Category: Economic

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Economic Ft Mac

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Hopes Municipal Census Shows Growth

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, municipal census

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is conducting the municipal census, and the hope is that the census shows growth in the region. Mayor Melissa Blake predicted that the census will show that there is growth in the region. “As we go through this period of economic recession, people may be worried that we are really not the community that we used to be. I challenge that. The way I can make evidence available is by saying, we’ve gone from this population up to something in the (80,000)s in the regular residents. The importance of accuracy is that it really is a big indicator of how we’re going to spend our resources. It’s not insignificant, when you add up to 80-85,000 people, that gives us a great opportunity to do some meaningful projects in our community.”

The municipal census recently started in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and efforts are being made to ensure that everyone is counted in the region. According to RMWB acting director of planning and development Brad Evanson each house will receive a miailout that contains a PIN number, and these mailouts allow residents to respond to the census inquiry online, with the goal being to capture 100% of the people who live in the region on April 1. Evanson stated “We want to make sure we capture as many people, even the people that might not be captured in a basement suite or as rental tenants.: Mayor Blake also explained that the responses can not be tracked back to individuals, and said “Whatever your hindrance is or fears might be, put them aside, because there’s (a) far greater benefit.”

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Alberta Breaking News Economic

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Gives Approval for Alberta Separation

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta separation

An Alberta separation has been unanimously approved by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo council, setting the stage for a province of Wood Buufalo with former Mayor Melissa Blake being named premier. During the council meeting on Tuesday there was no debate, all of the councillors voted for Wood Buffalo to secede from the Alberta province within 6 minutes. The proposal was put forward by Councillor Tyran Ault, who argued that the council was always being asked to bail out the province. Ault said “It was a real eureka moment for me after I said that. Why not become our own province if we are already doing the province’s work?” This means that royalties and other financial assets will no longer be sent to Alberta, and the region will have better control over local matters.

The Alberta separation move by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo may be costly due to constitutional challenges, and the municipality is in the process of gathering together a large legal team in order to fight any challenges that are issued. New premier and former Mayor Melissa Blake said “I’ve been very vocal that this is the time to catch up on infrastructure and review policies, but that requires lobbying the province and Ottawa. Council realized if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Lawyers willing to work for the separation will receive free housing and be generously compensated in an effort to attract talented lawyers with the legal knowledge necessary to make the separation happen.

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Alberta Canada Economic Ft Mac

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Deadline Concerns Many Fort MacMurray Businesses

Temporary Foreign Worker Program, Fort MacMurray businesses

The deadline for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program concerns many Fort MacMurray businesses. The TFWP was designed to help companies find workers, but recent changes to the program have made it difficult for business owners to plan ahead. Many foreign workers come to Canada with dreams of a better life, and these workers typically take positions that Canadians are unwilling to fill. Many have speculated that some companies hire foreign workers because they may have a lower wage and the business can save money by paying out less in labor costs, and some believe that there are companies who do not try to fill positions with Canadians before they look for foreign workers to hire. This has led to changes in the program which could force many of the workers from other countries to leave Canada.

The motivation behind the changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program was to ensure that Canadians are given a chance for employment before foreign workers are brought in. In 2011 a 4 year limit was put in place for foreign workers, meaning that a permit is only good for a maximum of four years. After this period the foreign worker must leave Canada and can not come back and get another work permit for four years. Some estimates put the number of foreign workers who must leave at around 16,000. Karl Paetschke said “This country does not treat foreigners and immigrants the way it once did. They never should have come here as temporary workers. They should have been allowed to immigrate like me and millions of others.”

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Alberta Economic Politics

Alberta Budget Raises Sin and Gas Tax Rates

sin taxes, gas taxes, Alberta budget

The 2015 Alberta budget has been released, and residents of the province may end up with sticker shock as the gas taxes and sin taxes increase in order to try and close a budget shortfall caused by lower oil prices. The tax on alcohol, cigarettes, and gasoline will go up effective 12:01 on Friday, and residents should be prepared to pay more in taxes for each purchase that includes these items. The tax on gas and diesel will go from 9 cents per litre to 13 cents per litre, and the tax for propane will rise from 2.9 cents to 9.4 cents for each litre purchased. The increase on fuel taxes may cause many to feel a financial pinch as they struggle to find ways to pay the extra cost.

The new sin taxes and gas taxes in the Alberta budget are not popular, but in all fairness the tax on tobacco has not gone up since 2009, and the last hike in taxes on liquor sales was 13 years ago. Cigarettes will now be taxed at $45 per carton instead of $40. and cigars will now be taxed at a rate of 116 percent instead of the current 103 percent. Loose tobacco will see a rise in taxes on each gram, with Albertans expected to pay 33.75 cents per gram of tobacco instead of the previous 30 cents per gram. Robin Campbell, the Finance Minister, discussed the tax increases and said “Depending on what their lifestyle is, each individual is going to look at things differently. I guess some people will be upset if their favourite bottle of wine is a little more, or a six pack of beer. I don’t indulge, so I can’t say.”

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Economic Ft Mac Politics

What Does Alberta Budget Hold for Fort MacMurray?

Fort MacMurray, Alberta budget

Understanding what the Alberta budget holds for Fort MacMurray is important moving forward. All Alberta residents will see an increase in certain taxes, and cost cutting and budget slashing has been a priority ever since the price of oil started to fall and revenues for Alberta shrank as a result. Last December Jim Prentice warned about a budget shortfall and told all of Alberta that everyone would have to sacrifice. Many took offense when Prentice made comments that seemed to blame ordinary citizens for the budget shortfall, citing government spending and poor financial management for the expected shortfall instead. The 2015 Alberta budget was recently released, and it outlined higher taxes for alcohol and cigarettes, an increase in certain fees for government services, levies on healthcare, and even higher fines for traffic violations.

When discussing the Alberta budget and Fort MacMurray Brian Jean, the Wildrose Party leader, released a statement which said “Albertans will be paying more for just about everything. And if the PCs mismanagement of the economy causes you to sell a home or refinance, you will pay in excess of $1000 more in land registration taxes. More taxes and no real cuts mean that our deficit will be the highest ever and our debt will be well over $31 billion before these PCs start to turn things around. In just a few short years the interest payments on our debt will be over $2 billion and will be the fourth biggest operational expense in government.” Fort McMurray-Conklin MLA Dom Scott stated “We are going to have to be innovative going forward with this economy, making sure we have the infrastructure we need, I believe the price of oil will rise. We will be ready to meet the demand and residents will have the quality of life they deserve. I’m feeling optimistic about the future of our region. We will be well positioned when oil comes back.”

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Economic Ft Mac

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Bylaw Services Reminding Residents About Bylaws to Avoid Tickets

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Bylaw Services, tickets

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Bylaw Services is warning residents that keeping informed on the bylaws can help them avoid receiving tickets. Many residents are still upset over tickets concerning parking related and snow removal infractions, and new residents to the area may not be informed on the unique bylaws that the area has. Sgt. John Cappelletti explaiend that parking related tickets across the area are the most common tickets given out, and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Bylaw Services even has a Problem Parkers page on the official website. This page offers a gallery of more than 100 photos that detail the different infractions and the penalties for each infraction. The agency is sending out the reminder to help residents avoid finding a ticket on the windshield of their vehicle.

Sgt. John Cappelletti, who works with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Bylaw Services, discussed parking tickets and stated “Those are the most common by far. In 2014, we had over 11,000 parking infraction related notices. That’s quite a number that we have to deal with on a yearly basis, and our fines for parking range from $120 to $500.” Some bylaws may not be well known, but in other situations the individual just does not realize how steep the fine for an infraction can be. Capelletti told the media “Parking in a disabled parking stall is a $500 ticket and I think a lot of people don’t realize it’s that expensive. You can’t park a heavy vehicle on municipal roadways, especially in a residential area, unless it’s there for loading and unloading. It’s a vehicle that has more than two axles, is 11 metres or more in length and has a maximum gross weight of 7,000 kg or over.”