Residents of burned seniors' lodge in Jasper, Alta., eager to return home

Seniors who lived in a lodge destroyed in the Jasper wildfire are weighing their options, as they face a two- to three-year wait for their home to be rebuilt. 

The Pine Grove Senior Citizens Manor was among the 358 structures incinerated when the fire breached Jasper, Alta., on July 24.

Its 33 residents are temporarily living in a hotel in Hinton, Alta., east of Jasper National Park. The Evergreen Foundation, which operated the manor, is offering them accommodations in places like Edmonton and Wetaskiwin, in central Alberta.

"It's been stressful for everybody. Tempers are short and it's taxing on the brain," said Kerry Wilgosh, 69, who has lived in Jasper since 1980.

Wilgosh, an avid sports fan, bought a new 60-inch TV and furniture when he moved into Pine Grove Manor last November. All of it was destroyed in the fire, he said.

He praised the Evergreen Foundation for its help over the past month, but said the situation has taken its toll on everyone. 

Jasper residents were allowed to start returning to the community last week. Residency rules for Jasper limit seniors housing to people who are permanent town residents.

Many of the Pine Grove seniors, like Wilgosh, have deep roots in the community and want to return when they can.

"It's where I'm supposed to be," he said. "I lived in the community for so long and I miss seeing all my friends."

Plans are underway on a medium-term solution. The Town of Hinton has approved a plan to sell land next to an existing seniors' lodge to the Alberta Social Housing Corporation for one dollar. The province plans to build modular seniors housing in Hinton within a year.

Hinton Mayor Nicholas Nissen said the location is perfect for the Jasper seniors.

They will have access to "high-quality, no barrier entry housing," he said, as well as local seniors and amenities at the neighbouring seniors' lodge.

Retired carpenter Norm Kipke, 76, also wants to go back to Jasper, but he hopes to find a place to live in Hinton during the rebuild.

"I'd like to be with my friends," said Kipke, who moved to Jasper when he was 18. "I'm willing to wait."

The close ties between Pine Grove residents are complicating efforts to find temporary accommodations, according to Kristen Chambers, CEO of the Evergreen Foundation.

Most of the residents have lived in Jasper for a long time and are friends with one another. They are relying on each other to get through a trying time, Chambers said.

"This close-knit group is really what they want to stay a part of," Chambers said. "So it's making any decisions on future housing a lot more difficult because, really, all they have now is each other."

Chambers praised the province for moving quickly to get modular housing built in Hinton.

The Jasper Wildfire Complex was labelled as being held last weekend. It has burned more than 33,000 hectares in the national park.

The wildfires are among 83 total wildfires burning throughout Alberta as of Thursday afternoon, according to Alberta Wildfire.