Tag: Fort MacMurray

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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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Entertainment

Live Comedy Show Coming to Fort MacMurray

live comedy, Fort MacMurray

The Yuk Yuk’s Live Comedy Show is coming to Fort MacMurray, giving live comedy fans in the area something to look forward to. The show will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015, and will open at 7 pm and run until 11 pm. The live comedy show will be at the Stonebridge Hotel, 9713 Hardin Street, Fort MacMurray. Only adults 18 years old and older will be allowed into the show, and there is a $20 charge to attend. Additional details can be found by calling 780-743-3301. The performing comedians will be Garrett Clark and Lisa Baker, who are both popular and who both have a fan base. Fort MacMurray may have a lack of entertainment options at times but this will not be the case on March 28, and many residents may enjoy a night out watching a live comedy show.

Garrett Clark, one of the performers for the Yuk Yuk’s Live Comedy Show, started in comedy at the very young age of 15 years old, and his routine includes several types of comedy content. Garrett does improv, television hosting, and sketch, and he seems very at home on the stage when he is performing. Clark has a number of credits to his name, and he has shared the stage with some comedy greats. Lisa Baker, the other comedic talent who will be in Fort MacMurray, is known for content that leaves people in hysterics, and her powerful East Coast accent just makes her act that much better.

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Alberta Ft Mac

Missing Teen From Grande Prairie May be in Fort MacMurray

missing teen, Fort MacMurray

The RCMP is asking Fort MacMurray residents to be on the lookout for a missing teen from Grande Prairie who may be headed to the oilsands area. 15 year old Shelby MacKinnon was initially reported missing on March 12, and the teen was last seen about 9 a.m. That morning by one of her family members. Shelby left for the school day at the Peace Wapiti Academy on March 12 and the missing teen has not been seen or heard from since. Police do believe that MacKinnon is still active on social media accounts, and that she may be posing as an adult in order to avoid detection. There is a history of running away for the teen and twice in this year alone the police had to ask for assistance from the public in order to find her.

While police suspect that the missing teen may be in or headed to Fort MacMurray this has not been definitively confirmed so far. The RCMP does not consider her disappearance suspicious in nature but police are concerned about her well being and general welfare. Police disclosed that the teen could be headed to Fort MacMurray but did not give reasons for why this is suspected. The description of Shelby MacKinnon shows that she is 5’6” tall, she weighs roughly 135 pounds, and she is a Caucasian female. Shelby has eyes which are blue green, shoulder length brown hair, and a piercing in her nose. When last seen MacKinnon was wearing a hoodie sweatshirt and blue jeans. Anyone who knows anything about the whereabouts of the missing teen should contact the Grande Prairie RCMP at 780-830-5701 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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Ft Mac Health

Detailed Patient Medical Files Sent to Fort MacMurray Resident By Mistake

patient medical files, Fort MacMurray

A Fort MacMurray man keeps getting detailed patient medical files by mistake, in spite of his efforts to stop the files. Ever since last summer Thickwood Family Medical Centre has been sending patient information to Denis Lacoursiere’s business fax machine, and the clinic will not stop in spite of repeated requests by the business owner. Lacoursiere owns Oilsands Shovel Products, and the patient files that he keeps receiving through the fax machine at his business include details like name, age, birth date, medications, phone numbers and addresses, prescription information and personal health numbers, and even the sexual history of a patient. According to Lacoursier “That’s the fourth one I’ve got. This has to stop. It’s driving me crazy and no one wants this happening to them.”

In spite of several attempts to contact the clinic and stop the patient medical files the Fort MacMurray man has not been successful. Denis Lacoursiere explained “What’s really burned me is I deal with this family medical clinic. I go there. And they’re sending people’s files to me, telling me what prescriptions they need for what conditions they have. I’ll still keep putting them straight into the shredder because this is none of my business. I just want this to end before it gets out of hand.” Thickwood Family Medical Centre office manager Caroline Wood said that she has never spoken with Denis Lacoursiere. Privacy rules in the province require a medical centre to use a cover page, with instructions to contact the medical centre if the fax is received by the wrong person.

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Ft Mac Health

Snack Attack Program in Fort MacMurray a Big Success

Snack Attack program, Fort MacMurray

The Snack Attack program in Fort MacMurray schools has been a big success, o successful that it has been expanded to include Janvier students as well. This move was made possible by a very generous sponsor as well as the Wood Buffalo Food Bank, and it means that fewer children will experience hunger in the area as a result. When the Snack Attack program was started almost 4 years ago by the Wood Buffalo Food Bank in partnership with Fort MacMurray schools the goal was to provide nutritious snacks o local students who otherwise would go hungry during the day. According to the executive director of the Wood Buffalo Food Bank Arianna Johnson “We know that hunger and malnutrition have pretty much the same impact on kids’ brains. If they’re hungry or malnourished, their ability to learn is drastically hindered. By providing nutritious snacks,we’re helping kids to get a better education and be able to engage in that education better.

Johnson continued to explain the importance of the Snack Attack program in Fort MacMurray schools by stating “Food security in the rural communities is so much harder to attain for individuals because of the lack of grocery stores, the distance to grocery stores (and) the cost of travel to and from town. For the in-town schools, we provide a hamper of 50 snacks, and when it’s empty, they call and we refill it. For Father R Perin, we provide one snack per child, per school day. The teachers out in Janvier have reported that the kids’ ability to focus and complete tasks, and just in general engage in school, has been vastly improved by the provision of snacks. It absolutely (has a) long-term impact. If we can affect kids today so they’re not using us tomorrow, that’s the best outcome you can hope for.”

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Entertainment Ft Mac

Happy St. Patrick’s Day Fort MacMurray

St. Patrick's Day, Fort MacMurray

Today is St. Patrick’s Day and many Fort MacMurray and Wood Buffalo residents have plans for the holiday. This is a day when green beer is acceptable, and the green color is intentional and not a questionable aspect of the beverage. Anyone who has Irish heritage can celebrate the day with impunity, and wearing green is traditional. In fact anyone who does not wear green in some way on this holiday may be pinched by others, although few adults follow this tradition. While St. Patrick’s Day may not be a major holiday like Christmas or New Years for many people it is a day to have some fun and let off a little steam while celebrating Ireland and everyone who can trace their ancestry back to this island.

What are your plans for St. Patrick’s Day? Some in the Fort MacMurray community will be hitting the local bars and restaurants, others may spend the day working and then return to one of the energy camps in the remote and desolate areas of Wood Buffalo and Alberta. There are some individuals who will spend the day just like any other, going to work, taking care of their family, and then heading off to bed early. For the Fort MacMurray and Wood Buffalo residents who will celebrate today remember to do so in moderation. No one wants to wake up hung over tomorrow because they celebrated a little too much tonight, and getting drunk is not advisable because of the lower inhibitions and the increased risk for problems and legal issues. Have fun today, but not too much fun. What will you do to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Fort MacMurray?