Fort McMurray Minute: Policing Priorities, More Flights, and Talks Break Down

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

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• On Tuesday, at 3:30 pm, there will be a Council Meeting. The meeting begins with a closed session, wherein Council will discuss a Government of Alberta Funding Transition, and an Integrity Commissioner Report for Action. When the meeting opens up to the public, at 6:00 pm, the agenda includes a presentation on the closure of Keyano Arts Centre and the future of performing arts in Wood Buffalo.
  
  
• The Wood Buffalo Pro-Business Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday at 3:30 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet. Also on Wednesday, at 6:00 pm there will be a Council Special Meeting. No agenda is available for this meeting yet either.
  
  
• On Thursday, at 1:00 pm, the Advisory Committee on Aging will meet to discuss, among other items, the Snow Angels Program. The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board will have a virtual meeting on Thursday at 4:30 pm. The Board will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair as well as discuss the 2025 meeting schedule. Finally, also on Thursday, the Wood Buffalo Waterfront Advisory Committee will meet at 5:30 pm. The agenda includes a Snye Point Park Project Update.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• Air Canada and WestJet announced that they are increasing flights from Fort McMurray International Airport to meet growing demand. By May, WestJet will operate 41 weekly flights to Edmonton and Calgary, up from 33 in December 2024. Air Canada is expanding service with additional flights to Calgary and doubling its direct Toronto flights to four per week. Fort McMurray Airport Authority aims to attract more local travellers who currently drive to Edmonton or Calgary for flights. The airport welcomed over 350,000 passengers in 2024 and hopes to surpass 362,000 in 2025. Officials emphasized that increased ridership strengthens the case for further airline expansion in the region.
  
  
• The Municipality has asked residents to help shape the Wood Buffalo RCMP’s policing priorities for 2025-26. Residents can share their input by taking a quick poll, completing a full survey, or attending in-person events such as urban pop-ups and rural community open houses that are scheduled throughout February. A video explaining the initiative is also available for those who want to learn more. All of the information is available on the Municipality’s website.
  
  
• Talks have broken down between CUPE and Fort McMurray’s public and Catholic school boards, leaving more than 1,000 educational support workers on strike with no further negotiations scheduled. CUPE leaders claim the latest proposals are worse than previous rejected offers, while the school divisions argue their offers align with most Alberta education agreements. The dispute centers on wage increases, with CUPE criticizing the proposed raises as inadequate to address inflation. The public school board maintains that CUPE’s demands would require significant staffing cuts, while the Catholic board is waiting for a “reasonable” counteroffer. The strike, which began as a rolling walkout in November and escalated in January, has disrupted special needs programs and early childhood education.