Tag: Fort McMurray

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Alberta Ft Mac Politics World

Fort McMurray Community Will Offer a Warm Welcome for Syrian Refugees Who May Arrive

Syrian refugees, Fort McMurray

Syrian refugees who arrive in Fort McMurray will receive a warm welcome. While some states in the USA are refusing to accept refugees from this country Fort McMurray s opening their arms wide. Local organizations in the area have been working tirelessly to gather the necessary resources and information in order to help those who arrive in the near future. There were 5 major Alberta cities chosen to receive Syrian refugees sponsored by the government and Fort McMurray was not one of the cities listed. The oilsands community will be accepting Syrian refugees who are privately sponsored by charitable and relief organizations instead. According to Jennifer Best, the Wood Buffalo YMCA senior director of community programs and housing initiatives, “At this point we know of a number of individuals and religious institutions that are providing private sponsorship.”

Right now there is no way to determine how many Syrian refugees Fort McMurray could receive in the coming months. In addition to refugees who arrive in the local area as their primary destination there are also secondary migration concerns as well. Before the war Syria had a very prosperous industry for oil and gas, and this means that some of the refugees who arrive in other areas of Alberta may eventually come to Fort McMurray. Best explained “We anticipate that there will be a number of skilled individuals coming to Alberta to access the oil and gas industry because that’s what they know.” The first arrivals are not expected until at least springtime though. According to Best certain steps must be taken before the refugees can come to Alberta “They need to get bank accounts, they need to get health care, they need to get a social insurance number.” Do you believe the Syrian refugees should be welcomed with open arms? Why or why not?

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Ft Mac

Is Fort McMurray Attracting Drug Dealers?

Fort McMurray, drug dealers

Since September of this year police in Fort McMurray have arrested at least 17 individuals who are alleged to be drug dealers. This leads many t ask if the region is attracting these types of criminals. During the arrests and investigations police have seized large amounts of drugs and cash, as well as taking a number of weapons off the street. One raid alone on October 23 led to the discovery of almost $10,000 in cash, approximately half a kilogram of cocaine, and a loaded Sig Sauer handgun with a magazine that had a capacity which was prohibited. The weapon also had the serial numbers removed. Many of the suspected drug dealers arrested had ties to other areas in the country.

Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team Inspector Chad Coles discussed the recent arrests of suspected drug dealers in Fort McMurray, saying “These members are part of a larger group that has been very transitory between Fort McMurray, Toronto and Edmonton. Because of the transitory nature of these groups, they’re very difficult to investigate. These individuals are transitory. They go where they can make money. They’re profit-driven and they have no regard for public safety.” There have been a large number of shootings in the region over the past year and many point to the drug trade in the area as the cause of these violent acts. Wood Buffalo RCMP Superintendent Rob McCloy explained drug dealers operating in the area,” “We believe these incidents are connected to the illegal drug trade in conflict between rival group. Our approach has been to suppress violence through visible police presence, through uniformed Wood Buffalo RCMP members and drug enforcement. It is working and has worked.”

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Ft Mac

High School Students in Fort McMuray Saw a Decline in Their Testing Scores

testing scores, high school students, Fort McMurray

High school students in Fort McMurray saw a decline in their testing scores in the last year, and this decline was across the board and occurred at both public and Catholic schools in the area. Both district had fewer students who received testing scores of excellent and acceptable when the students took their diploma examinations. The Catholic schools in the area had an acceptable test score for almost 80% of their students, while this rate was 85% the previous year. Only 10.3% of the Catholic school students scored excellent, and this was down from almost 15% from a year earlier. In public schools only 76.1% scored acceptable, and this was 82% previously. The excellent standard was met by 15.1% of students this year compared with 17.6% for the previous year.

The decline in testing scores for high school students in Fort McMurray is being investigated to see if offiials can determine the cause and reverse this trend. Fort McMurray Public School District Superintendent Doug Nicholls explained “The courses being offered, the students taking them, the teachers delivering them, all those come into play. We’ll look on a subject by subject basis, because not all subjects showed a decline. The end objective of all systems is to graduate students — we do that well.” George McGuigan, the Superintendent of FMCSD, stated “While results have dipped some overall, students are still graduating at a very high percentage and students are not dropping out. We continue to find ways of alternative programming to keep at risk students in school and moving forward.”

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Alberta Ft Mac Health

Alberta Health Services Flu Vaccine Campaign Hits Fort McMurray

Alberta Health Services, flu vaccine, Fort McMurray

Flu season is close, and Alberta Health Services has started the flu vaccine campaign for Fort McMurray in order to provide area residents with some protection from this disease. The public can take advantage of flu vaccine shots which are offered free of charge, all you have to do is go to the Thickewood area Fort McMurray Community Health building. Local residents can also get the flu vaccine at grocery stores, pharmacies, and physician offices around the community, and also at MacDonald Island Park. According to Alberta Health Services the fl vaccine used last year was not a great match with the strain of flu that actually hit. Health officials of Canada still insist that the flu vaccine shot is a very safe and effective way to try and provide protection even if this vaccine does not have the effectiveness rate that some other vaccines do.

The flu vaccine offered by Alberta Health Services is also available in Fort McMurray at a discounted price for many. AHS medical officer of health Dr. Mayank Singal said “If you were to get a discount at a clothing store or a grocery store…you’d still take it. It’s still better than no discount, right? So some protection is still better than no protection. Like with any other product, you always have risk of a bad allergic reaction — but chances of that are in the order of one in a million. You’re actually much more likely to get…bad reactions with the influenza disease. The chance is actually much higher. So the vaccine is still preventative.”

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Ft Mac

Robbery During the Summer Leads to Arrest of Two 19 Year Old Men From Fort McMurray

robbery, arrest, Fort McMurray

A robbery that occurred this summer has been resolved, with 2 19 year old men from Fort McMurray being arrested and charged with the crime. The two men are alleged to have robbed a River Glen Park convenience store at the Syncrude Towers earlier in the year on July 13. According to the police the two suspects went into the convenience store after covering part of their faces. The robbery took place at around 7 pm in the evening. One of the men suspected in the crime threatened the store employee with a knife and then demanded that the clerk open up the cash register for the business. The criminals grabbed the money out of the register and then fled the store.

The Fort McMurray men who have been arrested for the July robbery were 19 year old T’Johani Don-Juanique Marjurie and 19 year old Victor Arogundade. Both suspects are facing one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and one charge of robbery. At 19 years old neither of the suspects are hardened criminals with an extensive criminal history. Both of the suspects were arrested last week, an they are both out on bail waiting for their next scheduled hearing. The Fort McMurray area has been hit with a number of crimes this year, including numerous shootings and a few murders. Local police have been working tirelessly to fight crime and identify those responsible when a crime does occur. Fort McMurray is a community that is family oriented and there has been concerns over the number of crimes so far this year. Do you think there is too much crime in the area? Why or why not?

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Alberta Entertainment Ft Mac

Alberta Star Trek Inspired Series Will Star Former Resident of Fort McMurray

Fort McMurray, Alberta Star Trek inspired series

An Alberta Star Trek inspired series will star a former Fort McMurray resident. 22 year old David Oulton is an actor who landed a part in the new and creative television series. The name of the series is Vulcan: To Boldly Go, and it will be aired on the Vulcan Television Network. The television series was launched by Vulcan, Alta, and it is expected to bring attention to the town and population. Oulton said “It’s interesting, it’s funny, we laughed the whole time while we were filming it, I laughed when I read the script.” The plot of the series involves the 28th century, and crew members of a “Galaxy Fleet” from the future. When the crew learns about a Trekkie phenomenon that happened in the 21st century 2 members of the crew are sent back to the past to determine how information leaks from the future and getting to the past.

Brad Allen is a vTV executive producer, and one of the show producers as well. Allen told the media that “It’s a Star Trek inspired drama-comedy that includes a sense of adventure and discovery. The community of Vulcan, a number of members got together and said “well we’ve got this fibre optic system, what can we do with it? We can’t just let it sit there.” Vulcan TV was born. Oulton said “The best way I can describe the network to you is if Netflix, with its streaming service, was to marry Amazon, with its marketplace, and then have an affair with Youtube, with independent content.”