At a Glance - Week of August 13, 2024
Jasper Residents Re-Entry Plan Released
Starting on Friday, August 16th, residents and business owners of Jasper will be permitted to return home as part of a blanket re-entry. The re-entry is voluntary at this time as some areas of the townsite still do not have water and gas restored at this time.
A re-entry guide is available on the Municipality of Jasper’s website, including details about ensuring a safe return.
Officials have said that while residents are welcome back, there is still potential risk. “There is still a wildfire active on the landscape right around the town. Parks Canada has been doing some great work and putting lots of effort into containing and going towards controlling the fire in that area, so we have confidence that it is safe for the public to go back. There’s a high likelihood that the town will remain on evacuation alert for some time, which means residents who do go back … need to be ready to evacuate again if the conditions change.”
Long-COVID Program Closed
Alberta Health Services has confirmed that an interdisciplinary outpatient program designed to support long COVID outpatients has come to an end. The temporary program was set up in 2021 to provide support for those suffering with long-COVID symptoms.
While there is no cure for long-COVID at this time, the program itself was created to support patients managing their individual symptoms.
In a statement to various media outlets, Alberta Health Services wrote that “the health and well-being of our patients remain a priority, and we are committed to ensuring they receive the support they need during this transition.”
No Vaccine Changes Coming – Province
A recent podcast appearance by an Alberta MLA has resulted in a formal statement being released by the Ministry of Health. In July, MLA Eric Bouchard appeared on a podcast where one of the discussion points was the COVID-19 vaccine program that suggested he would like to see the vaccine removed from the province and that “the wheels are in motion”.
The Health Minister’s office responded to the statements by saying “this vaccine will continue to be a choice that Albertans can make” and “Alberta’s government is not considering any changes to COVID-19 vaccine funding or access.”
MLA Bouchard’s office later clarified that “I have consistently supported informed consent and opposed mandates, and I am pleased with the progress being made to safeguard Albertans’ right to make their own health care decisions through the updated Bill of Rights.”
City of Edmonton Receives National Recognition
According to a release issued by the City of Edmonton, the Alberta Capital has been recognized by Maclean’s magazine as one of the ten “Best Affordable Places to Live in Canada”. In the city’s release, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said “in 2022 alone, we welcomed more than 45,000 new residents, who chose to move here for reasons including affordability, access to services, a thriving economy and more. They stayed for the community, the warm and welcoming people and a quality of life enriched by festivals, arts and culture and the beautiful scenery that surrounds us."
The other municipalities that made the list include Charlottetown, Halifax, St. Catherines, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, Kingston, Fredericton, Windsor, and Regina.
In Maclean’s reasons for including Edmonton, they indicate that “people may move to Edmonton for economic reasons, but they tend to stay for the city’s character. Situated up above the 53rd parallel, Edmonton’s relative isolation has led to a do-it-ourselves civic culture, with patriotic pro sports teams and a bumper crop of festivals, including the largest Fringe in North America. Plus, when it gets too cold, there’s a pretty big mall to hide out in.”