Courtesy: Explore Jasper
In an effort to promote and build on reconciliation, the Jasper Municipal Council has directed the administration to waive paid parking fees for individuals and families displaying a Parks Canada-issued Indigenous Park Pass in their vehicle the Council announced last Tuesday.
CFWE spoke with Richard Ireland, the Mayor of Jasper who said the decision to waive parking fees for Indigenous people came after the Jasper Municipal Council invited a number of Indigenous groups that have connections to the land to engage in a conversation on reconciliation efforts.
“We saw this as an opportunity to do something at least a gesture of reconciliation, nothing huge but we could get to it” – Richard Ireland, Mayor of Jasper
Mayor Ireland says there has been an Indigenous presence on the land forever and through reconciliation waiving parking fees will help Indigenous people connect with the land. Ireland acknowledged that we are on land that belonged to Indigenous people where they travel and gather.
After consulting with Indigenous people, members of the equity, diversion, and inclusion committee spoke with Parks Canada, who came up with a proposal.
The municipality was unable to create its own program or policies to verify eligibility for the exemption. As a result, the requirement is a Parks Canada Indigenous Park Pass.
The council unanimously supported the idea of waiving the fees and saw it as an opportunity to advance their reconciliation and recognition efforts.
“We got some information from Parks Canada to help us along our way and then our own staff brought it with the reccomendations to council and we heard it one week, and approved it the following week”
The motion was approved on Tuesday of last week and is now in effect. Indigenous people who travel to Jasper can now apply for an Indigenous Park Pass to hang in their vehicle.
So far this year, Parks Canada have given out 1,435 passes to Indigenous partners, and 1,751 passes in 2023.
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