JASPER, ALTA. — Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault has been tasked by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead the federal government’s share of the work to rebuild Jasper, Alta.

In July, a wildfire destroyed one-third of the Rocky Mountain tourist town and displaced some 2,000 residents.

In his new role Boissonnault will be responsible for co-ordinating federal resources with the Alberta government, Indigenous groups, and the municipal government.

Boissonnault says he will be in Jasper this week meeting with local officials to get a better grasp of immediate needs.

He says one of the first tasks will be to see if the federal government can support Jasper in establishing temporary housing, which the province and municipality have been working on since August.

Trudeau also appointed a group of cabinet ministers, including Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Housing Minister Sean Fraser, to support Boissonnault.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.

The Canadian Press