Fort McMurray Minute: Copper Tubing, Bargaining Continues, and the Highway 686 Extension

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

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• On Tuesday, there will be a City Council meeting, beginning with a closed session at 4:00 pm. In secret, Council will discuss a Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism Corporation Update. When the meeting opens up to the public at 6:00 pm, Council will look to direct Administration to work with Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Metis Nation, and other community groups to gather input on the design, location, and size of a monument in Fort Chipewyan to honour residential school survivors. Councillor Bussieres will also bring forward a Notice of Motion to compare the bylaws governing Chief Administrative Officers in similar municipalities across Alberta. There will be another in-camera (secret) session later, to discuss the Integrity Commissioner’s Report for Action.
  
  
• The Alberta government is planning to extend Highway 686, connecting Fort McMurray to Grande Prairie, which will reduce the travel distance between the two communities by 100 kilometers. Fort McMurray has supported the project for its economic and safety benefits, including providing an emergency evacuation route in case of disasters like the 2016 wildfire. The highway could also boost the region’s economic diversification by linking energy and agriculture sectors. The project is being developed in collaboration with local Indigenous groups and is expected to take five years, with Phase 1 aiming for completion by summer 2026.
  
  
• CUPE and Fort McMurray’s school divisions are returning to the bargaining table after weeks of strikes that have disrupted classrooms and impacted over 1,000 educational support workers. The strike, which began in November, expanded into a full strike this month, causing special needs students to stay home and early childhood education programs to be canceled.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• Fort McMurray RCMP have recovered $50,000 worth of copper tubing that was stolen from a Gregoire area business. The theft was discovered after security footage showed two individuals breaking into the business and fleeing in a blue Chevrolet Cruze. Investigators identified two locations in Fort McMurray connected to the theft and raided homes on Arabian Drive and Demers Drive. A 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with theft over $5,000 and possession of a break-in instrument. Authorities are seeking additional information related to the crime.
  
  
• The Municipality announced that there are 17 positions available on 9 municipal Boards and Committees. These include opportunities on the Advisory Committee on Aging, the Combative Sports Commission, and the Homelessness Initiatives Strategic Committee. Applications are open until February 16th, and interested individuals can apply through the Boards and Committees portal on the municipality's website.
  
  
• The Community Investment Program Approval Committee (CIPAC) approved a grant of $232,873 for Markaz Ul-Islam as part of the Community Sustaining Grant stream. This increases the total 2025 funding for the Community Investment Program to $7 million. The Program provides funding to non-profit organizations, individuals, and athletes for various community initiatives and cultural activities. The updated list of approved grants is available online.