Fort McMurray Minute: Drone Expansion, Highways Closed, and Highways Being Built

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

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• Council is on summer vacation, so there are no meetings at City Hall this week. The Wood Buffalo Development Advisory Committee will meet in early August, while other meetings are set to resume in September.
  
  
• Wood Buffalo RCMP is expanding its use of drones for surveillance and investigations in Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan. The detachment currently operates two drones in Fort McMurray and one in Fort Chipewyan, with plans to add more in the future. These drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging, assist in locating missing persons, investigating crimes, and managing natural disasters. Although the technology raises privacy concerns, the RCMP emphasized that drone usage adheres to strict privacy guidelines and requires search warrants for surveillance over private property.
  
  
• The Municipality is encouraging residents to participate in the Communities in Bloom initiative by nominating a neighbour or local business with an impressive garden or floral display. The goal is to highlight and celebrate the beautification efforts within the community. Nominations are open online until August 17th.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said he is optimistic about starting construction on Highway 956, which will link the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region to La Loche, Saskatchewan, in 2026. The project, announced in 2005, has seen Saskatchewan complete its portion, but Alberta has yet to begin construction on its segment. Dreeshen emphasized the importance of this project for market access and economic development, especially after recent agreements with Saskatchewan and Manitoba to improve economic corridors. While Saskatchewan has paved most of its section, Alberta needs to construct 65 kilometers, with $14 million allocated for upcoming engineering work.
  
  
• Speaking of highways, wildfires closed Fort McMurray's only two southern highways on Monday night. Highway 63 was shut after flames crossed the road south of Mariana Lake, but it reopened early Tuesday with dozer crews working to create fire guards. Highway 881, which also faced closures due to wildfires, reopened later in the day with traffic slowed to 50 km/h due to heavy smoke. The Chipewyan Prairie First Nation ordered an evacuation on July 18th, and a voluntary evacuation was arranged for vulnerable individuals. The neighbouring hamlet of Janvier was also under an evacuation warning, and several oil operations reduced their non-essential staff due to the fires.
  
  
• Alberta Health reported a significant decrease in drug-related deaths in Fort McMurray, with five overdoses recorded from January to April 2024, compared to ten during the same period in 2023. The recent fatalities involved opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol. Opioid deaths in Alberta have fallen to their lowest since 2020, with 90 reported in April. The Province is expanding recovery communities to provide long-term treatment options.