Hon. Karen Sorensen: Honourable senators, I rise today to honour and welcome a dear friend and long-time colleague to the chamber, Mayor Richard Ireland of Jasper.

Richard is the first and only mayor of Jasper. He was first elected as chair of the Jasper Town Committee in 1989 before Jasper was even considered a municipality. He served in that capacity until 2001 — Jasper’s first year as a municipality. Richard won that first mayoral election, and has either been acclaimed or re-elected every election since.

Acclamation tends to be the best way to get there.

Few can say they’ve done as much as Richard has to lift up his community over the last 30-plus years. As the only two municipalities in North America located within a national park, Jasper and my hometown of Banff have walked a unique path together. Banff became a municipality in 1990, and has seen six mayors in her 32-year history. Mayor Ireland has made it very clear, publicly, that his favourite Banff mayor was the fifth.

As internationally renowned tourist destinations, Jasper and Banff have much in common and share many of the same challenges: In particular, both balance the desires of valued visitors with the needs of the permanent residents and temporary workers who call our communities home.

Having worked with Richard for over 17 years, I’ve seen first‑hand how Jasper has flourished during his tenure — to name a few, building infrastructure with modern amenities and recreation facilities for residents and tourists, as well as investment in below-market value housing opportunities; passing municipal legislation to help protect the natural environment that makes Jasper so special; welcoming and, more importantly, providing programs to integrate many new immigrants, including providing free support for refugees, permanent residents and other newcomers through Jasper Settlement Services; and taking an active role in advancing truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people.

In the words of my colleague Senator Paula Simons:

Municipal governments are on the front lines of so many of the major issues, problems and crises facing our country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jasper faced the same dilemmas as destination towns across the country: how to support local businesses who are reliant on tourists, while safeguarding the health of community members. Fortunately, Richard was at the helm to walk that balance.

Just this past summer, he once again made the difficult decision to ask visitors to stay away as fire threatened the town. While the town suffered another huge economic hit, Mayor Ireland led with grace, assuring that the community was not at risk and that the limited power that was available was used to keep residents safe.

Richard’s decades of experience and his commitment to collaboration, listening and leadership are the attributes that I observed while working with him — and the attributes that I admire. I am delighted that he continues in this role, helping the municipality of Jasper meet challenges and opportunities in the coming years. It’s a pleasure to welcome him to the gallery today.