Dozens of homes are sitting empty in the town of High Level, Alta., as residents relocate, often without new renters or buyers taking their place.

This higher vacancy rate comes after the loss of 190 local jobs in April, due to the curtailment of the West Fraser Mill located just outside of the community.

Margaret Carroll has been a realtor in the town since 1998 and says she’s never seen the rental market like it is today.

“[Since] the announcement of the closure of West Fraser, I’ve had vacancies — and right at this moment, I have about 24 vacancies which I never ever, ever have,” Carroll said, explaining that she oversees around 200 different rentals currently.

Carroll is confident that she will fill those vacancies in due time. She has been getting some inquiries, but says she requires tenants to have a source of income, no pets and no indoor smoking to qualify.

The town of more than 4,000 residents is located about 740 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

Trying to make a sale

The number of homes currently for sale is also higher than in recent years. There has been a 30 per cent increase in active listings between July 2025 and 2026, according to Carroll.

She said several of the listing owners have already vacated their homes and moved on.

“Most of them are people that have left because of their job, you know, so that’s disheartening,” Carroll said. “But this too shall pass.”

With home prices averaging between $250,000 and $350,000, selling higher-end homes is proving difficult.

Gerald Hexspoor has learned that first hand. He and his wife listed their 2,000-square-foot home two years ago with dreams of retiring in the town of Wembley, Alta. — about 470 kilometres to the south — to live closer to family.

It still hasn’t sold. 

Originally listed for around $600,000, Hexspoor signed papers on July 13 to drop the price to $499,500.

“I don’t get frustrated because unfortunately, you know, the real estate market is what it is because of the economy,” Hexspoor said.

Hexspoor moved to High Level in 1987, and said if he was selling his house in that era he thinks the home would’ve been easier to sell.

“When places like Edmonton, let’s say, were in a kind of a recession, we were booming up here. I mean it was crazy, you couldn’t get hotel rooms, restaurants were all full,”Hexspoor said. “Over the years a lot of that has changed.”

Clark McAskile moved to town a year earlier than Hexspoor, living through those times and spending two stints as chief administrative officer for the Town of High Level. 

“High Level’s gone through transitions in the resource sector, we’ve had mill shutdowns before… It exists because of its resources but it doesn’t rely on the resources. It’s a service centre,” McAskile said, noting that there will always be jobs in industries like education and health care.

WATCH | West Fraser mill closure causes job loss in High Level, Alta:

West Fraser Mill closure in High Level, Alberta means 190 jobs lost

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ceased production at its OSB Mill in High Level, Alberta this week. Eagle Andersen has more.

With trees rooted in the forests and oil remaining underground, McAskile says there’s also the ever-present opportunity for another resource boom period in the region that would give local real estate a boost.

He and his wife were able to sell their home and relocate to Vulcan, Alta. — about 1,150 kilometres to the southeast — in 2025 to be closer to her mother following their retirements.

McAskile’s daughter, who moved to Drumheller, Alta., for work, hasn’t been as lucky. 

She listed her house this January, and despite numerous viewings, she hasn’t found a buyer yet for her three-bedroom house that sits in the centre of town.

The vacant home is currently listed at $269,900 and McAskile says they are confident it will eventually sell due to the comparably lower price tag. 

“[She] is renting a place someplace else, and paying a mortgage in a different place. So you’ve got that double hitch when it comes to the expenses,” he said.

High Level will never die- Margaret Carroll

Despite the challenges, McAskile’s optimism about a potential sale is echoed by Carroll. She anticipates more movement in the market in mid-to-late August as new families may be looking for housing prior to the start of the school year.

“High Level will never die. So I’m confident that these will get filled up and sold,” Carroll said.