Category: Economic

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Economic Ft Mac Health Politics

Municipal Landfill Opens Around the Clock for Demolition Debris

Commercial traffic can now take demolition debris to the municipal landfill around the clock, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, as Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo continue with the recovery process. The announcement was made last week after the council voted on June 28 to approve an amendment bylaw for noise so that the landfill could have continuous around the clock operation. Some neighbourhoods were completely destroyed by the fire, and others saw large areas of destruction. The amount of debris and rubble that must be removed before the community can move forward is enormous, and deadlines for hazard and debris removal given to property owners are also a consideration. According to a municipal release “The Municipality extended the hours with residents in mind, in an effort to help them meet the deadlines to remove debris and backfill their properties.”

The municipal landfill has greatly expanded the hours that the commercial haulers can bring in demolition debris, although other commercial traffic and residents can not access the landfill around the clock in the same way. During a council meeting on August 2 the question of why the landfill had not already started operating on a 24/7 basis was asked by area resident J. Paul McLeod. Kevin Scoble, the deputy chief administrative officer, explained at the time that the landfill was working on gathering the additional staff, equipment, and other resources necessary to start around the clock operations. Commercial haulers must have an active municipal landfill account and a business license that they have registered with the municipality. Landfill accounts can only be set up during the normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Phone Scams Becoming More Common According to Wood Buffalo RCMP

According to the Wood Buffalo RCMP phone scams are becoming more common, and law enforcement is warning the community about these scams in the hope that fewer people will be victimized. Several complaints have been made to the police about scams and with software that can be programmed to display any number it is no surprise that the number for the Wood Buffalo RCMP is a target of the scammers. When the call comes in the number shows the police department number, and the scammer attempts to gain personal identifying details and banking information from the victim. A release by the department is warning residents about these scams so that they are prepared and they do not give out any information that could be used to commit crimes such as fraud or identity theft. According yo the release “Don’t be afraid to say no and hang up.”

The increase in phone scams reported to the Wood Buffalo RCMP is a problem that is growing everywhere as sophisticated technology makes it easier for a scam artist to appear to be a legitimate business or government entity. Social insurance numbers, bank account numbers, and other financial or identity information could be used to open accounts or receive fraudulent services or products. The Wood Buffalo RCMP will never request this information. Residents should always verify all the facts, and never give in to attempts to pressure or intimidate. These are warning signs that you are being scammed. Anyone who receives a suspicious phone call or thinks they have been the victim of a scam attempt should call the police immediately and report it.

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Economic

Bank of Canada recognizes Saskatoon Police Service with Counterfeit Deterrence award


Available as: PDF

The Bank of Canada today presented three members of the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) Economic Crime Section with the 2016 Law Enforcement Award of Excellence for Counterfeit Deterrence.

This award, which has been presented since 2004, recognizes the outstanding achievements of criminal justice professionals and educators involved in the prevention and deterrence of bank note counterfeiting in Canada.

This year’s recipients exemplified collaborative policing. Through teamwork, sound investigative techniques and diligent intelligence gathering, the police officers were able to quickly secure evidence, lay a number of charges and obtain a successful conviction against an individual responsible for producing and passing counterfeit currency throughout Saskatoon.

In presenting the award, Richard Wall, Chief of the Bank’s Currency Department, remarked, “While not particularly large by national or international standards, this investigation of a local counterfeiting operation was worthy of merit since it involved exemplary police work. Strong co-operation among police officers and an appreciation of the potential impact this type of crime has on victims emerged as the hallmarks of this successful investigation.” 

Sgt. Dave Kozicki, Sgt. Lisa Nowosad and Cst. Mike Scanlan were honoured in the presence of their peers at the annual Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in Ottawa, Ontario.

Note to Editors:

A photo from the awards ceremony is available on CNW Group’s Canada NewsWire.



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Alberta Economic Ft Mac Politics

Should the Amalgamation Agreement Terms be Changed so Rural Hamlets are Treated Fairly?

A request by rural hamlets is asking the provincial government to determine whether they have been unfairly treated under the amalgamation agreement terms. According to McKay Metis president Ron Quintal “We’re hoping Alberta will open the amalgamation agreement and tell us what it originally really says, especially regarding what the rural communities are owed and what role we play in the municipality. Are we being treated fairly? It’s a crying shame communities struggling with education and social issues have to fight in an area so rich as ours. At the heart of the issue is the revenue provided by industry sites near our communities to the municipality and what we get in return. I think pulling out of the municipality is not a goal we’re moving towards. We don’t want a negative outcome. It’s just that after giving up our tax base, can anyone say we’re being treated well?”

Representatives from the rural hamlets and First Nation and Metis groups had a meeting with Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee about the amalgamation agreement terms. The groups argued that they face social and economic disadvantages when compared to Fort McMurray. After the meeting Quintal stated “We stepped up and opened our homes and our wallets for Fort McMurray. Our businesses, already struggling from the recession, are paying higher taxes. We still pay higher taxes. We don’t want to turn this into an ugly urban versus rural fight, but when we look at the payoff, enough is enough.” Hopefully the provincial government will be responsive and a compromise can be reached.

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Economic Ft Mac Health

Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit Celebrates 25 Years of Service to Community

The Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit is celebrating 25 years of providing services to the community. The unit was first formed in the 1980s as a non profit group dedicated to helping local people who were victims of crime, tragedy, or other types of trauma. Today the unit includes 6 full time staff plus a number of volunteers, and it is part of the law enforcement department of the municipality. According to 6 year unit veteran Kim Timmons the transition was needed because of the vital service provided by the unit to the community.

Timmons explained that the Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit addressed a specific community need, saying “It spoke volumes to the necessity of the service and how critical it is to the well being of everyone here. When you go home at the end of the day and you lighten the burden for someone else [who is] probably in their worst hours of life, than that’s the good feeling you take home. That’s what makes you come to work the next day.” Kim stated that the hardest part of her job is notifying loved ones about a fatality, saying “That’s something I’ve never gotten accustomed to.” The unit operates out of the Timberlea RCMP detachment, and they are called in for assistance by the RCMP officers whenever a traumatic incident is reported or investigated. RCMP supt. Rob McCloy supports the Fort McMurray Victim Services Unit , saying “They are our compassionate helping hands.” Many people in the community have had contact with the unit, and members do what they can to help lessen the trauma that the crime victims and their families go through.

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Wildfire Recovery Effort Boosted by Red Cross Fund Raising Efforts

The wildfire recovery efforts in Wood Buffalo have been boosted by the fund raising of the Red Cross, and the close to $300 million raised by the organization can definitely make a difference in Fort McMurray and the surrounding Wood Buffalo area. According to Canadian Red Cross CEO Conrad Sauve “The sprint of the emergency is over and now we’re in the long marathon of recovery. For some, it may be weeks or months. For others, it will be years.” The Canadian Red Cross has spent close to $200 million so far in order to assist families and individuals impacted by the wildfire. Dozens of programs and organizations in the local community, including the Wood Buffalo Food Bank, will receive a total of $50 million of the funds raised. $30 million has been set aside by the organization to help small businesses who were harmed.

Another $12 million of the funds that the Red Cross raised towards the wildfire recovery effort will be put towards disaster preparedness. Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake stated “I’ve been happy to support Red Cross initiatives around the world. Never did I imagine that the Red Cross would be supporting my world, our world, right here in Wood Buffalo. The outpouring of support that Canada gave us is what reassured us that one day we’d be home. No neighbourhood in my mind has the indication that they won’t be able to rebuild, but there are all these conditions that have to be met before they can. We’re really working hard to make it possible for every neighbourhood to be back.”