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How Your Government Works

Municipality of Jasper

The community of Jasper is unique because it is a town located within a province (Alberta) and within a National Park (Jasper National Park). The Municipality of Jasper is the local government that is responsible for many things within the townsite. Jasper National Park is managed by Parks Canada (the Canadian/Federal Government). The Municipality of Jasper was formed by the Province of Alberta on July 20, 2001.

Within the Municipality of Jasper, there is a Mayor and 6-member Council, elected every four years by the residents of Jasper. The current Council and Mayor were elected to office in October 2021 for a four-year term. The elected Mayor and Council represent local residents when they make decisions about municipal matters. 

Read more about how to contact council. 

 The Municipality of Jasper is responsible for things like: 

  • road clearing and maintenance
  • water treatment and supply
  • community centers
  • collecting municipal taxes 
  • making and enforcing bylaws 
  • managing waste

Because of Jasper’s unique location within a National Park, the local government does not have control over land use and planning. Parks Canada is responsible for land use planning, development and environmental matters. 

Who works for the Municipality of Jasper?

About 170 people work for the Municipality of Jasper, providing the day-to-day services that keep the town running. Use the staff directory to get to know us better or contact a specific person.

Provincial and Federal Government

There are 3 levels of government in Canada: Municipal (Jasper), Provincial (Alberta), and Federal (Canada).

Provincial Government

Jasper is located within the Province of Alberta. The Government of Alberta is responsible for things like:

- licensing drivers; 

- education and social services;

- provincial law; 

- hospitals and health care; and

- provincial parks.

How does Provincial government work? 

A democratic election is held at least every 4 years to elect the provincial government.

- Alberta is divided into groups of voters in specific areas of the province called ‘constituencies’. During a provincial election, the candidate in each constituency who wins the highest number of votes becomes the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for that constituency. Their job is to represent the voters from that area in the provincial legislature.

- There are a number of different political parties that campaign during an election. Candidates from each party try to win the votes of Albertans in each of the constituencies. 

- The leader of the political party with the most winning candidates becomes the Premier of Alberta. 

Federal Government

All provinces and territories within Canada, including Alberta, are governed by the Canadian government – the federal government. The federal government is responsible for things like: 

  • citizenship and passports; 
  • federal taxes and law;
  • national defence; 
  • national parks; and 
  • postal service.





How does Federal government work? 

  • A democratic election is held every 5 years to elect the Prime Minister of Canada. 
  • Canada is divided into groups of voters called ridings. During a federal election, the candidate in each riding who wins the highest number of votes becomes the Member of Parliament for that riding. Their job is to represent the voters from that area of the country. 
  • There are several different political parties that campaign during an election. Candidates from each party try to win the votes of Canadians in each of the ridings. 
  • The leader of the political party with the most winning candidates becomes the Prime Minister of Canada.

Learn more!