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‘Extra hoops’: Parks Canada’s lease system, building rules could delay Jasper rebuild
Residents of Jasper, Alta., who lost their homes in last month’s wildfire face unique rebuilding challenges tied to leasing provisions nearly as old as Canada, followed modern rules dictating what they can and can’t construct.
Lawyer Jessica Reed said property owners in the townsite in Jasper National Park own their buildings but, unlike other municipalities, don’t own the land they sit on.
“The actual owner of the land, even if you looked at the land title, is the King himself,” said Reed, a partner with a firm that has offices in four Rocky Mountain municipalities, including Jasper.
This means that each property owner in Jasper, like those in other communities located within a national park, is a leaseholder with the Crown and must make annual payments tied to property values, Reed said.