Category: Economic

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Economic Ft Mac

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Council Considers Green Building Rule Changes

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, green building rule changes

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is considering some green building rule changes, with revisions under consideration that could alter the green standards currently required for downtown development. The discussion was started when Coun. Tyran Ault proposed a motion that calls for the removal of the Canada Green Building Council LEED Gold building standard as part of the land use requirements for developments in the downtown area. As the standards and requirements currently stand any Centre City area project that involves more than 1,000 sq. ft must be built according to the Gold certification level instead of one of the lower 3 LEED levels that are also available. Coun. Ault’s motion first came up on June 9 of this year, and it is under consideration by the entire council.

The green building rule changes being considered by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo would make it easier and less expensive for developers to meet sustainability and green building requirements. There are 4 levels of LEED certification. These are Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Certified. According to Coun. Ault “We’re really not seeing any movement in the downtown core in terms of buildings going up, especially from the private sector, … that was originally envisioned when council approved the City Centre Land Use Bylaw. One just needs to take a look around to see it may not be working,” he said. “I think we need to be more realistic with what we’re asking developers while still being concerned with the environment at the same time.”

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Economic Ft Mac

2015 Municipal Census in Wood Buffalo Shows Population of 125,032

2015 municipal census, Wood Buffalo

The 2015 municipal census for Wood Buffalo shows that the local community has a population of 125,032 right now. In addition to determining the population count in the area the 2015 municipal census also sends a strong message that shows everyone counts. The census was wrapped up last month on June 30, and the new count shows considerable growth over the population tally from the last official census which put the population for the region at 116,407. That census was performed in 2012. Fransisco Bermejo, the planning and development supervisor for RMWB, thanked the residents and the census enumerators who took part. Bermejo said “I really have to appreciate everybody’s effort.” The census numbers have not been finalized yet so the total could change as the process winds down.

During the 2015 municipal census project in Wood Buffalo Bermejo reported that all of the existing dwellings were covered, all 30, 324 of them, and that 1,200 new addresses were also added to the census rolls as well. When discussing the census numbers Bermejo stated “Those numbers still need to be scrutinized and processed. That means that they have to be categorized in each one of those geographies that we have in the region. I am pretty satisfied and happy, it tells a story about growth in the region. It may not be one of those peaks of growth, but it’s still growing. I can’t not finish by appreciating and thanking the community for their appreciation. They allowed us to have access to their doors and to count. That really reflects participation from our community, so we have to thank them.”

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Alberta Hike in Minimum Wage Sees Mixed Reactions From Residents and Businesses

hike in minimum wage, Alberta

The Alberta hike in minimum wage st to take place starting on October 1 of this year has seen mixed reactions from local residents and businesses alike. Brian Jean, the Wildrose Leader, has made accusations that the NDP did not consult with those in the business community in Alberta before making plans to increase the minimum wage. Rose explained “There has been zero economic analysis of the impact of the dramatic increase to the minimum wage. We need to put on the brakes, listen to chambers, small businesses and job creators to make sure we understand the full impact of this planned 50 per cent increase.” Wood Buffalo Brewing Co. general manager Steve Sachse explained that the wage increase would be a good thing for workers but that it would have a cost for businesses, saying “If it increases, the reality is our products will increase in price, too.”

Not everyone is critical of the Alberta hike in minimum wage though, some are in favor of the planned increase. Podollan Pub server 22 year old Ashley Cunningham said “When I used to be a night-time server, my paycheques were nothing to me. I only depended on my tips. Now I work full-time days. I do rely on my paycheques a little more, so making $9.20 is a little rough. I would feel it would be way better if it was higher.” University of Calgary economics professor Herbert Emery explained “If our interest is in actually helping people who have low income, we can do a lot more for them if we just follow the example of what we’ve done for seniors and other groups, which is basically to give them an income floor that they can work on top of. Because if we’re going to put … Albertans through all this pain of a labour market distortion, we might as well think of an instrument that might be effective in eradicating poverty, since we’re committed to making the expense anyways.”

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac

Minimum Wage Increase in Alberta Will Start October 1, 2015

minimum wage increase, Alberta

The minimum wage increase is scheduled to take effect in Alberta on October 1, 2015, making one of the lowest minimum wages into one of the highest in a single move. Last Monday an announcement was made by Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson concerning the plan to raise the minimum wage in Alberta over the next four years. Right now the minimum wage in Alberta is $10.20, and incremental increases over the next few years is intended to make the lowest possible wage $15 an hour for anyone working in Alberta. On October 1, 2015 the wage requirement for Alberta will go up by $1, making the minimum $11.20 in a few months. By the end of 2018 the minimum wage per hour for Albertans will be $15.

When the minimum wage increase in Alberta takes effect on October 1, 2015 this will make the region one of those with the highest minimum wage requirements, third behind Ontario and the Northwest Territories. Right now there is a difference in minimum wage for servers and certain other employee classifications, but this differential will also disappear in2016 so that there is one consistent minimum wage across the entire region. On October 1, 2015 servers will see a wage increase of $1.50 to start with, and eventually this will also be raised so that there is a single wage minimum requirement across Alberta. According to Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson “Paying people a decent minimum wage will translate into a better life for low-income workers and, as a result, a better life for their families and for all Albertans.”

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Economic Entertainment Ft Mac

Loss of Local Eateries in Wood Buffalo Saddens Many Residents

Wood Buffalo, local eateries

Wood Buffalo is losing some local eateries, and some residents are nostalgic about the closings. McRay’s Classic Cafe and Gino’s Pub will be closed, and a liquidation sale will be held. Owner of the eateries Jennifer Eastwood told the media “The whole reason why we’re closing is because we can’t come to terms on a lease.” When the current lease for the properties expired on August 31, 2013 the tenancy moved to a month to month basis. The owner of the buildings, Pom Cha, has been unable to come to an agreement on a long term lease with Eastwood. In 2013 when the old lease expired Cha presented Eastwood with a now lease that included a rental amount that was double the previous rent charged, Eastwood would also have to agree to take responsibility for all maintenance costs to the properties, and invest a minimum of $350,000 in renovations and refurbishments.

The closing of the local eateries in Wood Buffalo has many long time customers in the area upset. Eastwood explained that she had tried to keep McRay’s Classic Cafe and Gino’s Pub open but that is no longer a possibility. Eastwood said “We’re interested in refurbishing the inside, not the outside. Because we haven’t been able to come to terms, we can’t invest, and we can’t sell, so we’ve decided to leave. My heart is broken. This is my identity. This is my whole life.” With the closing or McRay’s 45 people will be out of a job, and the community will have fewer places to eat or relax.

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Economic Ft Mac

More Staff Layoffs at Keyano College

Keyano College, staff layoffs

Keyano College has announced additional staff layoffs in a second round of cuts intended to help manage expenses and stay competitive in the current economy. The Trades and Industrial Safety Certifications classes have been cut, and these cuts and staff layoffs are a response by the college to increasing financial pressure as the local economy is still in a decline. Keyano College announced the cuts and cited various reasons for the cancellations and layoffs. The classes saw a declining demand, and the college is facing shrinking revenues. The economic downturn in the region was responsible for the previous and newest cuts according to Keyano College academic vice president Catherine Koch. The college has seen declining revenues from the services that were offered to the energy industry nd industry employees, making the latest cuts the obvious choice.

The most recent staff layoffs at Keyano College included 4 instructors and a coordinator, plus 8 positions of support staff. This means that the number of employees laid off by the school since the beginning of the year now stands at 31. According to Keyano spokesperson Matthew Harrison “When you have a cut in programing, you have to also align the different services and operations that you have as a college as a whole. So we did have a reduction in staff there.” Catherine Koch also reported that the certification programs that were cut by Keyano College can be found in other places in the community. “It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to make a cut if we were the only provider in the region and people needed it for their jobs.”