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The Pakistani Culture in Fort MacMurray is Celebrated

Pakistani culture in Fort MacMurray, Pakistani holidays
Pakistani culture in Fort MacMurray, Pakistani holidays

 

Recently the Pakistani culture in Fort MacMurray was very visible, as the local Pakistani community celebrated several Pakistani holidays at once. On a recent Saturday many members of the local Pakistani community came together at Keyano’s Sport & Wellness Centre and more than 300 people attended the event. The event was put together by the Pakistan Canada Association of Fort McMurray, or PCA, and many in the community who came to take part wore white and green to honor the colors of their previous homeland. The Pakistani celebrations that were observed at the event included the 67th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day, Eid-ul-Fitar which marks the official end of the Ramadan holiday, and the 5th anniversary of the Pakistan Canada Association of Fort McMurray.

 

The Pakistani community celebrated the Pakistani culture in Fort MacMurray with traditional songs, dances, and foods. Asma Ahmad, who has been a member of the local Fort MacMurray community for over 33 years and who is the Fort MacMurray Islamic School head secretary, stated “I remember getting together in the basement of whoever had a house for Friday prayers and weekend afternoon prayers. When families with younger children moved here we started a weekend religion school – also in a basement, and that used to be sufficient. Now, we have a mosque which can’t accommodate our growing numbers, and on top of that our Fort McMurray Islamic School, which started about ten years ago, with 30 kids, and a current population of 350 students has a waiting list. What a change!”

 

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St. Kateri Will Open for First Day of School in Spite of Delays in Construction

St. Kateri, Fort MacMurray, school
St. Kateri, Fort MacMurray, school

 

St. Kateri, a Catholic school in Fort MacMurray, will be open for the first day of the 2014-2015 school year in spite of the delays in construction that have occurred. Valerie Dyck, the principal of St. Kateri, has said that any student who is registered will be welcome on the first day, and classes at this Fort MacMurray school will start on schedule even though some areas of the building are not completely finished and can not be utilized right away. Most registrations are handled online, but if parents wish to do this in person they can visit the temporary office which will be at the Holy Trinity Catholic High School until the start of the school year.

St. Kateri school in Fort MacMurray is well aware of the concerns about student safety. According to Valerie Dyck “The current situation is they’re going full steam ahead (with construction) and things are looking good. It’s all coming together. Construction should have minimal impact on students. Wherever students are not supposed to be, we will have safety fencing. We will have lots of signage for the public, whether they’re walking in or driving in … and of course, teachers will be extra vigilant, as we always are during supervision, to make sure students are staying where they’re supposed to be. Students won’t be able to go in where they’re still working, and likewise, workers won’t be able to get into the school. Currently around 430 students are already registered.

 

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ALERT and Wood Buffalo RCMP Seize Cash and Drugs in Fort MacMurray

Wood Buffalo, drug seizure, Fort MacMurray
Wood Buffalo, drug seizure, Fort MacMurray

On August 15, 2014 the Wood Buffalo RCMP and the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team partnered together to perform search warrants and initiate a drug seizure. Two individuals were arrested and cash was also seized during the operation, which occurred in Fort MacMurray. Everything started because there have been numerous complaints about drug activity in the Timberlea area, and these complaints were heard and taken seriously. This led to search warrants being issued, and when the operation was over both Allen Bryson, a 43 year old Fort MacMurray resident, and Chuol Both Chuol, a 19 year old believed to be a resident of Edmonton, were under arrest. All together law enforcement seized around $30,000 in cash and an amount of cocaine believed to have a street value of around $40,000.

 

This is not the first time that the Wood Buffalo RCMP and the ALERT team have worked together, and they have been responsible for numerous drug seizures in the Fort MacMurray area in the past. Last year the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team managed to find and seize drugs that were valued at over $1 million just in Wood Buffalo, and close to 60 people faced over 200 charges as a result. Fort MacMurray and Wood Buffalo law enforcement encourage residents to report suspected drug or gang activity in order to help keep the community safe and get drugs and criminals off the streets. If you suspect any illegal activity you can contact the local Wood Buffalo RCMP, and any suspected gang activity can also be reported anonymously to 780-788-GANG.

 

 

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Pollution Emissions Rise in Oilsands

pollution, oilsands
pollution, oilsands

 

Pollution is a big problem around the globe, and a new report recently released shows that the air and water pollution levels in and near the oilsands close to Fort MacMurray have risen over the past two years. There are a number of stations which monitor the level of air quality and water pollution, and these stations are situated along the route between Fort MacMurray and Fort MacKay. The actual numbers range from 2 to 3, still below the 4 that causes serious concern, but it is still alarming that the levels have gone up so much. According to the report that was released

“ESRD will work with specific stakeholders whose activities result in air emissions … to inform the investigation and assist in identifying management actions that may be necessary to address point and non-point source emissions.” An updated report is expected to be released at the end of the year.

 

Much of the increase in pollution in Alberta has been seen near the oilands operations of some of the largest oil companies who operate in the area, including Shell, Suncor, CNRL, and Syncrude. The emissions that were detected by the monitoring stations involved sulfur dioxide and nitrogen, but so far none of the results have been higher than a 3. In Alberta the pollution level can not exceed a 4 because anything higher poses a risk to human health, and if these levels are reached then steps would be taken to immediately address them and this could include suspending operations in the area if necessary.

 

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Shell Albian Sands has New General Manager

Shell Albian Sands, General manager
Shell Albian Sands, General manager

 

Peter Zebedee has been hired by Shell Canada to be the new general manager for the Shell Albian Sands, and he will be responsible for the oversight of more than 1,500 contractors and over 3,000 employees for the company. Zebedee will be in charge of the oilsands operations, including the Jackpine Mines and the Muskeg River sites which are situated north of Fort MacMurray. The promotion to general manager is not surprising, Peter Zebedee has over 18 years of experience in the petroleum industry. In the past Peter has held positions in a variety of positions, including bitumen plant operations, bitumen plant maintenance, engineering, minimg, tailings operations, and others. Zebedee has also served in positions in corporate and business structures, and he holds a Geological Engineering degree that was earned at the University of British Columbia.

 

There are other qualifications that Peter Zebeded has which make him an ideal candidate for general manager at Shell Albian Sands. Peter is a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Alberta. Tom Purves was the previous general manager for Shell Albian Sands, but he was promoted to Vice President for the Shell Upstream Americas Special Projects. Peter Zebedee is warmly welcomed, and he has been with Shell since the year 2009. It is too soon to say what type of general manager Zebedee will be but many look forward to working closely with him. What do you think of this promotion? Is Zebedee qualified for the job of general manager.

 

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Wood Buffalo RCMP Seeking Help in Vandalism Case

vandalism, Wood Buffalo RCMP
vandalism, Wood Buffalo RCMP

 

The Wood Buffalo RCMP are asking the public for help in solving a recent vandalism crime. On Tuesday vandals broke into the property at Dene Sky Industries located in Janvier and the Wood Buffalo RCMP went to investigate after they received a call about the crime. So far it is not known how many suspects there were, but police do know that the vandals broke into the fenced in property at Dene Sky Industries Monday night and committed vandalism. There were pieces of equipment that were targeted for vandalism and the criminals also damaged the shop that is located inside the business yard. The estimated damage that was done is given at approximately $10,000 but this is just an early estimate and the cost to make repairs could be higher.

 

Wood Buffalo RCMP are turning to the public in search of assistance in catching the people responsible for the vandalism. During the crime there were several fire extinguishers which were set off, and police believe that the vandals would have been covered with the residue from the chemical fire extinguishers. Wood Buffalo RCMP are hoping that someone saw or heard something that will lead to suspects. If anyone has information about the vandalism at Dene Sky Industries in Janvier they can call the Wood Buffalo RCMP or they can send in an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers. It is not known whether the vandalism was just teenagers who were in a destructive mood or of there was a more serious motive involved, and any help the public can give would be appreciated.