Tag: Fort McMurray

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Ft Mac Health

Midwives Missing From Fort McMurray in Spite of Provincial Funding

Fort McMurray, midwives

Fort McMurray has a shortage of midwives. In fact there are not any of these professionals in the region who are registered in Wood Buffalo. This is a cause for concern, both to the local community and to medical professionals in the area. The province of Alberta recently announced provincial funding designed to boost midwife services, but since Fort McMurray does not have any midwives the region could miss out on this funding. A group of advocates are hoping to change this, and they are trying a different approach to try and resolve the problem. The idea is to fly in qualified midwives as a temporary measure until a permanent clinic can be arranged in the region. According to Christine Burton “Setting up a new midwifery practice is a bit of a complicated process. We’re not quite sure how that’s going to work out, but we’re certainly looking at options, and one of those options is to fly midwives in and out.”

The lack of available midwives in Fort MacMurray is a big concern, especially since there is also a limitation on OB/GYN practitioners in the area as well. Health Minister Sarah Hoffman discussed the issue and stated “It’s vital that we start to move towards a system that allows for more choice for women. And we are working to ensure that health, community, and social supports are closely intertwined so that moms have options to support their babies being delivered safely.” Funding for midwives occurs on a per birth basis, which is a different funding model than what is used for actual physicians.

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Alberta Economic Ft Mac Politics

Fort McMurray Greets Royalty Review Panel But Remains Skeptical

royalty review panel, Fort McMurray

When the royalty review panel recently visited Fort McMurray the panel was met with skepticism instead of a warm welcome. The panel has been visiting local communities to get feedback on possible changes to royalty rates and other factors, but some in the local community feel that there are panel members who have a bias against the oil industry and this is fueling fears. Most of the day was spent with the panel members meeting local business and aboriginal leaders, but eventually the panel met with a crowd of residents who had plenty of feedback to give as well. The crowd was very skeptical of the panel and some made their skepticism quite clear. One unnamed resident asked panelist Mowat what his panel leader qualifications were, saying “How can you guarantee you don’t have a bias towards us?” after pointing out that Mowat was trained to discuss climate change by Al Gore himself.

If the royalty review panel was expecting a warm welcome in Fort McMurray just because panel members wore buttons and gave presentations they were quickly disillusioned. When Mowat was questioned by the resident the panel leader tried to reassure the crowd, saying “We’ve complemented the panel with different attributes. It’s the job of the panel to ask the right questions. It’s not my personal views that are coming into this. We know the review will play a part in Alberta’s role in the global economy. Principles last longer than regulations. We will keep our regulations up to date with technology, but we’ll keep true to our principles.”

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Economic Ft Mac

Snow Clearing Plans Publicized in Fort McMurray

Fort McMurray, snow clearing

The RMWB is publicizing the snow clearing plans for Fort McMurray in order to help residents understand when and ho the roads will be cleared of snow. The expanded winter maintenance plan calls for weekly snow removal, and the plan will go into effect on October 15, 2015. The region has been divided into 5 designated winter maintenance zones, and each of these 5 zones will have the snow cleared at least once each week. Signs have been installed locally to help residents keep track of when their snow will be cleared during the week. The goal is to prevent any problems and to keep the roadways clear on the designated snow clearing days.

According to RMWB Director of Public Works Robert Billard “Residents have expressed concerns about the level of service in these areas.” Making the snow clearing plan public so that all Fort McMurray residents understand the rules and schedules should make things easier on everyone. Over a year ago the council directed the administration to expand the snow clearing services. Residents will be expected to keep the roads clear of all vehicles on the designated day for snow clearing during the week. Residents who do not do this may find that their vehicle was removed so that the snow could be cleared in that area. Vehicles which obstruct the snow removal will be towed by the contracted towing company, and the owner will be assessed a $120 parking ticket on top of the towing expenses and other possible charges. Billard told the media that in the past vehicles were simply towed a street or two over, but the expanded scale of the snow removal plan means that this is no longer an option.