Fort McMurray Minute: Issue 124

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

📅 This Week In Fort McMurray: 📅

• The Government of Alberta has begun repaving Highway 63, the main route linking Fort McMurray and Edmonton, starting a 10-kilometer paving project on Monday, August 3rd that is expected to take about two weeks. The work is the first visible step in a $15 million commitment the Province announced last month to repair and maintain the 434-kilometer highway. Highway 63 carries heavy industrial traffic alongside oil sands workers, commuters and families travelling between communities, and its deteriorating condition drew public outcry earlier this year, culminating in an organized resident pothole-repair effort in June. Crews are working from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm daily, with lane closures and delays in both directions through Fort McMurray between Beacon Hill Drive and the Confederation Way interchange. 
  
  
• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo has begun construction on a permanent flood-protection project in the Waterways community, part of its long-term effort to shield low-lying neighbourhoods from flooding. The first phase, which began on July 31st and runs to October 30th, involves raising Saline Creek Drive and McCormick Drive and building a berm near J. Howard Pew Park and an existing lift station, with a second phase scheduled from May 15th to November 30th, 2027. The municipality says the work will strengthen flood protection for the area and reduce the need for temporary seasonal flood-mitigation measures each year. Residents can expect partial closures of the park's access road, traffic re-routing and construction activity on weekdays and Saturdays through the fall.
  
  
• Suncor Energy, which operates major oil sands assets north of Fort McMurray, has reported a record second quarter, with net earnings of $3.73 billion, up from $1.13 billion in the same period last year. The Calgary-based company set all-time records for free funds flow and returned nearly $1.8 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases during the quarter. Beginning this month, Suncor plans to raise its monthly share buybacks to $500 million from $350 million, the third such increase since December, and projects total repurchases of about $4.7 billion in 2026. The company produced 760,900 barrels of oil equivalent per day and reduced its net debt to $4.48 billion from $6.34 billion at the end of 2025. 
  
  
• The Perseid meteor shower is building over northern Alberta and is expected to peak on the nights of August 12th and 13th, when Earth passes through the densest debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Astronomers say this year's display could be one of the best in years because it coincides with a new moon, leaving no moonlight to wash out fainter meteors, and under dark skies observers may see 50 to 100 meteors an hour. Richard Covey of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada said Fort McMurray residents are well placed to watch, and suggested going outside between about 1:00 am and 4:30 am, when the shower's radiant sits highest. No telescope or binoculars are needed, and Covey pointed to Gregoire Lake Provincial Park as one accessible spot with darker skies than the city. 
  
  
• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is accepting applications for its Arts, Culture and Heritage Grant, which offers individuals and community groups up to $5,000 for creative, cultural and heritage projects across the region. Funding is available through three streams. The Create stream supports the production of new arts, culture or heritage work, the Present stream funds public events and presentations, and the Develop stream covers learning, skill-building and professional development. Projects must contribute to the vision set out in the Wood Buffalo Culture Plan, and the municipality says a broad range of work may qualify, from performing arts and cultural activities to heritage restoration. Applications are due by 4:30 pm on August 31st through the municipality's Community Investment Program Grant Portal. Municipal staff are offering one-on-one assistance to applicants through the program's team.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨
 

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