Find My Country

Whereas the strong Canadian dollar is feeding the demise of eastern manufacturing, and the demise of any manufacturing capacity we once had, the resource extraction sector of our nation’s economy is booming. This is, of course, detrimental to our nation’s economy. Canada’s lack of national confidence and complete lack of vision at all levels of government has forced us to give our valuable minerals to other countries, which in turn sell them back to us at a premium. However, don’t tell that to the people in Fort McMurray, Canada’s “Energy City”.

Fort McMurray is in a strategic location, between three oilsand deposits. Two major oil companies, Suncor and Syncrude, have it as their defacto center of operations. People looking for jobs come to Fort McMurray, effectively creating a town majority of outsiders – a Dawson City for our own time.

There is a palpable tension between outsiders and the locals, and a significant lack of the sort of respect and politeness one encounters in the rest of Alberta. I did not meet a single person, native or outsider, who had anything positive to say about Fort McMurray. Nothing, except that it was a great place to make money. Engineers and other graduates, who are unemployable in penny-conscious Quebec, are in incredible demand here; if one can afford to stay here a month, it is almost impossible not to get a well-paying job.

This fellow told me that phone cards are a huge business in Fort McMurray. The sheer number of outsiders all are looking for cheap ways to keep in touch with loved ones who are far far away from this isolated community. Both companies up here offer flights to other cities at predefined intervals, just to escape the monotony of Fort McMurray’s everyday life.

There is no tourist facilities in Fort McMurray, except for a historic village I visited. Hotels are drastically overpriced, often charging more than 300$ a night for a room. Houses are, for the most part, sold out. Prefabricated units can be seen headed up the highway throughout the entire ride up Highway 63. It is expensive to ship these, but the housing market in McMurray is so strong that people are making incredible profits.

Many people live in recreational vehicles, such as those seen here. Many more lived in tents in the main city park. Recently, the city started cracking down on these migrant workers and started kicking them out of the only place where they were able to afford to stay.

There are no internet cafes in McMurray, except for one that somehow doesn’t have WIFI access. However, no one at the local university minds if someone is to use their facilities.

The heavy machinery on display is almost unbelievably huge. People who can use them get paid very well as well – most get paid in excess of $50 an hour.

Even Fast Food workers are getting into it. The local Burger King was paying $14     / hour.

Can a city of outsiders ever aspire to greatness? Will Fort McMurray be the next Calgary? Or will it be the next Dawson City and almost abandoned when its main industry goes under?