Fort McMurray Minute: Issue 123

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

📅 This Week In Fort McMurray: 📅

• No Council or committee meetings are scheduled this week. Council next meets on August 25th at 5:00 pm. Two committees, the Wood Buffalo Development Advisory Committee and the Wood Buffalo Downtown Revitalization Advisory Committee, are scheduled to meet the following week, on September 2nd.
  
  
• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and its former Human Resources Director have both dropped their lawsuits against one another, ending a court battle over more than $1 million in disputed management bonuses. Court of King's Bench records show that both the Municipality's lawsuit against Kari Donnelly and Donnelly's countersuit were discontinued in May. The municipality sued Donnelly in June 2024, alleging she improperly approved more than $1 million in "illegitimate" bonuses paid to senior exempt staff in 2021 and 2022, and sought to recover her severance, bonuses she allegedly awarded herself, punitive damages, and legal costs. Donnelly denied the allegations and filed a $2.1-million countersuit against the Municipality, a former Councillor, and a local union president, arguing the payments were made under the Municipality's compensation plan for exempt staff and were approved by the Chief Administrative Officer. The allegations were never tested in court.
  
  
• Electricity customers in Fort McMurray are paying some of the highest power delivery charges in Alberta, according to the Fair Electricity Distribution Alliance, which reports that communities like Fort McMurray pay an average of $118 a month in distribution costs compared to $34 in larger urban service areas. Distribution and transmission charges cover the cost of delivering power from the grid, and in sparsely populated northern service areas each kilometer of line serves far fewer customers, driving rates up. The Alliance is backed by nearly 40 municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, and other organizations, including the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Alberta Municipalities passed a resolution in October 2025 calling on the Province to equalize rates across Alberta, as British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba already do. The Municipality recently ruled out creating its own utility company after a feasibility report found buying the local distribution system would cost at least $350 million with no clear evidence it would lower bills, and it wrote to Minister of Affordability and Utilities RJ Sigurdson on June 24th seeking an update on the cost issue. 
  
  
• The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce has released the findings of a discussion it hosted with Wood Buffalo RCMP on downtown crime and safety. Police data presented at the event showed downtown file volumes stayed relatively consistent between 2025 and the first half of 2026, with the most common files involving mischief, shoplifting, theft under $5,000, and well-being checks. Public consultation identified violent offences as the community's top policing priority, though police say overall downtown activity has not significantly increased. Chamber members raised concerns about repeat trespassing, homelessness and encampments, employee safety, and poor communication after incidents are reported. Police encouraged businesses to report every incident, pointed to tools such as forms that let officers act on a business's behalf in trespassing cases, and committed to improving follow-up communication with complainants.
  
  
• Hockey Canada announced that Fort McMurray will host the 2027 Centennial Cup, Canada's National Junior A Championship, from May 6th to 16th, 2027. The tournament brings together the top Junior A hockey teams from across the country and is expected to draw teams, fans, and visitors from across Canada to Wood Buffalo. The event was last held in Fort McMurray in 2000, when the Fort McMurray Oil Barons won the national title on home ice. The 2027 tournament will mark the seventh time Alberta has hosted the championship. Alberta Junior Hockey League Commissioner Ryan Bartoshyk called Wood Buffalo an ideal location, saying the region's passion and resilience make it a fitting stage for the event. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!