Mayor hopeful for Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo in State of the Region speech

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Mayor Sandy Bowman says there’s plenty of incentives for people to move to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo as he predicted “the best days of how we do business are just around the corner” earlier this week.

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In his State of the Region address to the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce, Bowman earned a standing ovation as he praised the municipality’s “pro-business council” and predicted an optimistic future for growth in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo.

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There are plans being developed to encourage more people to live in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, he said. He added Fort McMurray already has key advantages over other cities in Alberta, such as affordable housing and the lowest municipal property taxes in Alberta.

“We’re doing everything we can to make this a place people want to live in,” said Bowman, arguing that any growth must be socially and economically sustainable.

Bowman is hopeful the region will see another boom powered by carbon capture and storage, particularly with the proposed Pathways project. The leaders of the chamber and Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism (FMWBEDT) said in January they are also hopeful in carbon capture’s potential for the community.

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Bowman also praised the municipality’s relationship with First Nation and Metis communities. He pledged to continue supporting initiatives like the Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous Peoples (MMEIP) task force and the Athabasca Tribal Council’s annual cultural festival.

Council has also approved increased funding towards Indigenous and rural relations, and supports the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s (ACFN) goal of opening Alberta’s first urban reserve. He praised the municipality’s fight against homelessness and the return of local EMS dispatch.

“We won’t succeed as a community unless social prosperity goes hand in hand with economic opportunity,” he said.

In the meantime, Bowman said the municipality has made progress on downtown development and hopes to see more work done soon. Economically, Bowman said downtown’s population has mostly stagnated for the last seven years.

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Construction of flood mitigation berms continues. Bowman said council also supports getting land for an Aging In Place facility to complement the long-term care centre at Willow Square.

The Downtown Revitalization Incentives Program (DRIP) has generated $16.8 million in private investment. for 120 projects in downtown. He is excited for the cultural and economic opportunities that will come once Arts Council Wood Buffalo opens its Arts Incubator in the former Landmark Cinemas on Main Street.

Any growth will be lead by the private sector. Bowman and Henry Hunter, CAO of the RMWB, both said there will be fewer capital projects in the near future once current projects are finished. Hunter said most major new projects will focus on maintaining existing infrastructure.

Hunter made similar comments during last year’s budget discussions when he warned of a plan focusing on maintaining the RMWB’s current assets.

“I would advise against adding new infrastructure unless we really, really, really need it,” he told council at the time.

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vmcdermott@postmedia.com

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