Fort McMurray Minute: Governance Restructuring, Festival Attendance, and the Historic Bitumount Site

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

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• There are no Council or Committee meetings this week. Meetings will resume on November 6th.
  
  
• The Alberta government says that the historic Bitumount site, the first commercial plant in the oilsands, will remain closed to the public due to concerns regarding contamination and the structural integrity of its buildings. Although various maintenance efforts were conducted between 2011 and 2021, many structures have deteriorated significantly, and plans for future conservation depend on ongoing evaluations of hazardous materials at the site. Despite its historical significance, the site has faced challenges related to safety and environmental issues that hinder any immediate plans for public access. Local heritage advocates note that Bitumount has potential for future designation as a Municipal Historic Resource, though no formal application has been submitted.
  
  
• Councillor Keith McGrath denies making defamatory statements about Kari Donnelly, former HR director for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, claiming his comments to Fort McMurray Today were not intended to harm. Donnelly is suing McGrath and the Municipality, countering accusations that she authorized over $1 million in unauthorized bonuses and asserting the approval was transparent to the Chief Administrative Officer. She also alleges McGrath displayed inappropriate behavior during Council meetings, including being intoxicated and making discriminatory remarks, which McGrath also denies. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) has restructured the governance of Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism (WBEDT) for the second time this year, appointing all Council members as interim directors. This latest change follows an April decision to replace the previous board with select Councillors and the RMWB’s CAO. Council will temporarily oversee WBEDT while new directors, who must be Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo residents, are recruited. The interim board is expected to provide Council with recommendations within 90 days.
  
  
• Numbers from the 2024 Athabasca Tribal Council Cultural Festival in Fort McMurray have been released. The event drew a record-breaking 14,000 attendees to Snye Point Park. This year’s festival, one of the largest in the region, featured Cree, Dene, and Métis traditions, including a Dene Hand Games tournament, Elder’s pipe ceremony, and a Traditional Village. The event also celebrated the 125th anniversary of Treaty 8 at the festival’s Learning Lodge. Planning is already underway for next year’s festival, set for September 11th to 14th, 2025.
  
  
• The Municipality approved a new Anti-Racism Policy. This policy was developed with community feedback, including insights from the Regional Advisory Committee on Inclusion, Diversity, and Equality and the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Youth. The policy commits to protecting the rights and dignity of all individuals by maintaining workplaces and service areas free from racism, discrimination, and hatred, and also ensures alignment with the Alberta Human Rights Act in all municipal operations.