Category: Economic

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Economic Entertainment Ft Mac

Is $2.2 Million Too Much For Jubilee Plaza Weather Catcher? Many Residents Say Yes!

Jubilee Plaza, weather catcher

A new weather catcher that will cost $2.2 million to install in Jubilee Plaza has many residents debating whether this expenditure is justified. The weather catcher is classified as a public art installation, and it will consist of 6 stories of pipes, grates, and latticework. The project will dispense rain and mist from the pipes and grates, but the high price tag has many in the area upset and questioning whether the project is necessary or even a good idea for that amount of money. The economy in Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo has taken a hit and many are concerned that money is being spent on things which are not entirely necessary. Some residents were puzzle over the project, some did not realize that the weather catcher was supposed to be art, and some were amazed or even outraged on how much was spent on the project.

The cost of the weather catcher in Jubilee Plaza may seem high but when all the features are considered the cost may seem less outrageous. RMWB spokesperson Robin Smith explained that the structure can create formations using mist, rain, and ice. Smith stated “You can time when those happen, what the volume is, and how much water is used,. This winter the weather catcher will create ice formations along vertical steel cables attached to its frame. And there’s also a light display built in to the weather catcher that can be activated and programmed for different […] atmospheres.” An anonymous business owner with an establishment downtown was not as thrilled with the project and said “They could have built an enclosure for winter farmers’ markets. The weather catcher’s lack of a water recycling capability is a waste of water. So do something more for the public that’s all-inclusive. As opposed to something that’s, number one nobody knows what it is, it’s environmentally unfriendly, and it’s unsightly.”

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Athabasca River Water Usage by Energy Companies has Dropped

Athabasca River, water usage by energy companies

A performance update that was recently released by the Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance shows that there was a decline in the water amount needed to produce a single barrel of oil, and this decline was roughly 30% in the two year period between 2012 and 2014. In 2012 energy companies which used water from the Athabasca River required 2.2 barrels of water to produce one barrel of oil. In 2014 only 1.5 barrels of water was needed to end up with a single barrel of oil. According to John Brogly, the Water EPA director for COSIA, “It is still very early days and COSIA members expect there may be significant variation in performance from year to year.” The report released by COSIA also showed that the organization members were responsible for 37 different environmental projects covering a wide variety of environmental concerns.

In recent months there has been a lot of concern expressed about the water usage by energy companies which draw water from the Athabasca River. Earlier this year the water level of the river was low enough to be noticeable, and there were calls on monitoring water usage from the river and lowering the amount of water that companies could draw from the waterway. The recent COSIA report shows that the energy industry is trying to find ways to conserve water and lower their usage. Wood Buffalo depends on the energy industry for a thriving economy, but the environment also has to be protected in order to preserve it for future generations.

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Economic Ft Mac

The Fort McMurray United Way Announces They Have Reached Amost Half of Their Fundraising Goal

fundraising, Fort McMurray United Way

The Fort McMurray United Way recently announced that the organization has reached half of their fundraising goal of $8 million so far, but the agency still has a way to go in order to completely reach the ambitious goal that they have set. A press release sent out last Friday from United Way announced that they were slightly short of the 50% mark for the goal set this year, and there are still a few weeks left in the fundraising campaign. Campaign chairperson Marty Giles said “We are in good shape, but we have to keep the energy up until the last dollar comes in. The agencies are counting on us.”In the last week there have been a number of events held n Fort McMurray and the Wood Buffalo region to help with the fundraising goals set by the agency. There was an annual KD gala at the Centre of Hope, and the Suncor-Syncrude President’s Cup hockey game also help raise funds for the organization.

The Fort McMurray United Way press release about the fundraising campaign included a statement from the executive director of the United Way, Diane Shannon. The statement read “We are so grateful for the generosity we are witnessing, especially during these challenging times.” Just weeks ago the agency announced that they had received a much higher than expected number of funding requests from non profit organizations in the area. Approximately 32 different groups have requested funds, and the total amount of funding requested was around $7.5 million.

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Economic Ft Mac

Sale Prices and Market Values for Fort McMurray Homes are Down

Fort McMurray homes, market values

The tough economic times for the Wood Buffalo area are not over, a fact that is obvious as Fort McMurray homes see a drop in market values and sale prices for real estate in the area are lower than usual. The sales and home prices for the area have dropped below the average for 2014 in the month of September, according to statistics that the Fort McMurray Realtors recently released. These statistics and figures show that single family detached homes have seen a decline in sales prices and market values of roughly one third. In September of 2014 a single family detached residence had an average market value and sale price of $774, 007, today the same home would see $682, 738 instead. That is a substantial drop in value.

Since market values for Fort McMurray homes are down many people in the area who are thinking about selling may want to think twice. Those in the market for a home who have the resources to wait out the tough economic times may want to consider buying when the market values are this low. When the economy picks back up and the market values and sales prices start to adjust upwards those who purchased a home right now could see a significant amount of equity due to the economy turning around. Since most home owners are in it for the long haul the current statistics are not a concern, but for those who want to sell a lower market value could be a deterrent, and those who want to buy may find a shortage of places to choose from on the market as a result.

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Economic Entertainment Ft Mac Politics

Downtown Arena Project Scrapped by RMWB Council Vote

downtown arena, RMWB council

The RMWB council recently voted to scrap the downtown arena that was being proposed, with council members voting 7-3 in favor of killing the proposal completely. The motion to scrap the proposal was brought by Coun. Keith McGrath. There was a lot of debate during the council meeting but eventually the wishes of the people won out. An online survey conducted by RMWB showed preliminary results that indicated almost 3 out of 4residents were against building the downtown arena, and the views of many council members reflected this. Rick Kozuback, the president and CEO of ICC, gave a presentation that was designed to clear up any confusion about the project. Kozuback told the council members “This was not an unsolicited bid.”

During the meeting the RMWB council discussed the downtown arena and listened to input from a variety of sources. During the meeting Coun. Colleen Tatum inquired about whether the ICC tried to ensure that the council had all of the important details at every step of the process, at which point Kozuback admitted that this was not the case because the information was being presented to committees with the hope that the councilors would receive it. Tatum responded by saying “I feel like when we get to the next part tonight, the outcome may not be favourable for your team and I just wish that we could have maybe discussed part of this with you before it got to this point.” Mayor Melissa Blake was against the motion and explained “It will not die without my resistance, not because of what (the motion) does but by how it does it.”

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Economic Ft Mac

Fort McMurray Police Investigating Fraud Concerning GoFundMe Donations After Account is Drained

GoFundMe donations, Fort McMurray police

The Fort McMurray police are investigating possible fraud after a friends and members of a local family complained that the account set up for the wife and children of a recently deceased man was drained and the GoFundMe donations worth thousands of dollars were missing. 29 year old Roger Belanger was killed in an automobile crash on July 28th, and friends and family members set up a GoFundMe account for his wife and children. Thousands of dollars in donations were made to the account. A significant amount of donations came from the Fort McMurray area, where Belanger was well known on social media. Rachel MacDonald, a close friend of Belanger and his family, filed a complaint about the missing donations with the Fort McMurray police.

Wood Buffalo RCMP spokesperson Cpl. George Cameron confirmed that a report was made but little else, stating “We received a complaint about possible fraud in relation to the GoFundMe (account).” It is still early in the investigation yet so Fort McMurray police are not releasing any further details about the missing GoFundMe donations right now. Roxanne Belanger, the sister of th deceased man, said that the family did not receive any of the money raised. This is in spite of the clear intent of the campaign, which Roxanne said “clearly stated on the website that the money was for (his wife and two children).” Roxanne Is warning others, and said “It’s quite easy for anyone to start a GoFundMe campaign for any individual or for any cause. The process in place to guard the people who deserve the money are not appropriate. And when we’re trying to make the situation right, it took a very long time.”