A new weather catcher that will cost $2.2 million to install in Jubilee Plaza has many residents debating whether this expenditure is justified. The weather catcher is classified as a public art installation, and it will consist of 6 stories of pipes, grates, and latticework. The project will dispense rain and mist from the pipes and grates, but the high price tag has many in the area upset and questioning whether the project is necessary or even a good idea for that amount of money. The economy in Fort McMurray and Wood Buffalo has taken a hit and many are concerned that money is being spent on things which are not entirely necessary. Some residents were puzzle over the project, some did not realize that the weather catcher was supposed to be art, and some were amazed or even outraged on how much was spent on the project.
The cost of the weather catcher in Jubilee Plaza may seem high but when all the features are considered the cost may seem less outrageous. RMWB spokesperson Robin Smith explained that the structure can create formations using mist, rain, and ice. Smith stated “You can time when those happen, what the volume is, and how much water is used,. This winter the weather catcher will create ice formations along vertical steel cables attached to its frame. And there’s also a light display built in to the weather catcher that can be activated and programmed for different […] atmospheres.” An anonymous business owner with an establishment downtown was not as thrilled with the project and said “They could have built an enclosure for winter farmers’ markets. The weather catcher’s lack of a water recycling capability is a waste of water. So do something more for the public that’s all-inclusive. As opposed to something that’s, number one nobody knows what it is, it’s environmentally unfriendly, and it’s unsightly.”