As we enter 2025, On Side Restoration reflects on the July wildfires that swept through Jasper, Alberta, and our efforts to support this remarkable community. Although it will take years for Jasper to recover and decades for the beauty of this area to be restored, helping one of Canada’s jewels this past summer was an honour that our team will cherish for a long time.

Beyond our regular restoration work, we also stepped in to help the local government with its white goods evacuation program. Over 2000 dysfunctional appliances of all types and sizes were stranded in people’s homes or left curbside.

On Side was invited to work with the municipality through our long-term relationship with EllisDon Civil. We want to thank the EllisDon Civil team for entrusting our company with this initiative and having faith that we would deliver a solid outcome.

“We had never done white goods removal at this scale, but it was EllisDon Civil’s strong belief in us that gave us the confidence to pull it off. As they continued to troubleshoot challenges with the municipality, we became their hands and muscles to bring their solutions to life,” stated Tim Hedrick, Senior Project Manager, On Side Restoration.

The lack of accommodation in the vicinity and Jasper’s remoteness meant that our teams (consisting of over 120 people) had a one-hour, one-way daily commute.

Don Dee Legare, our Kamloops Operations Manager, who literally gave up her summer and most of the fall to run our local operations, stated, “Our crew worked for over ten hours a day, lifting massive appliances and managing to do it even while the residents were moving back into town. To prepare our crews for the demanding activity, we started each morning with calisthenics and stretching exercises to ensure we were limber and could take on the day. Being away from our families and friends also meant that team-building activities were needed to support our crew’s mental health and keep their spirits high.”

On Side was also very happy to help Marmot Basin Resort get their chalets up and running just in time to welcome skiers back for the winter season. Taking to social media, Marmot Basin expressed their heartfelt gratitude for our team’s efforts. Their post on November 7th reads, “We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the team from On Side Restoration who have been working up at Marmot Basin over the last several weeks. This incredible crew has been cleaning our resort from top to bottom, supporting our commitment to the health and wellness of staff and guests, and ensuring our buildings and facilities are ready for the 24/25 season!”

The Jasper wildfires occurred while On Side was also handling a large-scale flooding catastrophe throughout much of Southern Ontario and the Montreal area. In response, we strategically relocated hundreds of our people from various parts of Canada to meet the urgent demands of our communities in need.

As we move forward, we take a piece of Jasper with us and are thankful to the local government, communities, environmental organizations and EllisDon, for their unwavering trust in our services. This crisis serves as a hopeful reminder that effective collaboration can help us overcome challenging obstacles.