Fort McMurray Minute: Issue 118

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. The next meeting takes place on Wednesday, July 8th, at 9:30 am, when the Wood Buffalo Development Advisory Committee will meet.
  
  
• The Alberta Roadbuilders & Heavy Construction Association, which represents about 600 construction and paving companies, is warning against a proposal for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to take over maintenance of a stretch of Highway 63. Association CEO Ron Glen says 36 segments of the highway are in serious need of repair or replacement, including 11 along the 18-kilometer section running through Fort McMurray, and that letting the Municipality assume the province's maintenance duties risks "a losing battle of whack-a-mole" as crews scramble to fill potholes. In a letter to Mayor Sandy Bowman, Glen argued the solution is not for municipalities to fill the gap but for the Province to meet its obligations. Bowman says he has spent more than a year asking the Alberta government for a larger role in pothole repair, line painting and road cleaning along the highway, and that he does not want the municipality covering the bill. The letter followed a June 12th protest in which dozens of volunteers filled potholes themselves on a stretch passing through downtown Fort McMurray. A spokesperson for Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the Province is committed to Highway 63 and is working with the Municipality on a summer maintenance schedule. Glen estimates at least 15% of Alberta's highways are in poor condition, and a Rural Municipalities of Alberta assessment puts the cost of repairing rural highways and roads at nearly $12 billion.
  
  
• The Wood Buffalo RCMP have relaunched their official Facebook page with the intention of improving communication between police and the community, announced in a release shared Monday. Staff Sergeant Sabrina Clayton, the detachment's Acting Operations Support Officer and Public Information Officer, said the platform will provide timely public safety information and crime prevention tips while serving as a hub for community events and updates on policing activities across the Fort McMurray region. She said annual policing priority surveys and community priority surveys had repeatedly shown residents wanted a police presence online. The detachment cautioned that the account is not monitored around the clock and that emergencies should still be reported by calling 9-1-1, with non-emergency incidents directed to 780-788-4040 or 310-RCMP. The relaunch comes shortly after a wave of local Facebook activity, including a widely shared June 11th event over Highway 63 road repairs and potholes.
  
  
• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo officially opened the new Gregoire Skate Park on June 23rd with a community celebration at Greely Road Elementary School in Gregoire. The ribbon-cutting was held at 10:45 am, with the event featuring family-friendly activities, exhibits on the development of the park, art activities and refreshments. Mayor Sandy Bowman, Public Works Director Keith Smith and representatives from Greely Road Elementary School were among the speakers, and the celebration began with a blessing from Elder Lorraine before the official ribbon cutting. School principals Dr. David Hurley and Chris Organ delivered remarks on behalf of former teacher Hank Ueffing, who worked closely with students on the project. Municipal officials said the event was intended to recognize the students, educators, municipal staff and contractors who helped bring the facility to completion.
  
  
• Breast cancer patients in the Wood Buffalo region will be able to receive more specialized care closer to home following the launch of a new breast health surgical program and the introduction of SentiMag technology. Health-care officials say the technology is now operating in the region, making Wood Buffalo the first location in Alberta outside Calgary to implement and run the system. The program is expected to reduce the need for patients to travel outside the region for consultations, surgery and follow-up appointments related to breast cancer treatment. Supporters say the expansion will allow more women diagnosed with breast cancer to remain closer to family and community while receiving care. The initiative was made possible through community donations and support from funding partners. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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