A new Islamic community multicentre in Fort MacMurray is expected to be the largest mosque and multicentre project in North America. The Muslim community of Fort MacMurray held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new and upgraded Markaz Ul-Islam Centre located in Abraham’s Land. The project involves 10 acres of land and is expected to cost $50 million. The entire project will include a mosque, a multipurpose hall, a recreation centre, an Islamic school, and a daycare. There will also be two new churches, one that is Catholic and one that is Protestant. Markaz Ul-Islam president Abdul Salaam Abdo said “You have proved to the world that multifaiths can live together and work together in harmony and with respect. We at Markaz Ul-Islam are proud to be a lead contributor to this partnership.”

The new Islamic community multicentre project in Fort MacMurray is necessary because of the growing and expanding population in the area. The original Markaz Ul-Islam centre in the downtown area was built in 1990 and is not sufficient for the Muslim community any more. The oilsands boom that drew large numbers of people to Fort MacMurray forced the original mosque to split up prayers into sessions, and even use the Holy Trinity High School gym at times to meet the need for more space. According to Fort MacMurray Mayor Melissa Blake “The greatest resource we have is not oil, it is in fact people. The strength of our local Muslim community, like other faith communities, definitely makes our community stronger and better.”