Fort McMurray Minute: Dormitory Taxation, Nomination Period, and the Draper Area Plan

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

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• On Tuesday, at 4:00 pm, there will be a meeting of Council, beginning with a closed session wherein Council will receive a Wood Buffalo Economic Development Corporation Update. When the meeting opens up to the public, Council will review the Historical Indigenous Residential Land Ownership Policy and consider options for increasing the number of pickleball courts in the city. Also on the agenda is the taxation status of student dormitories. Under the Municipal Government Act, there is a tax exemption for dormitories, but the Act permits municipalities to pass a bylaw to tax them. For the 2024 taxation year, the projected revenue from this taxation is $104,857.62, so Council will look to end the exemption and cash in on this revenue. There will also be a Public Hearing to address the addition of a liquor store at 195 MacKenzie Boulevard.
  
  
• The deadline to submit nominations for the Ward 4 byelection is today at noon. Three candidates have already declared their intention to run. The byelection will take place on November 4th.
  
  
• The proposed Draper Area Structure Plan (ASP) and draft Land Use Bylaw (LUB) are set to be presented to Council in fall or winter, and Draper residents are being encouraged to provide feedback. There is also an open house on Thursday, October 10th, for residents to learn more. The event takes place from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 165 in Waterways.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• Leaders from Fort Chipewyan have urged the federal government to clean up a contaminated dock area, alleging that Ottawa concealed pollution information from them. Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation condemned the situation as environmental racism, while local leaders expressed outrage over discovering contamination details only after a leaked report. The dock, known as the "Big Dock," has been in use since the 1960s and is linked to rising cancer rates among community members. They are demanding federal ministers meet with them to discuss a remediation plan, while Transport Canada insists that studies show no health risks from the site and that a remediation plan is being developed.
  
  
• Fort McMurray was listed among the communities targeted for funding under a new multi-billion-dollar program designed to address overcrowding in provincial schools. Alberta Education has released a list of initiatives aimed at creating 200,000 student spaces over the next seven years. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides noted that Fort McMurray's school projects will likely benefit from expedited approval through the $8.6-billion School Construction Accelerator Program.
  
  
• Fort McMurray RCMP have warned residents about false information spreading online, specifically regarding a rumor of a "serial killer" in downtown Fort McMurray. The police emphasized that there is no ongoing investigation related to this claim and reassured the community about their safety. They cautioned citizens to be skeptical of unverified social media posts. The RCMP encouraged anyone with knowledge of criminal activity to contact local authorities for assistance.