Tag: Fort MacMurray

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Fort MacMurray Ranks #4 on List of Top Entrepreneurial Cities

Fort MacMurray, entrepreneurial cities
Fort MacMurray, entrepreneurial cities

Fort MacMurray recently ranked #4 on the list of top entrepreneurial cities according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and Alberta cities seemed to dominate the list. The 2014 Entrepreneurial Communities states report “No city would be a city if not for entrepreneurs. Some entrepreneurs were attracted to the advantages of a certain location, while others saw the benefits of large and growing markets for their products. Those areas that grew the fastest, or the most, did so because the commercial advantages were the greatest relative to other areas.” Fort MacMurray is considered one of the economic centers in Alberta, with a booming economy in spite of the remote location. The fact that this city is number four on the report and list is not surprising.

The 2014 entrepreneurial cities report continued by explaining “One often sees higher entrepreneurial activity in resource regions as well–although economies there can suffer from wider boom and bust business cycles. Favourable resource development conditions will attract businesses seeking to service increased activity—and, when conditions deteriorate, a strong base of experienced business owners often becomes the primary pillar of community support.” In 2013 Wood Buffalo only ranked #14, so the fact that Fort MacMurray came in at #4 this year shows incredible improvement as far as efforts to make the area friendly to entrepreneurs. In order to determine the ranking for each city on the list the report took into consideration 3 areas and a total of 14 indicators, so each ranking reflects the value of the area as well as entrepreneurial activity.

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Ft Mac

United Way of Fort MacMurray Invites Local Songwriters for Theme Song Competition

United Way, Fort MacMurray
United Way, Fort MacMurray

The United Way of Fort MacMurray is inviting local songwriters for the theme song competition that the organization is holding. The theme for the song competition is Change Starts Here, and the United Way is looking for a unique and catchy theme song that people will remember and that will catch on quickly. According to Communications and Community Impact.Director Russel Thomas “We’ve launched this idea of getting local songwriters to play around with that phrase, (Change Starts Here), and turning it into a song in hopes we can use it as the theme song for our 2015 Community Campaign. We found this year, that using video to tell the story of a couple of our agencies — we have three different Seeing Is Believing videos and an overall campaign video — the investment of time and effort into making those videos has been unbelievably successful. It cuts through in a way that is really, really powerful, and we’re hoping the music component does that as well.”

Fort MacMurray residents and local songwriters have until November 7 to submit their creations, and 3 finalists will be chosen by the United Way of Fort MacMurray to perform. Guests at the event will decide which of the 3 finalists win the top spot. Thomas went on to say that “These (VIPs) are the folks that are so passionate about the United Way. So getting them involved in the selection process just makes a whole lot of sense because they’re the most invested in what this is all about. And that includes the (member) agencies as well, because they’ll be at that event. It’s an opportunity for local songwriters and musicians to find a way of tapping into what the United Way campaign is all about and using their talents to do that. I suspect we’ll have a variety of different genres at the end of the day. I’m sure we’ll have a few rap selections, certainly some more folksy-type performers, and possibly some country as well.”

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Ft Mac

Highway 63 Traffic May Back Up Due to Wide Load Convoy

highway 63, Fort MacMurray
highway 63, Fort MacMurray

Fort MacMurray residents may want to prepare for possible traffic delays and back ups on highway 63 in the coming days, but this will only be a problem for a few days. There will be a convoy with two wide loads that are headed for a site owned by CNRL which is north of Fort MacMurray. The convoy will have to travel at night and move in stages to minimize disruption to local residents and traffic on highway 63, so the entire process will take a few days. The convoy will take up both lanes of the highway, making it impossible for other traffic to share the road at the same time. In addition the entire convoy must pull over on a periodic basis to ensure that any traffic delays or stops are not excessively long.

Although the latest traffic snarl on highway 63 will inconvenience residents the people in the Fort MacMurray area can take a look on the bright side. The convoy will only affect traffic on highway 63 for a total of 3 days, and it will only be using the road at night. This is intended to minimize any inconvenience to travelers, and protect those in the convoy from having to block both lanes during the times when traffic on highway 63 is the heaviest. Fort MacMurray is the last staging area for the convoy before the two wide loads reach their final destination at the site. Most residents will not even realize that traffic on highway 63 is affected.

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Ft Mac

Fort MacMurray Man to Appear in Court for Pedestrian Collision

Fort MacMurray, pedestrian collision
Fort MacMurray, pedestrian collision

A 32 year old Fort MacMurray man is being summoned to court over a pedestrian collision that occurred in August. Thew court appearance is so that the ticket received by the driver can go to trial. On August 11, 2014, at the crosswalk of Rainbow Creek Drive and Paquette Drive, two women were pushing a stroller that contained a child through the crosswalk. A Ford F150 pickup truck plowed into the intersection and struck the women and child who were in the crosswalk. The driver of the vehicle was charged for Failing to Yield to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk on 2 different counts, and this is usually just a ticket. The RCMP decided to issue the ticket through an appearance notice, which means that a court date is needed before the ticket can be resolved.

The August 11, 2014 pedestrian collision in Fort MacMurray sent one of the adults and the infant in the stroller to the local Emergency Room, and both were hospitalized until the last part of August. The police have not named the driver of the truck because he has not made a court appearance yet, but the man is due to be in court on November 13, 2014. Failing to Yield to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk can mean a $575 fine and also a total of four demerit points against the license of the driver. According to RCMP Cpl. George Cameron an appearance ticket was issued because “The members thought that through the investigation, maybe the court should hear what happened, what took place. We need to get this information out there about how dangerous it can be.”

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Ft Mac Health

Could the Ebola Virus Come to Fort MacMurray?

Ebola virus, Fort MacMurray
Ebola virus, Fort MacMurray

With the Ebola virus constantly on the news, and the fact that a man in the USA was recently diagnosed with this often deadly disease, could Ebola come to Fort MacMurray? This virus may be considered one of the scariest because of the symptoms experienced and the sometimes very high mortality rate. Until recently the virus has been restricted to certain parts of the world and North America has not had reason to worry. That has changed some today. In the USA there has been a confirmed case of Ebola in Texas, and the patient reported to the local Emergency Room with viral symptoms. Even after the patient explained that he had arrived on US soil recently from Liberia, and with the symptoms identified, the patient was released and sent home. 6 days later the patient required an ambulance because his condition worsened, and it was at this point that the Ebola virus was identified.

The risk of Ebola infection to Fort MacMurray resident and Wood Buffalo areas is small according to Dr. Gregory Taylor, who is the chief public health officer for Canada. “The risk to Canadians remains very low.” Border agents on the Canadian border have been well trained, and these agents are questioning all new arrivals in the country who come from West Africa. Any travelers who report feeling ill or who show any signs of Ebola are quarantined immediately. In addition the Canadian government has a supply of the medications needed if any travelers do test positive for the Ebola virus.

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Fort MacMurray Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Week

Fort MacMurray, mental health
Fort MacMurray, mental health

Mental health awareness week will be recognized in Fort MacMurray from Sunday, October 5, 2014 through October 11, 2014. The Canadian Mental Health Association will sponsor events and hope to raise awareness of mental health issues in the Fort MacMurray area. This will be the 22nd Mental Health Awareness Week, and the events are held on a yearly basis. The goal is to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues, and to make communities aware of mental health resources that are available. Educating people on mental illness and teaching individuals what they can do to help someone with these problems is essential to ensuring that everyone who needs mental health help receives it. It is time that mental illness receives the same attention and resources that other medical conditions do, without the stigma often associated with mental illness.

Emma Murray, who is the events coordinator for the Canadian Mental Health Association, was quoted as saying “It’s an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. Nearly one in five Canadians is affected by mental illness, but yet a persistent stigma prevents millions from getting the help they need. So one in five Canadians is affected by mental illness, (but) four in five can help.” The events in Fort MacMurray will start with a community walk on Sunday. According to Murray “(The walk) is about fighting the stigma and raising awareness by walking along Franklin Avenue, with signs, posters and balloons, and creating that awareness.”