Fort McMurray Minute: Closed Meeting, Retaliatory Tariffs, and Arts Community Concerns

Fort McMurray Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Fort McMurray politics

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• The Vehicle for Hire Committee will meet on Monday at 6:00 pm. The meeting will begin with some housekeeping items, like the election of a Chair and Vice-Chair and a discussion about the 2025 meeting schedule. The Committee will also consider a letter from Intact Insurance, urging an update to the Vehicle For Hire Bylaw to allow for dashcams that monitor driver performance. Also on Monday, at 6:30 pm, the Community Investment Program Approval Committee will meet. In a closed portion of the meeting, the Committee will discuss an item entitled Community Investment Program Allocation Review.
  
  
• Speaking of closed meetings, there will be a Council Closed Meeting on Tuesday at 4:00 pm. This meeting will not be open to the public and Council will discuss, in private, an amendment to the Elected Officials Compensation, Travel and Expenses Policy, a Wood Buffalo Economic Development Update, a labour relations matter, and an Integrity Commissioner Report for Action.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 1:00 pm, there will be a meeting of the Emergency Advisory Committee. The agenda includes a 2024 Year In Review, a discussion about emergency social services, and a Vulnerable Persons Registry, among several other items. On Thursday, at 6:00 pm, the Communities in Bloom Committee will meet. The meeting begins with some housekeeping items, followed by a 2025 Flower of the Year Update.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• Mayor Sandy Bowman has called for the oilsands to be exempt from potential retaliatory tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump may impose on Canada. Bowman expressed hope that Canada’s energy sector, heavily reliant on US exports, would not face such tariffs. He warned that tarrifs could harm both Canada and global energy supply.
  Bowman also emphasized the importance of the region to the Canadian economy, citing that 22.8% of jobs in the oilsands depend on exports to the US. Premier Danielle Smith has also voiced her opposition to any retaliatory tariffs, stating that Alberta will not support a federal plan if oil and gas tariffs remain a possibility.
  
  
• Keyano College's decision to repurpose its arts centre for healthcare and social work programs has left Fort McMurray's arts community shocked and concerned. Local artists and organizations, including the Swamp Rat Experience theatre company, argue that losing the arts centre will significantly hinder community productions and creative projects due to a shortage of available spaces. While the College plans to retain the theatre's dressing rooms and a smaller studio, critics say these spaces are insufficient to sustain the vibrant arts scene. Many community groups felt blindsided by the lack of notice, and arts advocates worry that the loss of this key facility will strain the area’s creative infrastructure.
  
  
• Wood Buffalo RCMP used a drone to follow a man after he allegedly fled a traffic stop in a Polaris UTV Side by Side. Officers had initially tried to stop the driver on Tower Road but refrained from pursuing due to safety concerns. Instead, they used a Remote Pilot Aerial System to track the man to his home. The RCMP reminded the public that off-highway vehicles are prohibited on sidewalks, parks, and urban trails.