Alberta party leader, Fort MacMurray

Greg Clark, the Alberta party leader, recently stopped in Fort MacMurray and met with residents in the area. According to Clark the local real estate guide is a monument to a lack of government foresight and poor planning by officials. The Alberta party leader went even further, stating that the land release problem in Wood Buffalo is unparalleled. Clark affirmed that advance planning should have happened a decade ago. “It’s an understatement to say growth hasn’t been managed well by the province. There’s a real gap between social housing and what people can afford on a reasonable wage. That’s having a big impact on employers and people who provide those critical services, like your nurses and police officers.” Greg Clark left Fort MacMurray last Friday afternoon, and he was in town to meet with leaders in the community and local industries, as well as residents in the area.

Many people do not realize that Greg Clark, the Alberta party leader, has close ties to Fort MacMurray. Clark worked as a Suncor Energy consultant for many years, and he spent a considerable amount of time in Fort MacMurray during his consulting stint. From the very first day on his recent visit to Fort MacMurray the Alberta party leader heard numerous complaints about land prices in the area from residents and businesses both. According to Clark “It’s a huge paradox that never should have happened. I don’t think there is an easy answer, because if there was this problem would have been solved. The free market works so well, but they have artificially constrained the release of land. One group or another will get hurt by this, and right now it’s the buyer. I can’t give you a stock answer that will keep everybody happy, but I would rather see a strong and thriving community where people can afford a reasonable home and pay a reasonable rate of rent.”