing roofing, siding and other exterior finishing work in Jasper since the beginning of February and said while the slower winter season makes getting a reasonably priced hotel room easier, that won’t last.

“Obviously prices go up in the summer, so then it’s kind of it’s looking for interim housing or RV spots,” he said. “We’re tracking it as we go and and seeing what what the cost is, what’s available.

“Keeping track of the campgrounds to see when spots open up and if we can get a couple spots there, then obviously you can put four or five people on a camp spot.”

Ireland said having enough housing for the workers who will help build more housing has been a challenge since day one.

“We were challenged to find housing before the fire: we were about 600 units short. We lost 820 units of living accommodation in the fire, so the challenges just increased.”

Ireland said going into summer, campground space will remain available for construction workers to set up trailers in but he acknowledged — space is at a premium and all levels of government are working together to find solutions.

“This is a small town with a defined boundary and we are challenged indeed to find all the accommodation we need.”

According to the federal government, Jasper has exceeded its Housing Accelerator Fund commitment of 250 units in its first year, instead permitting 365 units.

The plan focuses on densification and 90 per cent of permitted units are medium-density housing. As such, the Jasper received its second payment of $2.3 million from the federal government.

On Thursday, Ireland said construction is underway on over 100 rebuilds.

“We consider that to be exceptional progress and it’s only going to speed up as the building season warms up.”

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A memorial grows at the arena in Jasper where Danica Hills, 18, and her best friend and teammate Kayla Peacock, 17, laced up for the last time Monday night — mere hours before being killed while driving home from practice.

The two girls played for the co-ed U18 Jasper Bearcats hockey team but lived in Hinton, about 75 km to the east in western Alberta.

Jasper Minor Sports called the teenagers “bright shining lights” when announcing their deaths and said the entire community is in deep shock.

“These kids have grown up playing mixed teams between Hinton and Jasper for a few years now,” said Grant Bradley, president of Jasper Minor Sports.

He said both played on the local Jasper Grizzlies girls team before opting to join the Jasper mixed U18 non-body contact team this year.

“They were widely accepted and well respected,” he said.

The loss of hockey players on winter roads is, sadly, not a new tragedy in Canada. From the Humboldt Broncos crash eight years ago that killed 16 people and wounded 13 others, to the more recent crash that killed three teenage boys headed to practice earlier this month in southern Alberta, the hockey community is hurting.

“It’s heartbreaking, yeah, it’s very hard,” Bradley said. “To see it here and being directly impacted by it is hard… From a parental point, that’s where I get emotional on it.

“I’ve hugged my kids a little tighter the last couple days and just, you know, trying to be aware of the vulnerabilities that happen with youth.”

Playing hockey was Kayla and Danica’s favourite thing to do, said a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs for the Hills family.

“If you didn’t catch Danica fishing, you’d find her making jokes, dancing to country music, or always by Kayla’s side.”

They both loved the Edmonton Oilers, their favourite player was Leon Draisaitl and both girls planned to play in adult beer leagues after aging out of minor hockey.

The post said Danica made the most of her short 18 years on earth.

“Laughing and lighting up every room she walked into, you are privileged if you had the opportunity to know Danica.”

The girls were close, as evident in an 18th birthday post last month by Kayla’s mom Stacey Peacock who expressed gratitude for her place in the family’s life.

It contained a joint high school graduation portrait of the two, plus photos of the girls living their lives: at hockey, riding horses, and at the Rimbey Rodeo — where Kayla was named queen in 2025.

The Rimbey Rodeo said it was deeply saddened to share the news of her passing.

“Kayla was an incredible ambassador for the sport of rodeo, representing our community with grace, kindness, and unwavering dedication. She touched the lives of so many, and her presence will be profoundly missed,” said a post by the central Alberta organization.

A second GoFundMe for the Peacock family said in a single moment, two bright, beautiful young lives were taken far too soon.

“Kayla was just 17 years old and on the brink of graduation from Harry Collinge High School in Hinton. She had her whole future ahead of her — dreams forming, milestones approaching, and a life full of promise.”

Flags were lowered to half mast at the high school in Hinton, where classes were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday but the school remained open for grieving students to gather and seek counselling.

Both girls were set to graduate this spring.

The fundraiser described a bright young girl with a busy life — a “proud cowgirl and a fierce competitor on the ice” who “brought heart, determination, and grit to every game.”

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“Whether she was horseback or lacing up her skates, Kayla lived with strength, passion, and an undeniable spirit.”

A year and a half ago, the people of Jasper were forced to flee a wildfire that consumed hundreds of homes in the small mountain town and now, this tragedy brings about is a new wave of shock and grief.

“It’s been now some layering of trauma and stressful situations that people are trying to deal with,” Bradley said.

“It’s hard to even decipher right now, whether that trauma is from this particular incident or it’s from the other incidents both communities have witnessed in the past couple years.”

A memorial hockey game featuring teams from two neighbouring communities will take place Friday for the girls, with all proceeds going to their families.

The Hinton Canadians and Edson Eagles will play their second semifinal playoff game at the Jasper arena, and Jasper Minor Sports is holding a 50/50 fundraiser.

“Everything that will go to the families of Kayla and Danica and we’re trying to spread that. We’re just getting the posters done now, the QR codes, and we’ll try to spread it across Western Canada to help support them,” Bradley said.

On Tuesday, Hinton Mayor Brian LaBerge noted his town, Jasper, Edson, and the Yellowhead County area are closely connected and plenty of locals travel between the communities each day for work and other commitments. Bradley echoed that sentiment, in particular between Jasper and Hinton.

“We’re tight-knit communities between the two of us.”

The crash happened around 7:15 p.m. Monday, about 45 minutes after practice ended.

Peacock was behind the wheel of a pickup and Hills was a passenger, when their truck and a semi tractor-trailer collided on Highway 16, east of Jasper.

Both girls died on scene. RCMP said slippery road conditions are believed to be a factor.

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