Jasper

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says that in her first face-to-face meeting with the new prime minister she gave him an earful on wildfires and oil sales and warned him national unity hangs in the balance.

About 5,000 residents and 20,000 visitors were safely evacuated before the fire breached the western edge of town and destroyed 350 homes and businesses, including 820 housings units. The Insurance Bureau of Canada pegged the damage at $880 million.

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

The town council of Jasper, Alta., is set to discuss today if it will ask for funding from the provincial government to offset reduced property tax revenues for the next three years.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the wildfire that tore through Jasper is the second-most expensive one in Alberta's history for insured losses.

When Alice Foubert entered her home in Jasper, Alta., for the first time since a wildfire roared into the community, the rancid smell from her fridge made it difficult for her to recognize where she was.

"Even amidst the profound grief and staggering loss experienced by so many, the community's familiar pulse is unmistakable. Neighbours and friends, who had been apart for weeks, are reuniting with heartfelt embraces and teary smiles," a post on the town's Facebook page said on Saturday.

Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland has said only residents will be allowed to enter the town and other visitors will be directed to stay on the highway and drive on by.

The town also reports that while 358 structures were destroyed, mostly businesses and homes, the total number of housing units lost is about 800.

Following the Jasper wildfire, some have suggested we should direct funding toward adaptation to climate change instead of prevention. This thinking is fundamentally flawed — and will only cost more in the long run.

Recent research shows the fires can dramatically alter watershed dynamics and introduce harmful substances into drinking water.

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.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Hinton, Alta., to get a briefing on the status of the Jasper wildfire, as well as meet with the province's premier and evacuees who fled the blaze that destroyed a third of the town.

Parks Canada spokeswoman Michelle Macullo said about 245 people were evacuated from the backcountry, some by air and some by boat.

It didn’t take long for Namneet Singh to find full-time employment again, after a fire in Jasper, Alta., last week destroyed the hotel he had worked at for more than a year.