Fort McMurray Minute: Issue 59

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

📅 This Week In Fort McMurray: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 6:00 pm, there will be a Council meeting. Council will receive a presentation on the Wood Buffalo RCMP Detachment's 2025-2026 Annual Performance Plan. According to the presentation, in the previous year, efforts to reduce property crime included 8 property crime reduction projects, 6 auto theft initiatives, and 9 priority offender-focused initiatives. Drug trafficking efforts resulted in 10 awareness presentations, 89 trafficking investigations, and 10 charge files. Traffic safety initiatives led to 228 alcohol/drug-related traffic operations, 194 impaired driving enforcements, and thousands of traffic charges. Additionally, 282 downtown-focused patrols and 236 downtown business foot patrols were conducted. For the upcoming year, the RCMP plans to continue focusing on property crime with increased patrols and community education, and they aim to manage prolific offenders with more priority offender initiatives. The detachment is also expanding its use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), with past successes including locating a missing person and arresting dangerous drivers.
  
  
• Council will also receive an update on the Abasand Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Pilot Project, which allows limited OHV access to certain routes within the neighbourhood. Initial public engagement included 504 survey responses, 441 quick poll responses, and significant community outreach, with 57,348 social media impressions and 143 YouTube views. Key findings showed 82% of respondents felt the project improved OHV experience, 71% saw increased trail safety, and 68% observed less greenspace damage. Pulse data recorded 91 complaints about inappropriate OHV use, while OHV-related service calls more than doubled from 50 in 2023 to 118 in 2024. Public feedback also indicated interest in expanding the project beyond Abasand and concerns about OHV misuse elsewhere. Next steps include continued education, enforcement, infrastructure improvements, and a final public engagement in Q1 2026, with the project wrapping up in Q2-Q3 2026.
  
  
• The Wood Buffalo Pro-Business Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday at 2:30 pm. The Committee will discuss a Food Trucks & Street Vending Bylaw Pilot Project, which aims to support local entrepreneurs and enhance community vibrancy by permitting food trucks and street vendors on both public and private land. Under the proposed new bylaw, vending will be allowed on municipal streets, sidewalks, parks, trails, and private land, eliminating the need for a Development Permit and replacing it with a free Approval Letter. Vendors must still obtain a Business License and meet requirements such as liability insurance, health permits, and safety approvals. Restricted areas include highway corridors and residential neighbourhoods (except roaming vendors), and vendors must maintain distance from brick-and-mortar restaurants and special events unless approved. The bylaw includes a detailed guideline covering operational rules, signage, exclusion zones, and a vendor code of conduct. The bylaw will be discussed on May 27th and June 10th, 2025, with applications opening on June 11th if passed. A full review and potential revisions are planned for Winter 2026/27.
  
  
• The Alberta government is investing $19 million into a new youth mental health facility in Fort McMurray, scheduled to open in fall 2027. Operated by CASA Mental Health, the 40,000 square-foot, 20-bed centre will offer both day and residential programs for children and teens with complex mental health needs. The facility will emphasize family involvement in treatment and aims to reduce wait times that currently stretch up to 18 months. Referrals will primarily come from family doctors, though options for self-referral are being developed. This is the first CASA facility in northern Alberta and is expected to ease pressure on existing sites like Sherwood Park. The funding is part of a broader $75 million provincial plan that includes new centres in Medicine Hat and Calgary. Once all centres are operational, CASA will be able to support more than 300 youth each year.
  
  
• Fourteen local businesses have suspended their sponsorship of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, calling for leadership changes due to concerns over community disconnect, declining attendance, and limited local player recruitment. A letter criticizes longtime team president David Fitzgerald for no longer residing in Fort McMurray and calls for his resignation. It also cites frustration with coaching instability and diminished input from sponsors. The letter and follow-up emails to the Board were written by Councillor Stu Wigle, who also serves as the regional director for Earls Fort McMurray and is a former sponsor of the team. Fitzgerald disputes the criticisms, highlighting his long ties to the community and defending the team’s outreach and recruitment efforts. He attributes financial challenges to broader economic conditions and says local players continue to be prioritized. Vice-President Bruce Ferguson acknowledged some valid concerns but criticized the public nature of the protest, noting that Fitzgerald had previously considered stepping down. Both Ferguson and Fitzgerald worry the controversy could hurt the team’s reputation and legacy.
  
  
• Suncor Energy has started a three-month shutdown at its Base Mine upgrader near Fort McMurray to replace aging coke drums first installed in 1967. The massive drums, essential to upgrading bitumen into lighter crude oil, are being swapped out as part of a broader project aimed at extending the life of the facility by 30 years. The operation, which began May 1st, involves some of the largest cranes in the world and highly trained crews. Suncor executives say early planning and practice lifts have contributed to smooth progress so far. Analysts note the project’s success is crucial for meeting 2025 production and spending goals, especially during a year of heavy scheduled maintenance. Despite the outage, Suncor reported record-high first-quarter production, refining, and sales figures. Net earnings rose to $1.69 billion, though adjusted operating earnings dipped due to lower crude sales. The company says it is financially stable even with oil prices around US$60 per barrel.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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