After 'doom and gloom' decade, Fort McMurray readies for a boom
'It’s organized chaos,' says business leader as demand for workers picks up
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demand → ready → workers
The Alberta community synonymous with meteoric oil booms and crippling busts is now staring down another potential wave of economic fortune.
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community → star → fortune
Already signs are pointing to a boost in growth in Fort McMurray with rising home prices, increased investment in the oilpatch, widespread hiring and longer lines at the Tim Hortons drive-thru.
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signs → point → thru
Much of the growth is in anticipation of a new oil pipeline to the West Coast, as proposed by the Alberta government.
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Much → propose → government
On Thursday, the federal government is expected to declare the project is in the national interest.
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project → expect → interest
As more families and businesses move in, roofer William Gilbert sees his business growing alongside Fort McMurray.
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business → move → McMurray
With nail guns and roofing hammers, one of Gilbert's crews finishes up attaching shingles on a black two-storey house on the western edge of the community.
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one → finish → community
His 20 employees are working as much as they can to keep up with demand.
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they → work → demand
Though business hasn't spiked overnight, Gilbert expects steady hiring over the next few years.
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Gilbert → spike → years
"I see us doubling, if not tripling," he said.
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he → see → ?
"We're slowly getting a boom."
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We → get → boom
A series of federal and provincial announcements aimed at growing oil production over the last 12 months are fuelling the sense of optimism, including a new West Coast oil pipeline being developed by Alberta and Ottawa.
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series → aim → Alberta
In addition, the federal government has wiped away certain environmental policies such as the oilpatch emissions cap, while speeding up the regulatory process to approve major projects and introducing new financial incentives for investors.
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government → wipe → investors
The Alberta government aims to double oilsands production to eight million barrels per day by 2035.
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government → aim → 2035
The last decade in the region has been lacklustre for many businesses, with little economic growth and a declining population.
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decade → decline → growth
However, the period was useful in allowing the local government to catch up on building roads and other important infrastructure.
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government → allow → roads
Now, people are moving back, pushing the population to an all-time high.
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people → move → high
"It's been very doom and gloom here since 2015," said Kyle Vandecasteyen, a councillor with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
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Vandecasteyen → say → Buffalo
"
Excitement building
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Excitement → build → ?
Some construction crews have seen a threefold increase in work, said Dianna De Sousa, the president of the local chamber of commerce.
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Sousa → see → commerce
"It's organized chaos.
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It → organize → ?
They have to turn away work," she said.
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she → have → work
After several years of a stagnant economy, she said there is excitement and anticipation, mixed with some trepidation.
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she → say → trepidation
"The challenge is going to be labour and workforce without a doubt," said De Sousa, since some tradespeople are already in short supply.
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tradespeople → go → supply
An oil boom will require a plethora of workers from drivers and engineers to mechanics and pipefitters.
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boom → require → mechanics
The local college is trying to gear up, but it faces a similar predicament in finding enough instructors.
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it → try → instructors
"I'm hoping when this boom happens, we have the manpower," said Shane Ganong, a heavy-duty mechanic and instructor at Keyano College.
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Ganong → hop → College
He worked in the oilsands during the last boom, including long shifts at all hours of the day.
"
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He → work → day
We don't need to put people through such extreme workloads that they put in the past," he said.
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he → need → past
The U.S. could soon control 20% of Venezuela's oil reserves.
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U.S. → control → reserves
Alberta separation group releases report touting affordable transition to independence
Housing demand is up about 30 per cent this summer compared to last year, said realtor Paige Cyr, "So we are eating up our housing supply quite quickly.
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we → release → supply
The real estate market hasn't been this strong in many years, and while prices are rising, Cyr said some houses are still selling $200,000 below when they were purchased 10 or 15 years ago.
"
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they → rise → years
People are coming back to the region.
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People → come → region
People are ready to invest," she said.
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she → invest → ?
A gold rush-type atmosphere brought workers from across Canada, lured by the highest wages in the country.
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atmosphere → bring → country
Businesses were poaching workers from each other.
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Businesses → poach → other
Grocery stores had never-ending lineups.
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stores → have → lineups
"All of a sudden the bust happens and so many people that are local here are underwater in their mortgages.
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that → happen → mortgages
And that's happened a few times," said Kris Yarish, the chief operating officer of Alcor Facilities Management, which has operated in Fort McMurray for over 50 years, providing construction, work camps and other services.
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which → happen → construction
He remembers the 2006 boom in particular, when it took four times as long to drive to oilsands sites because of so much traffic on the highway.
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it → remember → highway
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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