Looking for a summer job? Jasper’s got plenty.
In fact, if businesses haven’t already started, very shortly they’ll be looking to hire the perfect employees to dote on the park’s summer visitors.
The question is: will anyone even apply?
In the past few years, hiring has become an unpleasant task in Jasper, as fewer and fewer prospective workers reach out in search of summer employment.
The last two summers, many of Jasper’s businesses went understaffed; “help wanted” signs littered the windows of Patricia Street storefronts and no one seemed to come to the rescue.
This is a huge problem for Jasper. Not only do labour shortages wear out our business owners who end up working ludicrous hours to pick up the slack, it also affects the quality of service we provide our visitors.
Without baristas to whip up lattes, housekeepers to spruce up hotel rooms, chefs to cook up dinner and tour guides to drum up interest in Jasper’s many wonders, we’ll end up shortchanging our guests—the very people we rely on; the people who spend their money in our businesses and, if all goes well, spread the word that Jasper is a destination not to be missed.
In an effort to address this persistent issue, the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce has identified employee attraction and retention as its No. 1 advocacy issue for 2015 and it is in the process of organizing a job fair that will bring together not only employers, but community services and groups to show prospective workers what Jasper’s all about.
This is a positive first step, and a much needed one, but sadly it won’t be enough.
That’s because beyond our labour shortage, we also have a housing shortage, and without adequate housing, there is no way we can entice prospective workers to town.
We can woo them with the mountains and the fabulous lifestyle, but if they don’t have anywhere to store their gear, it’s highly unlikely they’ll ever call Jasper home.
We’ve lost many keen mountain lovers because of this in the past and we will continue to do so until our housing crisis is addressed. It’s time that businesses joined together to build another apartment building, allowing our community to grow to accommodate the needs of our business owners and our visitors.
The community needs to put as much energy into creating new housing as it does into attracting more visitors. If it doesn't, it won’t be long before the shoe drops and those visitors begin to notice a significant drop in service and decide to spend their holidays somewhere else.
