of Kikino is known to frequent multiple communities in northeastern Alberta Police in Alberta are looking for Francis William Cardinal Investigators say has been known to frequent Fort McMurray and several other communities in northeastern Alberta We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentStaff Sgt Sabrina Clayton of Wood Buffalo RCMP says Cardinal is wanted for multiple allegations of breaking and entering failing to comply with release conditions and fleeing police officers Police warn people should not approach him if he is spotted transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy EdmontonNewsPolice operation on Fort McMurray street over: RCMPBy Stephen HuntPublished: May 03, 2025 at 10:29AM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved An evacuation has been ordered on the outskirts of a northern Alberta city due to a wildfire The County of Grande Prairie says in a statement that crews are evacuating homes within proximity of a fire southwest of the City of Grande Prairie It said late Sunday afternoon that the fire was past a lake located north of Deer Ridge Estates and that people are being ordered to leave the semi-rural neighbourhood as a precaution An Alberta Emergency Alert has been issued ordering people to evacuate immediately and to gather important documents medication and medical devices and go to the Pomeroy Hotel in Grande Prairie heavy equipment and airtankers are on-scene working to contain the spread of the wildfire It says the fire danger in the Grande Prairie Forest Area remains very high at this time multiple illegal OHV use complaintsOfficers were busy Thursday night after a 22-year-old man was killed in a dirt bike accident and drones were used to respond to multiple reports of illegal and erratic OHV use Dirt bikes and off-highway vehicles kept Wood Buffalo RCMP busy on Thursday night after a 22-year-old man died in a Parsons Creek crash while a drone was used to help arrest a 19-year-old man who was allegedly seen stunting and driving dangerously in Timberlea We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWood Buffalo RCMP say that on May 1 at 9:20 p.m. emergency workers were called to reports of a serious crash on Heritage Drive The driver of the dirt bike was in serious life-threatening condition and brought to the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre Witnesses told police the man was speeding on Heritage Drive and hit the parked vehicle after losing control of the dirt bike “Wood Buffalo RCMP would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the family friends and loved ones of the deceased,” read a Friday morning statement a police officer reported seeing four people riding dirt bikes “erratically and stunting” on Tower Road The riders drove away from police and officers used a drone to follow them to a greenspace on O’Coffey Crescent but a 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and fleeing a police officer police received multiple complaints of illegal use of off-highway vehicles on Confederation Way approaching Tower Road Police were told between 20 and 25 people on OHVs and dirt bikes were speeding cutting off vehicles on Confederation Way and doing stunts like wheelies Officers and a police drone arrived and reminded multiple OHV drivers about the rules of the road and where they are prohibited from driving Police continued receiving reports of illegal OHV use around Tower Road You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Fort McMurray—Cold Lake 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 219 of 220 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 219 of 220 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election is projected to be re-elected in Fort McMurray—Cold Lake Goodridge has 38,767 of 48,150 votes (80.51%) is in second place with 6,832 votes (14.19%) and You-Ju Choi Goodridge has represented the riding since 2021 16,486 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour. They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote. The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour. They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote. The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour. They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote. The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour. They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote. The Greens have one race called in their favour. They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote. At Parliament’s dissolution, the Liberals held 152 seats, the Conservatives 120, the Bloc Québécois 33, the NDP 24 and the Greens two. There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons. Because of population increases, the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election. This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available. Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account. Wood Buffalo RCMP say a man has died during an attempted arrest in Abasand on Wednesday afternoon We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentPolice say they were called at 4:14 p.m to a plaza in Abasand after a nearby daycare and liquor store reported a man “causing a disturbance.” Officers say the man refused to leave after they spoke with him Mounties allege the man resisted his arrest and went into medical distress The officers attempted emergency first aid as paramedics were called His name is not being released by Wood Buffalo RCMP The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the incident ASIRT investigates cases where people are seriously hurt or killed during interactions with police as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct The results of ASIRT’s investigation will be made public once it is completed The RCMP’s internal review process is also carrying out its own separate investigation of the incident response and the involved officer’s duty status A disaster response team that deployed to Fort McMurray after the Horse River Wildfire is back almost eight years later to help reduce the wildfire risk to the area Team Rubicon is a non-profit multinational organization that includes veterans first responders and emergency management members who volunteer their time and skills to communities affected by disasters The first major deployment of Canada’s Team Rubicon was after the 2016 wildfire Team members – called Greyshirts - sifted through burned properties and trained other local volunteers to recover valuables The team is now taking on a major FireSmart project in the Thickwood area Skilled members of Team Rubicon began work today on Monday April 28 in the Timberline neighborhood to thin and prune trees and clean out debris in high-hazard forested areas Residents on Timberline Drive will see increased activity for at least the next two weeks All work will be completed by Team Rubicon crews working with chainsaws and hand tools The team will wrap up work by May 9 before moving on to other projects in northern Alberta Firewood may be available to the public as the project progresses This project is being funded through the Canadian Red Cross and is receiving significant support from community partners the Royal Canadian Legion and Acden Environmental Ltd “We’re very appreciative of everyone’s involvement in supporting this project – from meals and even project support – the community is making this possible,” said FireSmart Program Manager Chris Pottie combined with other FireSmart projects and programs will improve the area’s resilience to wildfire.” To learn more about Team Rubicon, visit teamrubicon.ca Submit a request T. 780-743-7000 Toll Free 1-800-973-9663 Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo9909 Franklin AvenueFort McMurray Alberta T9H 2K4 Phone: 780-743-7000Toll free: 1-800-973-9663 programs and operations by subscribing to our news categories Subscribe EdmontonNewsFort McMurray man dead after dirt bike crashBy Alex AntoneshynPublished: May 02, 2025 at 9:58AM EDT Intakes for at least five programs are paused as Keyano reviews offerings Other positions are being merged or reorganized in different departments We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe college blames much of the revenue loss on changes to federal immigration policies which have caused international student enrolment for the fall to plummet by 91 per cent Keyano spokesperson Chantal Beaver says these changes are needed to balance the college’s budget “It’s no secret that the post-secondary education system in Canada is facing significant challenges resulting from changes to federal immigration policies,” Beaver wrote in a Tuesday email “We have implemented various measures to find efficiencies and mitigate the impact of the federal immigration policies on the institution.” Former employees tell Fort McMurray Today that Keyano’s leadership told them these upcoming changes at a staff meeting in January The job losses were confirmed to media earlier this month by former staff and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) but the college had given few details when asked about job cuts The college is also pausing upcoming intakes for esports business management advanced care paramedic and primary care paramedic The paramedicine programs have been paused since last fall The esports and hospitality management program will have biannual intakes Beaver said these changes are part of Keyano’s normal review process for programs and are not related to changes to international student enrolment Former president and CEO Jay Notay confirmed in a January 2024 interview that enrolment in business aviation was smaller than expected no programs have been suspended due to the federal immigration policies,” said Beaver the federal government introduced caps on foreign students in Canada as politicians labour groups and non-profits across Canada warned of unaffordable housing and rent a strained health care and social profit system and high living costs in major Canadian cities “We have no choice but to adapt our operating model if we want to be able to continue to deliver a great educational experience for students while supporting employer needs within the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region,” said Susan Bansgrove interim vice president of Keyano’s academic and student experience we can confidently say that no student will be left behind as we realign – all current programs will conclude as intended Students trusted us with their education and we will honour that trust by ensuring they can complete their programs as planned.” the college’s vice president of academics and student experience Her LinkedIn account says she has held the interim position since May 2024 although her appointment was not announced publicly by the college Federal Election 2025NewsPeople in oil-rich Fort McMurray hope the next government diversifies energy exportsBy Kathy LeOpens in new windowPublished: April 22, 2025 at 8:50AM EDT EdmontonNewsBody found outside Fort McMurray By Alex AntoneshynUpdated: April 26, 2025 at 6:59PM EDT It’s a landslide victory for Conservative incumbent Laila Goodridge Fort McMurray-Cold Lake will remain a loyal shade of Tory blue after Goodridge collected 37,179 votes and won a 80.4 per cent victory We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentSpeaking to dozens of supporters at MacDonald Island Park’s Seventy Two Kitchen and Bar Goodridge thanked her campaign team for helping send her back to the House of Commons and vowed to represent the riding’s interests “The results up here are pretty clear: That people wanted to see a Conservative message that supports our energy industry,” said Goodridge I will continue to bring your concerns forward gave her a tribute for in a speech where he recalled meeting a woman with “a strong grasp of political issues” during a 2015 federal election campaign Wells told her he would help in any way he could “That young lady back then had spunk,” he said “As the father of three daughters and a grandfather to two wonderful granddaughters The mood among the crowd for much of the night was one of acceptance as Mark Carney was elected prime minister and the Liberal Party won a fourth term in government There were moments of happiness and smiles as Goodridge presented two supporters with a cake and led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to celebrate their birthdays Goodridge also said she was proud to have visited and heard from people in communities in the riding that rarely get visited during elections such as Wabiskaw the Cold Lake and Fort McMurray First Nations and Metis communities scattered across the region “We have been able to do something absolutely magical here in Fort McMurray-Cold Lake by having knocked on more doors than has been knocked on in any other federal election for many the campaign was civil to the point of blandness No candidates found themselves in any scandals or were called out by each other for controversial comments No one publicly hurled any insults towards each other In interviews with Fort McMurray Today Liberal candidate Kaitlyn Staines and PPC candidate Alan Clarke said the economy is the biggest concern mentioned by residents and there is desperation from most local voters to see new pipelines built and the oilsands further developed Where they disagreed was on which party would solve these issues Staines said on Monday night “Liberals are on Cloud 9” as she watched Mark Carney elected prime minister The Liberals finished fourth in 2021 with 7.09 per cent The local presence of the PPC collapsed as their candidate The PPC finished second in 2021 with 12.7 per cent support as the party campaigned heavily against COVID-19 restrictions The NDP’s You-Ju Choi did not return requests for interviews throughout the campaign and it is not known if she did any on-the-ground campaigning locally The party finished third with 10.14 per cent in 2021 Green Party candidate Brian Deheer won 0.6 per cent compared to 0.98 per cent in 2021 Independent candidate Kulbir Chawla finished last with 0.2 per cent Goodridge and Deheer were the only candidates for a party living in the riding Staines is from Edmonton but works in Ottawa for Public Service Canada She arrived in Fort McMurray in early April and stayed in the riding throughout the campaign Clarke occasionally visited Fort McMurray from his home in the Edmonton region The Liberals and the NDP last had a local candidate in the 2019 federal election The Liberal Party’s Electoral District Association (EDA) for the riding has also dissolved Despite not being a resident of the riding Staines said she is open to running again in Fort McMurray-Cold Lake “I’m just so proud and happy that people got out to vote,” said Staines just before 10 p.m but I’m so happy to see red hope in a blue stronghold.” Alberta had strong showings for the Conservatives as incumbents across the province were victorious Eleanor Olszewski of Edmonton and Corey Hogan of Calgary are Alberta’s lone Liberals Edmonton MP Heather McPherson kept her seat for the NDP The NDP have also lost official party status Liberal incumbent George Chahal was defeated by the Conservatives “Whether you’re worker in Fort Mac or an accountant from Toronto or a worker from Quebec Poilievre congratulated Carney for winning a “razor thin” minority He reminded Conservatives the party has gained 20 seats in Parliament and the Liberals and NDP can no longer form a coalition government He said the Conservatives will work with the prime minister and all parties to defend Canada against threats from U.S “We gave voices to countless people across this country who have been left out and left behind for far too long “Every single day our Conservative caucus and I will be holding the government to account on behalf of the millions of Canadians who believed in the message of change.” -with reporting from Steven Sandor, Bill Kaufmann and The Canadian Press This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. shotgun seized after attempted traffic stop in Fort McMurrayPolice in Fort McMurray say an attempt to stop a speeding vehicle ended with the driver ramming a police vehicle An attempt to pull over a speeding vehicle in Fort McMurray turned into a chase that ended with weapons seized and six people arrested after the driver allegedly tried ramming police vehicles We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWood Buffalo RCMP say that at 3 p.m an officer patrolling downtown Fort McMurray noticed a red GMC Acadia was speeding The officer followed the vehicle onto Thickwood Boulevard and signaled for the driver to pull over The driver allegedly instead sped away onto Gladstone Drive The detachment’s police dog services blocked the vehicle’s path The driver of the Acadia slowed and reversed into a police vehicle Officers boxed the vehicle in and arrested the six passengers Officers searching the vehicle found body armour a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and a pellet gun Four Fort McMurray residents are scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort McMurray on March 27 Two other people are scheduled to make their court appearances on April 30 Police are investigating the discovery of a deceased person along Tower Road We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe remains were found along Tower Road at 2:27 p.m An autopsy has not yet been conducted so the cause of death is not yet known Riggs could not mention the exact location on Tower Road where the remains were found or what the individual who discovered them was doing It is also too soon to comment publicly on the state of the remains Investigators want to speak with anyone who travelled along Tower Road between 12:30 p.m Voters from Fort McMurray and across Canada cast their ballots in the federal election on Monday Below are the latest results updated for you in real time We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWhile residents vote for their local members of parliament, it was Liberal Leader Mark Carney and the Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre who were vying to become the next prime minister. The majority of polls closed at 7:30 p.m., in Alberta, and at 8:30 p.m. Postmedia’s decision desk projected a Liberal win. The maps and other graphics below show results as they were counted. Zoom in to find your riding, zoom out to see results from across the country. Refresh your browser for the latest updates. merging and restructuring dozens of positionsThe college is not confirming any numbers although former staff say they were told in January between 70 and 90 positions will be hit CUPE confirms at least 12 are unionized positions merging positions with existing vacancies and restructuring other jobs in every department ahead of its budget for the 2024-25 academic year Buyouts and early retirements have also been offered to employees We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentLou Arab a spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) confirmed Monday that at least 12 unionized jobs are being cut Arab could not comment on positions outside of CUPE Former staff at the college say they were told at a January meeting between 70 and 90 jobs could be cut by the end of June “While we cannot comment on unsubstantiated anonymous information regarding potential staffing changes every decision related to our staffing is being made with the utmost care,” said Keyano spokesperson Jennifer Moore in an email “These decisions are guided by a strategic vision prioritizing regional stewardship academic excellence and exceptional student experience.” The college says it will not comment on its financial situation until their budget for the next financial year is complete an email last month from college spokesperson Chantal Beaver said Keyano is facing higher operating costs The college is also expected to lose enrollment after federal policy changes capped international students The college has not announced any cuts to programs although Beaver said programs and supports are being reviewed constantly “We cannot comment on specific impacts until we have an approved budget which won’t be ready until late spring,” wrote Beaver such as adjusting the frequency of intakes for specific programs to enhance their relevance and accessibility while introducing new programs to meet emerging needs.” The college has also received $2 million from the Alberta government to help expand and upgrade its facilities for in-demand programs These are the first large-scale layoffs since the college cut at least 93 positions in 2020 About 74 of those layoffs were temporary as the college grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic oilsands must be priorities for next governmentThe two did not publicly endorse any candidate or party but argued pipelines and oilsands must be priorities for the next government The party that forms the next government must prioritize the needs of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo and the oilsands argued the region’s mayor and executive director of the chamber of commerce We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentDianna De Sousa executive director of the chamber of commerce and Mayor Sandy Bowman both said in separate interviews and statements this week that the region’s potential is not being met “Our region produces tremendous and much-needed economic and social prosperity for the entire country and what we’ve always championed to be true had again come to the forefront during this federal election campaign,” Bowman said in a statement “We need a federal government that values and understands what this region really means to the entire country and that prioritized what makes Canada strong today and for future generations.” De Sousa did not publicly endorse any candidates or parties Bowman praised the positive relationship the RMWB has with Conservative incumbent Laila Goodridge and hoped this relationship would continue De Sousa said there are policies passed by the Liberal-led government that need to be overturned This includes emissions caps and the Impact Assessment Act social and economic assessments and reviews of Indigenous rights before a major resource or infrastructure project can be built Critics in the energy sector and the Conservative Party have nicknamed it the “No More Pipelines Act” and accused it of delaying and slowing major construction projects “We’re not saying to burn the Earth but there are new technologies and ways to develop this resource so it’s a win-win,” said De Sousa “Build trade corridors for pipelines and rail and the rest of it Invest in renewable technology and things like hydrogen Just allow us to maximize the potential of our natural resource and not ignore the environment.” De Sousa also said she hopes to see support for carbon capture and storage programs as well as future immigration policies reflect labour needs and allow quicker credentialing for skilled workers but I would encourage everybody when they make their choice to choose a candidate or a party where there is no doubt or question we will have the support required for oil and gas,” said De Sousa A fight outside the Rivers Casino in downtown Fort McMurray ended with a 65-year-old man in hospital and a 34-year-old man in handcuffs We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWood Buffalo RCMP were called to the Salvation Army at roughly 1:30 a.m on April 27 after they were told a man nearby had a large wound on his neck Police and paramedics arrived to find the man bleeding heavily from his neck He was brought to the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre for treatment Police investigating the incident concluded a fight had happened between the victim and another man Investigators say the two men knew each other A 34-year-old man was identified using security footage and arrested nearby without incident The man is a resident of the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation and has been charged with aggravated assault breach of probation and failing to comply with a release order northern communitiesFunding supports highways connecting Fort McMurray to Peerless Lake and Saskatchewan improving Highway 881 and twinning Highway 63 north of the city The Alberta government is investing $311 million in highway projects in northern Alberta during the next three years with most of that funding going towards projects connecting the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe largest commitment is towards Highway 686 which links Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie with a 218-kilometre paved highway between Fort McMurray and Peerless Lake Budget 2025 includes design work for linking Fort McMurray to northwestern Alberta and road construction from Peerless Lake to Red Earth Creek and Trout Lake The funding announced Tuesday are for projects that have already been announced but recent wildfire seasons has created an incentive to build faster Alberta’s minister of transportation and economic corridors “This investment by the province of being able to build and make that community more safe by having multiple roads in and out goes a long way of strengthening and rebuilding Fort McMurray and the surrounding area,” he said “It is something that we strategically look at as a province but also in how we can make communities safer.” Another $141 million for the next three years will go towards upgrades on Highway 881 between Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche an oversize load staging area and upgrades to intersections Construction will be completed by fall 2028 The province will also spend $7 million during the same period on Highway 956 an all-weather road connecting the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region to La Loche The project was announced in 2005 and Saskatchewan has finished work on their side Alberta will build 65 kilometres of road south of Fort McMurray near Anzac to the Saskatchewan border Twinning nearly 12 kilometres of Highway 63 north of Fort McMurray between Syncrude’s Mildred Lake operation and the Peter Lougheed Bridge will cost $101 million during the next three years Chief Raymond Powder of the Fort McKay First Nation said he was hopeful in the economic prospects for Indigenous communities along Highway 686 and praised the collaboration between the province and First Nations on the project “A more direct route that links the highway from northeastern to northwestern Alberta will actually make quite a tremendous savings in the economy and also in money that will support the increase the flow of goods and services,” he said this is an exciting time and not only an exciting time Mayor Sandy Bowman said in a statement the projects are “much-needed” for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) and praised Tuesday’s announcements “All of these transportation corridors will increase overall community resilience and make the region an even more attractive place in which to live in and invest,” said Bowman In an interview after the press conference Dreeshen said Alberta’s Master Rail Plan will be completed this summer This includes details on rail networks connecting Edmonton and Calgary to each other and to communities like Jasper Dreeshen said he has also discussed other transportation projects that have been championed by political leaders in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region This includes fully twinning Highway 63 between Fort McMurray and Edmonton only the stretch between Fort McMurray and the hamlet of Atmore is twinned Another local priority Dreeshen is aware of is a permanent road between Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan the only way to reach the northern hamlet is through boats This budget didn’t have any detailed engineering studies for those projects but I do know that they are local priorities,” said Dreeshen “Once these other projects get finalized and there’s additional funding for northern projects I wouldn’t be surprised if those ones get funding because they are obviously important projects.” Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo will host the Alberta 55 plus Provincial Games in Aug Organizers proposed 24 activities in the RMWB bid package The finalized list of activities coming to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo will be agreed upon between the Host Community Committee and the 55 plus Games Board In addition to providing development and training opportunities for future 55 plus Games athletes from the region the provincial games are estimated to bring $3.7 million into the local economy from visiting athletes The region last hosted an event of this nature in 2003 when the event was called the Alberta Senior Games the Municipality and its Advisory Committee on Aging (ACoA) received the Alberta Age-Friendly Recognition award from the Government of Alberta “Being selected as the host for the 2027 Alberta 55 Plus Games is an honour that reflects the RMWB's commitment to improve inclusion in our region,” says Kimberley MacDougall “The games will highlight and celebrate older adults while bringing recognition to the RMWB’s age-friendly designation.” RMWB Council demonstrated support for the bid to host the 2027 Alberta 55 plus Provincial Games at the Nov when a motion to allocate $500,000 in municipal funding from Reserve Funds was carried with a 9-0 vote Council pledged administrative support to the Host Community Committee to ensure the effective planning and execution of the Games "It’s great news to see this event return to the region and we thank everyone involved in the successful bid and the Province for again putting its trust in us,” said Mayor Sandy Bowman “We have a long history of hosting successful sports championships and I am confident the 2027 Alberta 55 plus Games will be no exception.”   WatchCTV National News: What concerns voters in Fort McMurray, AlbertaKathy Le has the story of Fort McMurray, Alberta, a bustling hub known for its crude oil production in northern Alberta. RCMP investigationCouncil agreed to cover operational costs for the next three months while the organization completes outstanding audits The Fort McMurray Heritage Society (FMHS) has dodged becoming history for now after council voted to cover its operational budget for the next three months However there are concerns the organization’s financial problems will need more time to resolve The organization is also being investigated by Wood Buffalo RCMP for alleged internal fraud We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentCouncil was told at a Monday afternoon meeting that FMHS has been unable to apply for government grants because the organization has not been audited for 2023 and 2024 the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) cannot release the remaining $175,000 in grants for 2024 This also means there are no audits explaining how $1.2 million in grant funds for 2023-24 were spent The organization was not eligible for grants during 2025 budget talks Sabrina Clayton of the Wood Buffalo RCMP confirmed in an interview police have been investigating allegations of internal fraud at FMHS since November Clayton said the investigation began after FMHS’ leadership told police about their concerns The investigation is ongoing and no one has been charged at this time Clayton said she could not yet comment on the size of the alleged fraud FMHS board chair Steve Huffman said in an interview he could not comment on the RCMP investigation but said audit problems began when the auditor they regularly used stopped work for non-profits He told council an auditor has been found to complete the outstanding audits and said they would be finished in upcoming months Huffman told council that without immediate funding the board of directors would be dissolved and the organization would shut down on March 5 Huffman said spending has focused on preserving historical assets and limited to wages but staff have gone from 10 positions to four “Unfortunately we’re out of money to continue,” Huffman told council Other options presented to council included the RMWB doing nothing which would have caused the properties and artifacts to deteriorate The other option was preserving the properties and artifacts at a cost of up to $180,000 after FMHS dissolves The option council picked will cost $300,000 Patrick White of the RMWB’s legal services added FMHS’ financial problems are recent and the organization had years where it was so well run Councillor Stu Wigle successfully had an amendment approved to the motion that would require a municipal councillor and a council-appointed resident to sit on the board with voting rights “If we could have straight visibility on the board then we could be connected at real time of what’s going on,” said Wigle “If we can be there with them through this as they’re all volunteers… it gives us close visibility of what’s going on.” White pointed out FMHS is an independent society and not an arms-length group managed by the RMWB It would be up to FMHS to accept that condition Mayor Sandy Bowman asked Huffman if FMHS’ liability insurance would cover new members Councillor Ken Ball said he had doubts FMHS’ problems will be resolved in three months Councillor Funky Banjoko said she worried about setting a precedent about other organizations in similar situations Bowman said he understood Banjoko’s concerns but argued council had a moral obligation to help preserve the community’s heritage Councillor Keith McGrath opposed the motion Allan Grandison and Shafiq Dogar approved the motion Stella Lavallee and Loretta Waquan were absent the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce argues the region can seize this moment We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentIf there’s one silver lining to a potential trade war with the United States Dianna De Sousa of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce says Canadians are waking up to how important Fort McMurray and the oilsands are to the country De Sousa hopes that new support will turn into swift action from premiers and the federal government That means Fort McMurray’s political and business leaders need to step up in advocating for the infrastructure and policies that are needed for the oilsands and the community to succeed “We’ve been more reactive than proactive,” she said in an interview the impetus for change isn’t there and it doesn’t happen until the barbarians are at the gate A recent Angus Reid survey shows big support for the region’s top industry The survey found 79 per cent of Canadians agreed Canada needs “oil and gas pipelines running from sea to sea across the country.” The survey also found support from more than 70 per cent of people in every province–including Quebec and British Columbia where opposition to pipelines has historically been strongest Kendall Dilling admits he’s surprised at how quickly support has grown among Canadians As the president of the Pathways Alliance–a coalition of Canada’s six largest oil companies pushing for carbon capture and storage–Dilling said in an interview the sudden interest is unlike anything he’s seen in more than 30 years in oil and gas “These potential tariffs further demonstrate the importance of diversifying Canada’s energy markets with additional pipeline capacity to make our economy more resilient to trade disruptions,” Dilling said in a follow-up statement “But the reality is that our country’s inability to build pipelines to new markets has left us vulnerable to these threats.” Dilling says the oilsands and pipeline projects can thrive if the federal government removes policies such as the Impact Assessment Act These policies have deterred investment and stalled growth in Canada’s energy sector but adds there are policies that need to be created as well A major project the chamber of commerce has advocated for is the construction of a cross-country resource corridor What aggravates her is it’s one of many projects that should have been pursued years ago But there’s always that expression that the next best time to start is today,” she said “There’s so many other businesses that have left or have not come to our region that could be here and bring people New support for pipelines and the oilsands does not mean Fort McMurray will be immune from tariffs Roughly 22.8 per cent of jobs in the census area covering the oilsands and Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo depend on Canadian exports to the United States according to Statistics Canada data released in January This is more than any other census area in Canada De Sousa is not anticipating the lucrative days of the last oilsands boom will return to Fort McMurray Most of the rapid economic growth that started in the early 2000s and ended in late 2014 was fuelled by construction of new oilsands projects and neighbourhoods for their workers the oil industry had no interest in investing in large expansions of existing sites or building any new megaprojects the municipality predicted Fort McMurray’s population would reach 196,389 by 2030 A municipal census is scheduled for this year but the most recent 2021 census puts Fort McMurray’s population at 76,006 and the rural hamlets at 2,740 residents the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) anticipates the census will report a growing population Real estate data and trends from the last census shows more people choose to settle locally and start families The municipal councils of the boomtown days accused the provincial government of being too slow to release land for development creating a housing crisis similar to what is now found in many other Canadian cities the Fort McMurray Airport Authority and Keyano College own land south of Fort McMurray ready to be sold to developers land in Parsons Creek is ready for home and business developers to start construction The municipality has also secured land from Alberta Health Services for a long-awaited Aging in Place facility at Willow Square remove barriers amongst the provinces and allow for relationships with new markets to be built–even if the product has to pass through other provinces–and support ourselves becoming economically sustainable away from the U.S. that is the only way Canada wins,” said De Sousa all that and President Trump just stops this.” The conditions for a building frenzy of new homes are not yet there but local realty and economic leaders believe that time is coming soon We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentPaige Cyr and her realtor team at The Agency Fort McMurray have had a busy start to the year home sales in February jumped and housing prices are slowly creeping upwards She is even in the middle of some bidding wars She agrees with Mayor Sandy Bowman’s predictions that the upcoming 2025 census will show there are more families in Fort McMurray compared to the 2021 census It’s not as busy as the last oilsands boom but Cyr says the market is looking strong after years of economic uncertainty caused by volatile global oil prices the April 2020 flood and the COVID-19 pandemic But is it time to start building new homes Cyr– as well as other business and construction leaders in Fort McMurray–say not yet but believe there are signs the market is trending that way “We’re seeing a new wave of people moving to the region or moving back after going away for college There’s a lot of people who were raised here and are now working here and making good money We have young buyers and we’re seeing more confidence in our local economy,” said Cyr The Fort McMurray Real Estate Board says 95 homes were sold in February a 4.4 per cent increase from the same period last year and a jump from the 70 homes sold in January More than half of homes sold in February were single family homes New listings dropped 22.9 per cent to 129 homes Inventory is down 19.4 per cent at 328 listings Year-over-year average home prices are up 6.3 per cent at $368,801 Recent drops in interest rates have encouraged people to become homeowners People were worried in recent years about layoffs in the oilsands but her team feels more people are feeling confident in the energy sector’s future The 2021 census shows the overall population dropped since 2018 but more than 42 per cent of people were between the ages of 20 and 44 It also showed more young people were settling locally starting families and becoming long-term residents Mayor Sandy Bowman said in a December interview he believes this trend has continued based on anecdotal observations There are still people moving to Fort McMurray for work Cyr says she recently sold a home to a couple that Suncor relocated from Carstairs feels Fort McMurray has been ignored while Edmonton Calgary and many other mid-sized communities in Alberta report growing populations of newcomers from across Canada Auty says the biggest hurdle blocking new home construction is the growing number of families is not enough to offset the demand newcomers have historically brought to Fort McMurray there were only 24 housing starts in Fort McMurray Keith Plowman of the Fort McMurray Construction Association says most of those permits were for basement apartments The most recent data from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp “The bottom line is we need people to move here,” said Auty Any building frenzy will need more people working in construction Many contractors have scaled back their Fort McMurray operations in recent years for lucrative work in Edmonton and Calgary Cyr says some homes are proving difficult to sell because they need renovations Hiring tradespeople for that work tends to be more expensive than other cities “There’s some readjustments happening that could be incredible for Fort McMurray,” said Auty “Mayor Bowman has said he’ll know Fort McMurray is back on track when we start building more houses again “It’s a good time for some homebuilders to look at their plans for 2025 and 2026,” said Lisa Sweet interim director of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism (FMWBEDT) in an interview The region is also in a better position for any growth A constant battle between municipal council and the province was over the pace of land being released to the municipality for development there is plenty of land ready for developers the utilities and infrastructure for new homes has been ready for home builders for more than a decade Keyano College and the Fort McMurray Airport Authority have hundreds of acres of land they are marketing to commercial and residential developers “Go to Parsons Creek and the curbs are literally there The land is waiting for homes to be built on,” said Amanda Owens the RMWB’s director of planning and development “When the market is ready for investment and developers are ready to build we are in a position where there’s land available We pay attention to demographics and economic indicators but really it’s the market that responds to it.” but are still concerned about provincial funding We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is not releasing details of the agreement while CUPE Locals across Alberta negotiate with six different school divisions CUPE spokesperson Lou Arab said 72.9 per cent of Catholic division workers voted in favour of their deal and 88.1 per cent of public school staff supported their agreement CUPE’s local leadership says members are mixed about the quality of the deals but many are ready to return to work this week “I still think there’s lots of improvements because it still doesn’t fully address the underfunding the government provides to classrooms That issue will pop up again next year once the teachers go through their process,” said Danielle Danis president of the CUPE Local for Catholic division (FMCSD) workers but we’ve got a lot of other things underneath that help bump that up and that are monetary Considering when we started in 2020 what was on the table was zeroes across the board Wages were the main issue behind the strike CUPE representatives and many of the workers themselves said they earned annual salaries below minimum wage following breaks in the school year FMCSD workers had not had raises since 2015 FMPSD workers were last given a slight 1.25 per cent raise in 2020 “I think it’s a very good start considering the past decade-plus I know many people are happy to be going back to work on Wednesday morning,” said Lynn Fleet president of the CUPE Local for workers with the Fort McMurray Public School Division (FMPSD) An aggressive advertising campaign from CUPE challenged Brian Jean to intervene and back the striking workers Jean argued the dispute was between CUPE and school divisions “This decision is not between me and anyone this decision is between the school board and the union members I wish people weren’t suffering as a result of this.” CUPE’s bargaining committee rejected offers they say were worse than the DIB deals they rejected in October strikes popped up at school divisions across Alberta Fort McMurray’s educational support workers were part of 6,620 workers striking at the public and Catholic divisions in Calgary Foothills and Parkland public school divisions The Catholic division was in the process of developing a plan when a tentative deal was announced on Saturday evening FMPSD told parents that staff shortages would have forced some students to stay home on select days “We are eagerly anticipating the return of our CUPE members to work we are excited to welcome all students back to school where they can reconnect with their peers and continue their learning journey,” said FMPSD superintendent Annalee Nutter in a Monday evening message to parents “We recognize how difficult and prolonged this situation has been for all We are extremely grateful that a resolution has been found that brings all students and our valued support staff back to school,” FMCSD said in a similar Monday evening message The province’s 2024-25 operational funding for FMPSD is projected to be $95.8 million an 8.5 per cent increase of $7.5 million from the previous year or a 1.7 per cent increase of $1.4 million from the 2023-24 year FMCSD and FMPSD leaders have said in multiple interviews they need more provincial funding to fix increasingly crowded and understaffed schools “This is something everyone will learn from We will move forward and support each other and all education workers across the province,” said Danis We need to continue to ask the government to fund public education and also public health care.” and NCSG Crane and Heavy Haul Services pleaded guilty following the July 2022 death Three companies will pay a combined $1.243 million in fines after pleading guilty after a worker was killed in a workplace accident north of Fort McMurray in July 2022 We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe incident happened when a heavy equipment technician working at Suncor’s base plant was hit by a piece of equipment hanging from a crane The worker fell and died from his injuries Suncor Energy pleaded guilty to failing to ensure sharp edges on loads being hoisted were guarded to prevent damage to the rigging was fined $374,000 after pleading guilty to not ensuring the health and safety of their worker and not making sure the worker was trained to select suitable softeners for use with synthetic slings NCSG Crane and Heavy Haul Services was also fined $374,000 The pleaded guilty to not making sure a hazard assessment was repeated when a new work process was introduced All three companies were also ordered to pay a nominal $1,000 fine inclusive of a victim fine surcharge when they were sentenced in the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort McMurray on March 21 The Crown withdrew 10 other charges against the companies The fines will go towards the University of Calgary the University of Alberta and Mount Royal University The funding will support research into rigging and hoisting practices recommending standard practices and supporting a research institute model for Alberta Fatal drug and opioid deaths also dropped across Alberta Fort McMurray reported 16 drug poisoning deaths in 2024 making it the lowest for the region in three years We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentSince the province started publicly tracking fatal overdoses in 2016 drug poisoning deaths peaked in 2023 at 24 deaths This is the lowest they’ve been since 2021 Alberta Health data for 2022 reports 20 people in Fort McMurray died Data from Alberta Health shows the deadliest month of 2024 for Fort McMurray was June when drug poisonings killed three people One person was killed in the remaining months none of which involved pharmaceutical opioids methamphetamine was present in six deaths and alcohol was present in four deaths About 54.25 per cent of deaths happened in the homes of the victims No deaths were reported in hotels or homes not owned by the victims Emergency workers in Fort McMurray responded to 40 incidents involving opioids last year a drop from 73 in 2023 and the 2022 peak of 100 calls Across Alberta there were 1,414 fatal drug poisonings The 2023 peak reported 2,119 fatal drug poisonings with 1,873 deaths involving opioids Alberta Health reports 72 per cent of deaths involving opioids were men and 28 per cent were women Men between 30 and 34 were the largest cohort Edmonton had the highest number of drug poisonings with 648 victims and 569 of those deaths involving opioids Calgary followed with 327 victims of drug poisonings Lethbridge finished third with 44 fatal drug poisonings and 42 of those deaths involving opioids This would be a last-ditch effort for severe addicts who have been failed by other treatment options A detained adult would need to be likely to cause harm to themselves or others within a reasonable amount of time Those detained who are under the age of 18 would not be subject to the “reasonable time” guideline A care plan is created after it is decided the individual is eligible for care the patient is discharged with other supports Alberta NDP mental health and addiction critic Janet Eremenko said there is little evidence showing “forced treatment” works and some cases might have negative outcomes “What I think is incredibly important to communicate here is that forced treatment is a culmination of a failed drug policy from the UCP,” Eremenko said “Let’s make sure that we have exhausted all of these other options in our toolbox before we start going down this path of forced treatment.” Rob Tanguay with Recovery Alberta said not intervening will not lead to any benefit vulnerable and most suffering individuals is really the only way to do it,” Tanguay said “The data does not say that it will not work There is no data that would confirm that it would not work.” The Alberta government estimates addictions issues cost the province $7 billion annually lost productivity and justice-system costs The 2025 provincial budget includes $180 million for the next three years to build two 150-bed treatment centres in Edmonton and Calgary The centres will be run by Recovery Alberta and are scheduled to be running fully by 2029 -With reporting from Tyler Dawson and Cindy Tran RCMP say they have no evidence of bootlegging but most calls to police historically involve alcohol A man hoping to open a liquor store in Fort Chipewyan will have to wait until mid-May to apply for a permit after the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board rejected a previous approval last November We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentOpponents of the store including the leadership of the Mikisew Cree First Nation argue a liquor store will hurt the community’s struggles with addictions Supporters argue the store will help prevent crimes connected to bootlegging and hoarding alcohol in the community Supporters told council at a Tuesday evening meeting that went into Wednesday morning that Fort Chipewyan has not had a liquor store operate legally in roughly 10 years A store that was selling alcohol in the community recently closed This store was not legal and operated without a business license and development permit Fort Chipewyan resident Daniel Roy applied to open a legal liquor store in the community last August This application was approved by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s (RMWB) planning authority The permit was rejected by the appeal board and argued more public consultation was needed Roy was told he could submit another application after six months He tried overturning the rejection at the Alberta Court of Appeal but the rejection was upheld by the court last February Roy said his business would operate legally and take security input from the RCMP He also alleged his reputation has suffered since the appeal board rejected his application Roy says people have compared him to a bootlegger and rumours have circulated he plans to sell cannabis from the store “I’m simply trying to bring a legal liquor store before chip one in a centralized location with better working conditions for the workers,” said Roy “My development also fits right into the Fort Chipewyan Area Structure Plan that was put together in 2018 RMWB lawyer Caitlin Hanly said the six-month waiting period is part of the municipality’s land use bylaw and cannot be overturned a commercial real estate lawyer representing Roy countered the RMWB’s planning department said in an email the municipality has discretionary power Hanly argued the email was irrelevant because the RMWB’s position is the bylaw does not allow the planning authority discretion to waive the six-month period “This isn’t the venue for a battle of the legal opinions,” said Hanly “There are often conflicting views from lawyers about how legislation should be interpreted and often it can take decisions from the court to determine what the appropriate interpretation is.” said he has been told by police that crime has increased since the illegal store closed Homersham also told council bootlegging is “rampant” in Fort Chipewyan the detachment commander for Fort Chipewyan said in a Thursday interview alcohol is involved in most incidents involving police This was also the case when the liquor store was open “The majority of our call volume is related to alcohol one way or another,” Davison said “but alcohol is definitely the main thing here.” Davison said it is difficult to get exact number of incidents that are caused by alcohol An incident involving alcohol that ends with mischief charges might not involve any alcohol-related charges such as impaired driving Davison said Mounties in Fort Chipewyan responded to 89 calls This includes nine incidents where someone was charged with mischief-obstructing enjoyment of property there were 83 calls and 17 of the same mischief charges Davison also said police have not heard any formal complaints about bootlegging Officers responding to a house party last week were told people in the community are starting to sell liquor Davison said he has noticed large amounts of alcohol being flown into the community in recent weeks and the RCMP is concerned about safety if people begin selling alcohol from their homes Cardinal said he was “appalled” with the RMWB’s administration over the issue He questioned why council had to consult with administrative staff on the issue and insisted council can overturn the waiting period “The council are the ones that make the decisions here… this man deserves a chance and we’re able to give him that chance and I don’t want to rely on administrations,” said Cardinal Cardinal’s support for the liquor store was first reported last August after he was arrested shortly after appearing at a protest against opening the liquor store A Facebook video posted by Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro of MCFN allegedly showed Cardinal yelling “what about freedom of choice?” and “look at you can’t even fucking… freedom of choice!” He drives away as one person yells back “go home!” Wood Buffalo RCMP later confirmed Cardinal was charged with impaired driving exceeding the legal alcohol limit while operating a vehicle and fleeing from a peace officer Shafiq Dogar and Stella Lavallee voted in favour of the motion Keith McGrath and Loretta Waquan were absent from the vote but hurdles remainIf marketing and bureaucratic hurdles can be cleared outdoor and Indigenous cultural experiences and sports gives the region potential for developing a thriving tourism industry We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe Alberta government sees “significant potential” for a tourism industry in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region The report also found Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo ranks last for preparedness out of 10 other Alberta regions outside Edmonton and Calgary Travel Alberta sees Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo as “the land of the Northern Lights where visitors from across the globe enjoy viewing dark skies from some of the most unique accommodations in Alberta.” “Whether learning about Indigenous ways of life attending (or competing in) a world-class sports event travellers to this zone are treated to a true northern experience,” reads a section of the report describing Travel Alberta’s vision for 2035 Getting there will be a difficult job that will require support from different levels of government and industry interim CEO of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism (FMWBEDT) says it’s a good sign that the Alberta government wants a stronger tourism industry outside of Edmonton “They’ve identified our region as being one of the prime areas for substantial growth,” Cooper said in an interview “We want to be able to promote tourism and also continue to promote the businesses within our community to develop skills that will allow them to ramp up and grow.” The report mentions Fort McMurray has advantages for creating a tourism industry The report and FMWBEDT’s leadership have also noted the northern lights can be a huge tourism draw Travel Alberta also sees opportunities in outdoor activities Wood Buffalo National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the region has easy access to an extensive river system The Fort McMurray International Airport is new and can handle international flights while facilities such as MacDonald Island Park are ready for large events the region has hosted the Arctic Winter Games Western Canada Summer Games and dozens of sporting events at the youth and college levels Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo is scheduled to host the 2026 Alberta 55-Plus Provincial Games and can lean into Indigenous cultural experiences There are also opportunities for historical tourism connected to the oilsands and the fur trade The biggest challenges comes from residents and Albertans as Travel Alberta found mixed attitudes towards developing tourism from residents and little interest as a destination by Albertans “Pride of place is very strong among residents when asked if they would consider their region to be a tourism destination Stereotypes about the oilsands and Fort McMurray makes it difficult to promote the region Out of 10 regions outside Edmonton and Calgary Travel Alberta found Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo is last in familiarity and overall impression among Albertans The region ranked second last when Albertans were asked how likely they were to visit beating the Northeast Lakelands region that includes Cold Lake and Lac La Biche Other issues raised in the report were hotels are lacking compared to what tourists expect and few businesses capable of catering to tourists Leases and permits on Crown land can be tricky because of oilsands developments There are also plenty of places across Canada and around the world successfully bringing in tourists to gawk at the northern lights the visitors that do come to Fort McMurray do no stay long The latest data from 2019 shows about 44 per cent of those people are repeat visitors “What is lacking is a large-scale anchor product that will draw high-value visitation to the area and help to differentiate this zone as a unique must-see attraction for both domestic and international travellers,” the report argues “Additional supporting products and amenities are required in the more remote areas of the zone where tourism development opportunities have been identified Filling gaps in product types will be a priority as we work to develop this zone into a desirable tourist destination.” executive director of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce says tourism is worth pursuing but not as a primary industry for the region “A short-term opportunity is sports term because we have the facilities for sports and athletics,” she said “If we had the opportunity to build a tourism product that didn’t exist anywhere else in a mature form I do think the opportunity for us is industry attraction… new businesses and economic diversification is where there are opportunities.” Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow said in an April 2024 interview this will require tourists going to places outside Banff “Having been there a few times now and seeing it first-hand I definitely understand the allure of the region and now we just want to get more people there from around the world,” he said Jay Notay is no longer president and CEO of Keyano College college leadership is remaining tight-lipped about why Notay is no longer leading Keyano We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content“Dr For privacy reasons we can say nothing more,” said board chair Don Scott in a Tuesday morning statement Notay was removed as Keyano’s CEO and president sometime last week His name is no longer on the college’s website When asked about Notay’s status with the college in recent months college spokespeople would tell Fort McMurray Today Notay was “on personal leave” and there would be no further comment She has held the interim position since May 2024 Efu will continue as the interim president as the board of governors for the college determines the next steps,” said Scott Enrollment exploded under Notay’s leadership Much of that growth came from international students although the college also targeted Canadians and people already in Fort McMurray Keyano also applied with the province to be upgraded to a polytechnic “It’s always important to demonstrate that students don’t need to leave the region There are opportunities to stay here and live and work here.” a college spokesperson said Keyano is facing higher operating costs The college is also losing enrollment after federal policy changes capped international students The college has not announced any program cuts although programs and services are being reviewed constantly The Alberta government has announced more than $4.9 billion for northern Alberta in their upcoming budget They include dozens of programs and projects for Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo covering everything from health care and education to highways and economic development We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentA Tuesday afternoon press conference showed off some of the projects including an urgent care centre in Fort McMurray $2 million to support in-demand programs at Keyano College like nursing and paramedicine and more than $1.1 million towards local community groups from the Northern and Regional Economic Development (NRED) program Ministers also discussed projects that have already been announced such as a planned addition for Holy Trinity Catholic High School and upgrades to Ecole Dickinsfield School They also discussed more than $311 million in highway projects that includes twinning Highway 63 north of Fort McMurray and work on a highway connecting Fort McMurray and the Grande Prairie region “An investment in Alberta’s north is also an investment in oilfield services and oilfield service companies in Nisku Alberta’s energy minister and UCP MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche “Through revenue generated by northern Alberta industries important services that Albertans rely on like education and healthcare can be funded Other announcements were not specific to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo This includes $111 million for affordability and wage-top-up grants to child care operators supports for attracting and keeping physicians and skilled workers in rural communities helping small businesses export their products and tax credits for film and television productions and tax credits for qualifying film and television productions shooting in rural Alberta Alberta’s minister for job’s economy and trade education and roads are the most common topics mentioned by people from rural and northern Alberta He argued Tuesday’s announcement is a response to critics that the Alberta government is not investing in the region “We remain focused on investing in the success and prosperity of our valued northern communities,” Jones said at the press conference “This includes ensuring that northern Albertans have access to good paying jobs and the investments that help to spur additional opportunities for them.” UCP MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo and chair of the Northern Alberta Development Council said a report is coming in upcoming weeks that will have recommendations on boosting northern development His report was based on visits with business and political leaders in 12 northern communities and will consider how the Alberta government allocates funds and resources to different parts of the province “While these sessions brought forth the challenges that northern Alberta’s economy and business communities face there was also a chance to learn more about the optimism that exists in these communities and the investments that are helping to drive it,” he said at the press conference Jones denied in an interview that Tuesday’s announcement was a response to Scott Sinclair the Lesser Slave Lake MLA who was kicked out of the UCP caucus last week for writing on his Facebook page he would vote against the budget Sinclair criticized the budget’s deficits and argued his own constituency’s concerns had been ignored He wrote he was “furious” at the amount of money going towards projects in Edmonton and Calgary compared to northern Alberta “MLA Sinclair is passionately advocating for his constituency the areas outside of Calgary and Edmonton actually received more capital investment from the Government of Alberta on an absolute basis and per capita basis,” said Jones in an interview “We as a cabinet always try to support all regions of the province That doesn’t mean everybody gets what they want in a given year but it does mean we certainly align to the urgent priorities of every region and as a government we try to address this.” Economy and Trade critic Rhiannon Hoyle said called Tuesday’s announcement a distraction from Sinclair’s criticisms “Yesterday’s announcement does nothing to address the serious budget concerns raised by the MLA for Lesser Slave Lake concerns that got him kicked out of the UCP caucus,” she said in a Wednesday statement “The UCP is hoping that their big announcement will distract from the fact that they’re not listening to Albertans.” View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule AM Map PM Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map View Schedule View Map school staff end strikeThe news and events of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo maintenance workers and administrative staff in Fort McMurray returned to school on Wednesday after ratifying agreements with the region’s Catholic and public divisions CUPE says 72.9 per cent of Catholic division workers voted in favour of their deal and 88.1 per cent of public school staff supported their agreement president of the CUPE Local for Catholic division workers Other CUPE Locals across Alberta also went on strike after Fort McMurray workers president of the CUPE Local for public school workers Housing and anti-poverty groups that deal with Fort McMurray’s homeless population say they have been working with more at-risk people in recent months But those same groups are reporting successes in getting people off of Fort McMurray’s streets and into supportive housing The RMWB’s most recent survey of Fort McMurray’s homeless identified 152 people last October Half were living in shelters and 27 per cent lived on the streets About nine per cent were considered “hidden homeless” and had living arrangements like couch surfing The remaining seven per cent were in transitional housing programs It’s a drop from the 200 people identified by the same survey in 2018 and a massive fall from the 549 people when homelessness peaked in 2008 In a January speech to the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce Mayor Sandy Bowman said Wood Buffalo RCMP report only three people living in three encampments in downtown Fort McMurray Fleury said on Wednesday that number remains unchanged “I believe we’re very close to functional zero homelessness which would be an incredible achievement in this community,” Bowman said at the time the RMWB’s manager of community partnerships and initiatives says fighting homelessness has involved close working relationships with community groups such as the Centre of Hope (COH) the Wood Buffalo Wellness Society and the Salvation Army the RMWB enters them on a list that prioritizes the most vulnerable for supportive housing Agencies can get people with the most serious cases into shelter which then lets them tackle any problems they have with addictions Fleury says many of the programs created during that period have been successful in Fort McMurray “I definitely think that other communities can and have learned from Fort McMurray,” said Fleury There are still problems and challenges in fighting homelessness in Fort McMurray says the organization dealt 75 to 80 people daily during the last few years In recent months that number has grown to around 100 people Keating says the end of the COVID-19 pandemic has left community groups dealing with an increase in addictions mental health problems and family violence amidst an uncertain economy “I always feel like Fort McMurray is a little bit of a unique city but I think for us it comes down to the agencies working closely together and we’re all very rooted in the community We’re here for the community,” said Keating A Tuesday afternoon press conference showed off some of the projects Get new pipelines approved within six months of filing an application Declare key infrastructure developments in the national interest the heads of Canada’s largest petroleum producers and pipeline operators have issued an open letter to the country’s federal political parties rolling out a blueprint to encourage building new energy infrastructure and boost output “It’s a Canadian sickness that we can’t get things built,” Strathcona Resources executive chair Adam Waterous one of the industry leaders who signed the document “We think it’s going to require the emergency powers of the federal government to rapidly put in this regulatory framework.” In the open letter to the heads of the federal Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Bloc Quebecois, the 14 industry CEOs call for a series of steps to get energy projects built, from overhauling government regulations to encouraging more investment and production. The letter calls for the planned oilpatch emissions cap to be eliminated to allow for more production growth, and for repealing the federal carbon levy on large industrial emitters “to allow provincial governments to set more suitable carbon regulations.” “By declaring a Canadian energy crisis and key projects in the ‘national interest,’ the federal government will be able to use all its available emergency powers to ensure that the dramatic regulatory restructuring required to expand the oil and natural gas sector is rapidly achieved,” it states. TC Energy CEO Francois Poirier said he believes the six-month time frame proposed by the group is possible, given Germany’s experience fast-tracking the building of LNG import terminals after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Using existing rights of way that have already been studied, or conducting different parts of the permitting processes at the same time — instead of in sequence — could help accelerate timelines, he said. Waterous said being overly dependent on a single market has reduced Canada’s flexibility from a political perspective, and “we want to be able to diversify our markets. “But the second thing that has impacted our sovereignty is the weakness of our economy.” TAKE NOTICE that Council of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday in the Jubilee Centre Council Chamber located on the 1st Floor at 9909 Franklin Avenue 24/025 – Fort McMurray Regional Airport Area Structure Plan Amendment 24/025 proposes to re-designate a portion of the Fort McMurray International Airport property from Airside Business Industrial and Airside Reserve to Landside Business Industrial.   The intent is to repurpose the former airport terminal building to allow for commercial (retail) uses the Area Structure Plan would allow for commercial (including retail uses) and light industrial uses on the subject property  A copy of all related documents may be inspected between 8:30 a.m Planning and Development Services Department Bylaw No. 24/025 - Fort McMurray Regional Airport Area Structure Plan Amendment  If you would like to make a written submission for Council’s consideration at the Public Hearing: accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully.  If you require an accommodation to participate please include the details in your request to participate.  Advanced notice is required as some accommodations can take time to arrange Please note written submissions are considered public documents any information and materials you submit to Council for their consideration at the Public Hearing is added in its entirety to the agenda package which is made available to the public and posted on the Municipality’s website Verbal submissions will have a maximum of 5 minutes to address Council.  All submissions to the Public Hearing must be received prior to the Public Hearing.  Submissions cannot be made following the conclusion of the Public Hearing the incumbent Conservative Party candidate for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake has launched her reelection campaign with a platform promising a strong economy and affordable living We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentAt a Wednesday evening campaign launch at the Doug Barnes Cabin Goodridge said the messaging of the Conservative Party is already resonating in the riding She has already had more requests for signs than expected “There are many things that I have heard very clearly people want to see continue including being a strong advocate for our energy industry and continuing bringing that fight to Ottawa and hopefully forming a Conservative majority government so we can deliver on some of that important work that’s going to be so important particularly for our riding,” Goodridge said in an interview The Fort McMurray-Cold Lake riding historically votes Conservative but Goodridge warned about 60 supporters who came to the event not to get complacent during the campaign The region also historically has some of the lowest voter turnouts in Canada “All it takes is low voter turnout and something weird can happen,” she said Instead of running out of a campaign office Goodridge is opting to stay mobile until Election Day on April 28 Goodridge said she is excited to hear from residents and is impressed with the amount of young people she has met who are excited to vote for the first time When asked about recent polls favouring a national win for the Liberals Goodridge said “the poll that matters is the poll that happens on Election Day.” “I’ll be travelling throughout the 147,000 square-kilometres of the Fort McMurray-Cold Lake riding and hope to see as many people as possible,” she said in an interview This is the end of Goodridge’s first term as an MP She was first elected to politics in a 2018 byelection as the UCP MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin and reelected in the newly formed riding of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche in the 2019 general election She ran as a federal Conservative candidate in the 2021 election after her predecessor Goodridge was named shadow minister for families She was moved to shadow minister of addictions the next year Goodridge also said she was “exceptionally proud” of her constituency office’s work throughout her term in helping residents navigate government bureaucracy Goodridge said representing the oilsands region as a fluent French speaker will be an advantage She told supporters she has spent the last term meeting with Quebec politicians at the municipal “Most of them have never actually heard any thing close to fair,” she said “Having a politician from this region that speaks fluent French and has young kids changes the perspective that some of those Quebec politicians have of what this community is.” The People’s Party of Canada has named Al Clarke as their candidate for the riding They are the only other party so far to list a local candidate on their website Sign In Register Elections Canada officials noted they were still counting ballots from the April 28 election but incumbent Conservative MPs in the Lakeland and Fort McMurray-Cold Lake ridings have regained their seats A statement on the Elections Canada website noted "Due to the high turnout in this election particularly by those voting by special ballot and at advance polls more time is needed to count the ballots while ensuring our integrity checks are done Counting in front of witnesses has resumed this morning and we expect preliminary results for all ridings to be available today [April 29]." 239 of 246 polls had reported results by 9 a.m and incumbent Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs had earned over 80 per cent of the vote Earning the second most votes was Liberal candidate Barry Milaney at 11.9 per cent Voter turnout for the Lakeland riding was sitting at 53,374 of 79,779 registered electors (66.9 per cent) although that does not include electors who registered on election day which includes the communities of Lac La Biche and Cold Lake incumbent Conservative MP Laila Goodridge had also secured just over 80 per cent of the vote At the time, 239 of 246 polls were reporting their results Liberal candidate Kaitlyn Staines had earned the second most number of votes 48,150 of 79,263 registered electors (60.75 per cent) had voted which also does not include the number of electors who registered on election day More SPOTLIGHT > Fort McMurray’s Catholic and public school leaders will review an order from Alberta’s education minister to provide in-person learning for all students as more than 1,000 educational assistants continue to strike We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentEducation Minister Demetrios Nicolaides had exempted schools from providing in-person learning to students with complex needs in January as the rolling strike that started in November became permanent a Court of King’s Bench judge stopped those orders last week with an injunction Statements to families from the Catholic and public school divisions said they will be reviewing their resources and plans Both divisions expect to release more details next week The Catholic division warns its schools may not have the capacity and resources to bring more students back into classrooms during the strike “We know this has gone on for an extended period of time and is a very challenging situation Having our support staff and students back in school is imperative to the success of students and the school division as a whole,” read a statement from the Catholic division “While we remain committed to finding a solution that is agreeable to all parties the reality does remain that we are at an impasse and are far apart on the topic of wages.” The public school division promised it would make “every reasonable effort to access and redeploy available resources equitably” as they review the order “We want to reassure families that no immediate changes are being made Our current contingency plan remains in effect until further notice We are working diligently to refine our plan and reallocate resources to best meet the needs of all students,” the public school statement said The injunction came after a group of parents and guardians took the Alberta government to court and argued more than 3,700 children were facing discrimination because they were not allowed to attend classes in person The new order says schools must find ways to provide in-person learning to all students students must be helped to continue their usual classroom routines The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) called the minister’s original order “unjust and cruel” and praised the reversal “We are heartened by the court’s refusal to order the use of replacement workers as a means to resolve the issue,” read a CUPE statement “There remains one solution open to the Government of Alberta – come to the bargaining table give education support workers the wage increases they deserve The workers started a rolling strike on Nov special needs students have been asked to stay home on strike days Those classes and early childhood education programs were cancelled when the full strike began CUPE Alberta spokesperson Lou Arab said there are 6,620 education support workers on strike across Alberta They include workers at the public and Catholic divisions in Calgary CUPE representatives and many of the workers themselves say they earn annual salaries below minimum wage following breaks in the school year FMCSD workers have not had raises since 2015 The leaders of both divisions have agreed more provincial funding is needed to fix increasingly crowded and understaffed schools in Fort McMurray But FMPSD leadership have argued CUPE’s demands are too expensive and would cost $7.8 million A statement from FMCSD says leaders are awaiting a “reasonable” counter offer that they hope will be delivered “in a timely manner.” A program that partners mental health nurses with police officers has responded to thousands of mental health calls since it began in 2022 None of those calls have ended with someone seriously injured We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentChief Superintendent Mark Hancock of Wood Buffalo RCMP says the program has been successful in a community that has grappled with growing mental health problems in recent years “It’s a program with a proven track record of of de-escalating situations which has been just excellent,” said Hancock The Police and Crisis Team (PACT) program has responded to more than 300 calls during the last 12 months Wood Buffalo RCMP officers responded to 970 calls involving mental health issues That number was 1,222 in 2023 and 1,113 in 2024 One PACT call since the program began involved a “wrestling match” that caused minor injuries to an officer The program’s trial year in Fort McMurray partnered a mental health nurse with an officer and the nurse attended hundreds of calls in Fort McMurray There are now four Mounties working full-time with PACT and a PACT supervisor with Recovery Alberta When Hancock arrived in Fort McMurray in 2021 PACT programs already operated in Edmonton Local Mounties regularly encountered people having emotional or mental health problems tied to the COVID-19 pandemic the opioid crisis and economic uncertainty Other individuals had few mental health resources to turn to during a crisis When someone is already suffering from anxiety a mental health crisis can worsen what they are already battling “You see calls across Canada where someone is not at their best mentally and they also have a weapon This is about deescalating situations and getting people the help they need Tomorrow is always potentially a better day for everybody,” Hancock said in an interview “The mental health of people has become a priority for us here.” Because PACT calls deal with mental health issues the police and medical staff interviewed for this article did not discuss specific incidents But the type of calls they respond to is diverse Some calls have involved suicides or other forms of self-harm Other issues might involve someone not taking their medications or any other instance where a mental health situation may put someone or other people at risk “We really have time to have conversations with our clients whereas general duty members may not have time to deescalate situations they way we can,” said Archambault “I feel very accomplished when I get out of a situation and I didn’t have to use any force We can just talk things through because we have time to do that PACT members can follow up with people they meet get them enrolled in health care programs or in touch with on-call psychiatrists Hancock says PACT originally responded to calls that came through 9-1-1 but now there are calls directly to the detachment asking PACT to follow up on people PACT has also cross-trained other officers on how to react during a mental health crisis if the team is unable to quickly reach an incident It’s been done in other cities and mental health calls take time and a special approach,” said Lori Sider a Recovery Alberta nurse who works full-time with PACT “We’re finally figuring out mental health is just as important as physical health but we haven’t done it well over the years I see PACT as one of those attempts because police and emergency rooms have always known this is a problem.” Sider worked in Fort Chipewyan for 15 years and has worked in Indigenous communities throughout her career she was often asked by local police to do the work she is now doing with PACT It’s very effective and I have heard other officers say they don’t respond to the number of mental health calls they used to,” said Sider but I love being able to step in the way of them making a decision on a crappy day EdmontonNews$1.2 million in fines laid after worker killed by falling equipment in Fort McMurrayBy Brittany EkelundPublished: March 28, 2025 at 4:00PM EDT despite tariff threatsIn a speech to the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce Mayor Sandy Bowman argued the region is strong enough to withstand any economic storm The threat of tariffs and a trade war with the United States are worrying but Mayor Sandy Bowman still believes that Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo’s best days are ahead We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentIn a speech to the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce Bowman argued the region is in strong shape to withstand any economic storms The municipality has Alberta’s lowest property taxes no debt and plenty of land ready for developers incomes are high and housing is affordable “While there may be some uncertainty and some short-lived pain ahead I’m confident that we’re headed for a new day in this region,” said Bowman a new day for our place in Canada and in the world and a new day for the people in this region.” Bowman argued President Donald Trump’s threat to put a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products as soon as Feb 1 shows the importance of the oilsands region to Canada Any tariffs or retaliatory tariffs could still hurt the region Roughly 22.8 per cent of jobs in the census area covering the oilsands and Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo depend on Canadian exports to the United States “It highlights what we’ve been saying up here for many years and we’ve been doing this in many ways in Alberta: Canada and the world needs more of Fort McMurray and Canada and the world needs more of this region,” said Bowman “We have Canada’s most important and strategic resource right in our backyard We’re here to stay and we’re needed now more than ever.” joined Bowman in a forum after the speech and argued the tariff threat is likely to be short-lived but the last few weeks have been a “wake up call” to the country a senior vice president with Syncrude and chair of Pathways’ Wood Buffalo Committee “People now realize what we’ve been saying for the last decade which is if we don’t diversify our markets–not just for oil and gas but we are largely an exporting nation and we’re largely dependent on the U.S as the market for all those products we export–we’re exposed to the bottom line,” said Dilling never let a good crisis go to waste,” Bowman said in his speech and again during the forum Bowman said in his speech and during the forum The Alberta government continues working on Highway 686 which connects Fort McMurray and the Grande Prairie region The municipality now has secured land from Alberta Health Services for a long-awaited Aging in Place facility at Willow Square funding and construction are still in development but Bowman said the project will cater to a growing population of seniors who are choosing to retire locally Other major infrastructure projects such as flood mitigation and rural water and sewage services are on time and budget The Downtown Revitalization Incentives Program (DRIP) has generated $27 million in downtown investments with $9 million coming from municipal grants He praised a $500-million investment from Calgary-based Wolf Midstream to expand its existing NGL North project This was done through an incentive program called the Natural Resources Extraction Support Project Tax Incentive Bylaw But there are also other local hurdles on top of looming economic uncertainty Plenty of local businesses are struggling to stay open or find staff Many young people who leave Fort McMurray after graduating high school never return Businesses and governments need to cooperate on solving these issues “We sometimes have the same challenges as other communities but we have way more advantages,” said Bowman LAKELAND - While only five of 246 polls in the Lakeland were reporting on the Elections Canada website as of 8:55 p.m incumbent Conservative MP Shannon Stubbs had an overwhelming lead incumbent Conservative MP Laila Goodridge had 78 per cent of votes secured with seven of 220 polls reporting the Liberals were sitting at 44.4 per cent of the votes with the Conservatives earning 40.8 per cent of the votes,  several media outlets were reporting that the Liberals would likely form a minority government.  Fort McMurray public and Catholic boardsCUPE says recent proposals are worse than offers they already rejected FMPSD says their offer is in line with most Alberta education deals while FMCSD says it awaits a 'reasonable' counter offer Union leaders for more than 1,000 striking educational support workers in Fort McMurray say recent offers from the Catholic and public school divisions are worse than what union members already rejected There are no upcoming talks scheduled between the school divisions and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentCUPE was shown proposals from the Catholic division (FMCSD) on Jan CUPE leaders say talks with FMPSD went poorly A follow-meeting with FMCSD scheduled for Jan 30 was cancelled when they were told the proposal would not be changed “We have told them at every meeting that when you have something better than what we have already rejected We though that call was in and it wasn’t,” said Lynn Fleet president of the CUPE Local for public school staff The main complaint is over the proposed wage increases from both divisions FMCSD workers would get an immediate 5.8 per cent wage increase plus any retroactive pay and a 14.8 per cent compounded wage increase over the term FMPSD workers were offered a 5.75 per cent increase and a 13.75 per cent increase by 2028 president of the CUPE Local for impacted FMCSD staff called the proposal “misleading” and is not enough to keep up with inflation Danis said most staff hourly increases would be between $0.41 and $0.72 She also said retroactive pay would only go back to Feb Fleet accused FMPSD of bringing back a two-tier wage proposal that members rejected This had been removed last fall by the Disputes Inquiry Board “We can’t bring a contract to our members that is worse than what our members have already voted twice not to accept,” said Danis They dangled a carrot in front of our nose and took advantage of us FMCSD workers have not had raises since 2015 The leaders of both divisions say they need more provincial funding to fix increasingly crowded and understaffed schools in Fort McMurray FMPSD said in a statement that CUPE’s demands would cost $7.8 million arguing that 60 of the 67 agreements among Alberta’s education workers between 2021 and 2024 included a 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent annual increase “CUPE should explain why its members are going without pay when members of its other unions have already accepted and received these increases,” read a statement from FMPSD “If CUPE continues to insist that its members live on strike pay while pursuing salary expectations that far exceed the division’s ability to pay there has to be significant cuts in staffing.” supporters and spectators are expected to raise $3.7 million for the local economy Alberta’s largest athletics and games tournament for seniors will be hosted in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo in August 2027 supporters and spectators are expected to raise $3.7 million for the local economy during the Alberta 55 Plus summer games We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content“It’s great news to see this event return to the region and we thank everyone involved in the successful bid and the Province for again putting its trust in us,” said Mayor Sandy Bowman in a Thursday statement “We have a long history of hosting successful sports championships and I am confident the 2027 Alberta 55 plus Games will be no exception.” This is the first time the region has hosted the games since 2003 although it was called the Alberta Senior Games at the time although the final games will be agreed upon by the host committee and the games’ board Council unanimously approved pursuing a bid for the games last November $500,000 from the municipality’s reserve funds will go towards hosting the games if the region’s bid is successful Administrative support will also be offered Most costs will go towards facilities and events vice chair of the municipality’s Advisory Committee on Aging (ACoA) said in a statement that hosting the games acknowledges the region’s commitments to improving life for seniors the province awarded the municipality the Alberta Age-Friendly Recognition award “The games will highlight and celebrate older adults while bringing recognition to the RMWB’s age-friendly designation,” said MacDougall Most sports facilities were built or upgraded within the past 15 years There is a sprawling trail system maintained year-round The airport can handle international flights Baseball Canada is hosting the 2025 Baseball Canada 18U Championship in August and the 2026 Baseball Canada 18U Championship Fort McMurray is guaranteed a local team for the 2025 and 2026 18U competitions The 2023 Arctic Winter Games was the largest sporting event hosted by Fort McMurray Fort McMurray has also hosted the 2004 Arctic Winter Games 2018 Alberta Winter Games and dozens of smaller athletics tournaments Two Fort McMurray residents have been accused of using stolen fleet gas cards to defraud companies in Fort McMurray and Edmonton with police alleging more than $100,000 had been stolen by the pair We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentAn investigation began on Oct 11 when Wood Buffalo RCMP received a complaint about fraudulent transactions used with fleet gas cards Investigators found more instances of alleged fraudulent transactions in Edmonton and Fort McMurray between July 2024 and January 2025 said the fleet gas cards were reportedly stolen from the vehicles of multiple businesses throughout the region Clayton could not confirm if the pair allegedly stole the cards themselves or got them from someone else Officers are also investigating if any cards were given or used to others “It has definitely impacted multiple companies in the region,” said Clayton in an interview adding some impacted companies may not yet be aware they were victims of fraud A search warrant allowed officers to search a home on Stonecreek Landing in Timberlea on Jan credit and fleet cards; electronic equipment used for financial transactions; and a small amount of suspected cocaine A woman at the home was arrested without incident he was on a release order on a matter unrelated to the fraud investigation have both been charged with possessing property obtained by crime Gauvreau has also been charged with obtaining a credit card by false pretenses or fraud McClure has also been charged with fraud and five counts of failing to comply with a release order Gauvreau was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort McMurray on March 5 McClure remains in custody and is scheduled to appear on Feb Tips to Crime Stoppers are always anonymous and can be sent to tipsubmit.com 26 hours before he was found murdered in Athabasca County A man who was found murdered near a rural intersection in Athabasca County last month has been identified as Connor Hayden Reese We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentPolice say Reese had ties to Edmonton and Fort McMurray and was in Fort McMurray on the day his remains were found near the intersection of Range Road 173 and Township Road 712 located 11 kilometres southwest of Wandering River and five kilometres west of Breynat Alberta RCMP say Mounties in Boyle were called to the area on Feb The body was brought to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner where the death was ruled to be a homicide Investigators have also identified a vehicle connected to Connor Police are requesting any surveillance footage from Paquette Drive and Millennium Drive on Feb Note: This article was updated with new information on March 7 Alberta is forecasting a return to a normal wildfire season in 2025 with fewer challenges than previous years due to more snowpack and predicted precipitation After a record-breaking wildfire season in 2023 followed by another challenging year in 2024 which saw thousands of Jasperites displaced from their homes officials said favourable weather conditions and efforts from the previous wildfire season have helped in reducing the number of carry-over fires this year director of wildfire protective services at Alberta Wildfire said so far this winter the province is near normal or even above normal when it comes to precipitation which is critical in determining what the wildfire season will look like but Davis said Alberta Wildfire isn’t seeing any red flags for hazardous conditions coming up “We are coming from a couple years of drought,” Davis said “The immediate conditions aren’t looking like as serious of wildfire potential as what we’ve had in the last couple years.” although Indigenous leaders with the adjacent Chipewyan Prairie First Nation ordered everyone to leave The province also hired more firefighters across Alberta and stationed more forest officers in Fort McMurray twice shy — that could be the adage of Canada’s thorny pipeline debate in 2025 Talk of reviving Energy East or Northern Gateway might sound promising pundits and pollsters suddenly debate the merits of building major pipelines that would ship Canadian oil and gas to new markets in the face of a U.S Premier Danielle Smith wants Ottawa to fast-track these pipeline proposals and other energy infrastructure Other premiers and federal politicians seem open to the debate while polls show Canadians are more receptive Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel says permitting changes encouraging more Indigenous equity ownership — with additional federal financial help being made available for loan guarantees — and expectations of reasonable returns would help attract capital for big projects “A lot of co-ordinated federal and pan-provincial legislative and regulatory action would be required before we think investors management teams or customers would be able to green-light such projects,” he said Northern Gateway was designed to transport 525,000 barrels of oil per day from Bruderheim to Kitimat regulatory delays and uncertain market conditions who was TransCanada’s executive in charge of oil pipelines when Energy East and Keystone XL were being examined pointed out if Canada had built both projects — along with the now-finished Trans Mountain expansion — it would have added 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of export capacity Canada also could have displaced about 500,000 bpd of foreign oil imported into Eastern Canada “When I just saw continued blows to the project politically and from a regulatory perspective it just started to become more of a long shot,” Pourbaix who is now executive chair of Cenovus Energy I was telling those governments that Canada needs egress to tidewater and we’re now living (with) the consequences of that.” Fort McMurray was one of nine cities in western Canada that police say was part a nationwide sex trafficking network that ran for more than a decade Three men from Montreal have been charged following an investigation that ran for more than a year Staff Sergeant Chris Hayes of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) said in an interview the alleged victims were all adult women and Canadian citizens who are are now receiving help “I suspect it’s just as bad as its always been (in Fort McMurray),” said Hayes “Its still very much happening there as it is in all cities and small towns across Alberta and across Canada.” ALERT says the three men were active in Fort McMurray The victims were allegedly forced into “multiple sex acts on multiple clients every day,” said an ALERT news statement Anyone who pushed back were “often violently assaulted Jean Rodnil Dubois and Kevin Dorcelus-Cetoute procuring and obtaining material benefit from sexual services Clyde Elien-Abbot is charged with human trafficking; money laundering; animal cruelty; and advertising ALERT spokesperson Mike Tucker said the animal cruelty charge comes from allegations Elien-Abbot beat a dog belonging to one of the alleged victims to control her A 2021 report from the Canadian Centre to End Trafficking noted Calgary Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray are used as hubs for sex trafficking A preliminary investigation says the emissions likely came from a heating source inside their tent emergency workers were called to a remote area in Crow Lake Provincial Park Cory Riggs says the deaths were discovered by a family member of one of the men Riggs says the family member had not heard from the men so went to the area and called police after discovering the two men had died Police have identified the men as a 45-year-old Fort McMurray resident and a 37-year-old from Labrador City but fundraisers on GoFundMe have identified them as Ray Foley and Shawn Paul disrupting flights and briefly shutting down operations Monday that the terminal had to close because of a leaking water main People were told not to come to the airport while the building was shut down The airport remained open for medical evacuations and non-commercial flights a post on the airport’s Facebook page said the airport could not serve passengers or maintain normal operations without a water supply A fire hydrant was the source of the water leak Normal water pressure was restored after it was isolated by work crews from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and the airport’s maintenance team a spokesperson for the Fort McMurray International Airport said in an email that both WestJet and Air Canada each cancelled one flight because of the problem Two WestJet flights were also slightly delayed President Donald Trump’s plan to slap widespread tariffs on U.S. imports of Canadian goods is on hold until March. Trump had previously signed an executive order that would impose a 10 per cent tax on Canadian energy products, along with 25 per cent tariffs on all other goods. Speaking on Cenovus’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday, president and CEO Jon McKenzie said the tariffs could affect “so many of the variables that impact our cash flow,” including oil prices. He added U.S. refining margins and foreign exchange rates could also take a hit if the tariff threat comes to pass. “If we are in a world, unfortunately, in March where tariffs do come, we will watch those price signals and react accordingly,” he said. That could include a pivot when it comes to where oil products transported along the Trans Mountain pipeline are exported, said Geoff Murray, executive vice-president of commercial for Cenovus. “I think we would see … a rebalancing away from the United States and the balance to head globally,” he said. There has generally been a 50/50 split between California and Asia for deliveries of oil transported along the pipeline, said Murray. Asked if the tariffs would affect Cenovus’s spending plans for 2025, McKenzie said the company has already limited its capital spending to “fairly modest levels” and is in the process of completing a few major projects. “I don’t think there’s anything on the tariff side that would change any of our operating plans this year or in the near future,” he said. millions for northern highwaysThe news and events of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo The largest commitment is towards Highway 686 The province will also spend $7 million during the same period on Highway 956 said he has also discussed other transportation projects that have been championed by political leaders in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region Council was told at a Monday afternoon meeting that FMHS has been unable to apply for government grants because the organization has not been audited for 2023 and 2024 the RMWB cannot release the remaining $175,000 in grants for 2024 Patrick White of the RMWB’s legal services pointed out FMHS is an independent society and not an arms-length group managed by the RMWB The Alberta government sees “significant potential” for a tourism industry in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region The report and FMWBEDT’s leadership have both noted the northern lights can be a huge tourism draw The report notes the region can lean into Indigenous cultural experiences and opportunities for historical tourism connected to the oilsands and the fur trade Travel Alberta found mixed attitudes towards developing tourism from residents Fort McMurray ranked last among Albertans for familiarity and overall impression and second last when Albertans were asked how likely they were to visit Other issues include a hotel sector that caters to workers and not tourists trouble getting leases and permits on Crown land and stereotypes about the oilsands and Fort McMurray Alberta is heading into the 2025 wildfire season in a much better position compared to last year and with more dollars being allocated for wildfire preparedness the province will allocate what he called a “historic” investment of $160 million in base funding toward wildfire preparedness The investment would fund wildfire personnel “We’re going into this season in substantially better shape than we were last year,” Loewen said will see the launch of a pilot project using hoist-equipped helicopters Loewen said the helicopters will allow crews to quickly deploy to remote and difficult-to-reach areas providing support for emergency evacuations as needed There is currently one new helicopter under contract and two specialized crews have been hired for this wildfire season said last month the province is near normal or even above normal when it comes to precipitation Alberta is undertaking a four-pronged response to tariffs imposed by U.S President Donald Trump that will see the province focus procurement practices on domestic companies cease further purchases of American alcohol encourage labelling of made-in-Canada goods Premier Danielle Smith announced the measures on Wednesday while attacking Trump for continuing to pursue the tariffs calling it an “economic attack on our country” and “a betrayal of a deep and abiding friendship.” and Ontario are among the provinces also planning to stop buying U.S The Alberta government will alsodirect its departments and agencies — including school boards Crown corporations and municipalities — to purchase all needed goods and services from businesses based in Alberta The province will help grocers and retailers with labelling all Canadian products in stores and encourage them to purchase stock from vendors in Alberta The province will also launch a “buy Alberta” marketing campaign Smith said Alberta is willing to enter into free trade and labour mobility deals with any province willing to do so Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said that wasn’t good enough, and Albertans will need support with unemployment likely to rise in the weeks ahead. 2 months agoDuration 2:22Fort McMurray prepares for a new wildfire season2 months agoNewsDuration 2:22Spring heralds the start of wildfire season. Here's how Alberta wildfire officials in the Fort McMurray area are getting ready. Cheering on the Winnipeg Jets 39,000 feet in the air1 hour agoVideo1:48 New PC leader apologizes for party's handling of landfill search, commits to better decorum1 hour agoVideo2:00 Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video11:28 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |May 5Video1:19 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem Over 1000 education support workers in CUPE 2559 and CUPE 2545 are on their second day of picketing as negotiations remain stalled by the Government of Alberta’s constrained bargaining directives to school divisions “The provincial government is controlling what school divisions can agree to in wages at the bargaining table and restricting education budgets effectively squeezing the school board and putting funding shortfalls on the backs of students and the workers delivering critical education support services The Provincial Bargaining and Compensation Office set up by the province is a third party at local school division bargaining tables across Alberta This interference in free and fair collective bargaining has resulted in the members of four other CUPE locals taking similar decisive strike votes the province has been intervening in the strike process by forcing locals that gave strike notice into a Disputes Inquiry Board Members of CUPE 2559 and 2545 in Fort McMurray voted down the recent DIB recommendations by 93% and 95.5% “The provincial government is hoping we will just give up and accept poverty wages so they can keep shortchanging our community” “but our membership and community of parents who care about access to quality education are getting stronger by the day in this fight for fairness.” Following these two days of picketing on November 13 and 14 members of CUPE 2559 and 2545 will return to work for one day “This can all be solved by the province deciding to stop imposing poverty wages,” said president of CUPE 2559 Danielle Danis “Parents and students are joining us on the picket line because they know this fight is about them and the services they need.” Updates on picket locations and times can be found at alberta.cupe.ca Ontario K1G 0Z7 Tel: (613) 237-1590 Fax: (613) 237-5508  Toll free: (844) 237-1590 A Fort McMurray taxi driver has been accused of using his vehicle to sell drugs on the side We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWood Buffalo RCMP say that on Feb officers pulled over the driver of a vehicle as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation in Fort McMurray Police searched the vehicle and two homes in Timberlea “During the course of the police investigation it is alleged that the suspect was operating as a taxi driver to assist in this criminal enterprise,” read a statement from Wood Buffalo RCMP Sabrina Clayton of Wood Buffalo RCMP says police published the information on Tuesday because police were only now able to release details of the February arrest of Fort McMurray has been charged with possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking He is scheduled to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort McMurray on April 22