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The Fort MacMurray Residential Services Available

Fort MacMurray, residential services
Fort MacMurray, residential services

There are a number of residential services which are offered in Fort MacMurray, and if you are new in town or looking to change your current services then knowing what is available can be very helpful. There are business services, utilities, banks and credit unions, grocery stores, health and beauty establishments, healthcare providers, and much more. Fort MacMurray residential services for utilities include numerous companies to choose from. Shaw Cable, Direct Energy, Enmax Energy, Telus, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Water Department, and Alberta Energy Savings all offer specific utilities to residents of Fort MacMurray. There are also residential services for housing, schools, social services, worship services, employment, and other categories. It is a good idea to contact the businesses and service providers that you want before you need the service, to ensure that you know what is needed to start the service.

Fort MacMurray is in a region which is somewhat remote and out of the way, but there are still plenty of residential services and those who live in the area do not go without. If you are planning to relocate to Fort MacMurray or the Wood Buffalo area then you should contact the provider of the residential services before you even arrive. You may need to provide certain verifications or pay a deposit, depending on the service you are trying to turn on or get started and the company that you are dealing with. This will ensure that there are no delays when you are ready for the services that you want or need.

 

 

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Fort McKay Proud to be Best at Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada’s 25th National Firefighters’ Competition

Fort McKay, National Firefighters’ Competition
Fort McKay, National Firefighters’ Competition

 

During the recent Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada’s 25th National Firefighters’ Competition the Fort McKay Fire Department was very proud to be named the best in Canada. This is only the third time ever that this team has competed in the competition so taking the top honor is cause for pride and bragging rights. Both previous years when the Fort McKay team competed they placed 3rd, and according to Deputy Fire Chief Ron Quintal the team was extra determined to get first place this year. Since the National Firefighters’ Competition was held in Fort McKay the team did have a home field advantage but the location was not a guarantee that the fire team would even be given a spot. Chief Quintal stated “Being able to host this on the 25th anniversary was a huge honor for us and we took this very seriously. To put in perspective how seriously we took this, we planned for six months just for this event.”

The National Firefighters’ Competition held in Fort McKay this year involved 15 different and difficult scenarios which firefighters would actually encounter in real life situations. Each team that had a spot was given 4 of the 15 scenarios to complete, and the winner of the competition will be the team to represent Alberta. Since the Fort McKay fire department has a volunteer force the 20 firefighters also hold down full time jobs in other positions, while finding time to train and to fight fires on a volunteer basis. This makes their first place win even more impressive.

 

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Edmonton Man Who Underwent Amputation for Diabetes the Focus of Diabetes Crowdfunding Efforts

diabetes crowdfunding, fundraising in Fort MacMurray
diabetes crowdfunding, fundraising in Fort MacMurray

 

Dan Warren, a 56 year old resident of Edmonton, Canada, recently underwent surgery to have his leg amputated due to gangrene. Until a few months ago Warren was a healthy man with both legs, but a blister on his toe changed that. Fundraising in Fort MacMurray and a diabetes crowdfunding campaign have already raised more than $10,000 which is sorely needed by Dan Warren in order to pay his mounting medical bills and typical daily expenses. Dan has not been able to return to work with his Fort MacMurray employer and things have been tough, but the diabetes crowdfunding campaign will help quite a bit. Dan may never be able to return to his job north of the oilsands and Fort MacMurray, depending on the final outcome.

On April 17, 2014 Dan Warren noticed that his foot was very red and he decided to visit the doctor. Two days later Warren had surgery to amputate his lower right leg and also a left toe, made necessary from gangrene which started due to diabetes and a blister on his toe. Fundraising in Fort MacMurray and the diabetes crowdfunding campaign set up by Dan’s daughter was essential because he was a contract worker with Husky Energy, and this meant that Warren was not eligible for any benefits that employees typically get in a similar situation. No medical benefits and no unemployment insurance left Dan and his wife in a bind but the local and global communities stepped up and helped out.

 

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Three Men Charged in Conklin Aggravated Assault

crime in Fort MacMurray, aggravated assault
crime in Fort MacMurray, aggravated assault

 

Crime in and around Fort MacMurray is not bad when certain areas are avoided but it does happen. The Wood Buffalo RCMP recently arrested 3 men and charged them with aggravated assault on Wednesday, August 20. The charges stem from an incident in Conklin that occurred approximately one week before the arrests were made. On August 13 a complaint was called in around 2 am in the morning of an aggravated assault which had occurred at the Conklin residence. When police arrived at the residence to investigate the aggravated assault they found two males who were victims. One of the males had been stabbed while the other had a gunshot wound. Both victims were taken to hospitals for treatment, and both reported to RCMP that a physical altercation had taken place at the residence.

After the initial investigation law enforcement determined that an aggravated assault had occurred, and while this was not a crime in Fort MacMurray it hits close to home in the local community. On Wednesday, August 20, police arrested 3 suspects who were believed to be involved in the aggravated assault. 21 year old Kurtis Richards, a Conklin resident, was charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and discharging a firearm with intent. 19 year old Trevor Powder, a resident of La Biche, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. 48 year old Raymond Richards Sr, a Conklin resident, was also charged for the incident and was arrested for possession of a prohibited weapon and assault with a weapon for pepper spray which was used.

 

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Shell Place Stadium Construction on MacDonald Island Park is Almost Finished

MacDonald Island Park, Fort MacMurray
MacDonald Island Park, Fort MacMurray

Shell Place Stadium, the newest stadium in the Fort MacMurray area which is under construction on MacDonald Island Park, will be ready soon and is expected to be ready for the turf to be rolled out by the end of Summer if everything goes as planned. The expansion project on MacDonald Island Park will cost around $127 million by the time it is finished, and the Fort MacMurray area residents will have a stadium that they can be proud of. According to Tim Reid, who is the CEO of Regional Recreation Corporation “Any time that you work on capital projects in Wood Buffalo, you have to keep an eye on weather. Unfortunately it’s that one thing you can’t control, (but) we feel very confident that SMS Stadium will be completed, which is our biggest risk initiative outdoors. We also feel very confident that the work indoors will be completed and delivered on time.”

Reid continued about the expansion and construction on MacDonald Island Park by stating “This is a place where people go anyways. It’s a destination location within the community, and if we can have public transit that’s easier to access, that solves some of our parking challenges (and) it solves some of our accessibility issues. It’s just not feasible to put 20,000 parking stalls and use up the entire island, nor would it be responsible.” Reid also talked about finances. “This year-to-date, we’re off by about $1.6 million. So it’s not trending to where we thought it was going to be, but some of that is actually how we account for expenses, in terms of what equipment is on-site (and) what the architects have approved to be built by the contractor. So yes, there’s a gap between where we thought we were going to be, but when you’re spending $7 to 9 million a month, we’re not really concerned that we won’t make that up.”

 

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Jim Prentice Addresses Fort MacMurray Politics and Growing Pains in Fort MacMurray on Visit

growing pains in Fort MacMurray, Fort MacMurray politics
growing pains in Fort MacMurray, Fort MacMurray politics

Jim Prentice, who is hoping to obtain PC Leadership, recently visited and discussed Fort MacMurray politics, and the growing pains in Fort MacMurray that result from the population in the region expanding so quickly. While in Fort MacMurray Prentice took part in a number of events over a few days, and he spent the weekend taking with members of the community. A strong Fort MacMurray base is the cornerstone to a successful Alberta economy and Prentice pointed this out more than once during his visit. When Prentice spoke at one event he stated “I will talk with the prime minister and if I’m successful as premier, it’ll be on the agenda list and we’ll get it out of the bureaucratic gray area that it’s currently mired in.”

The growing pains in Fort MacMurray are becoming bigger every day, and te infrastructure of Wood Buffalo needs to be further developed and strengthened. As the area continues to attract more people to work in the oilsands or perform other vital services the region will continue to see growth in large numbers. During his visit Prentice told community residents “The provincial government has a role to play in making sure land is available and brought on stream for development in Fort McMurray. It is a model community. It’s the economic engine of Canada. I don’t think the growth pressures are extreme right now,.Until we get a line of sight on pipelines to the west coast, you’re not going to see many significant multi-billion investments in the oilsands.”