UCP MLA Tany Yao says he has heard concerns about drug abuse at Tawâw, a supportive housing program focusing on chronically homeless Indigenous people in downtown Fort McMurray.

The Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA said in the Alberta Legislature on Nov. 7 these concerns are shared by officials at the RMWB.

“As a former frontline paramedic who has had to deal with drug abuse, I have a pretty low tolerance for it. Based on what people have been telling me, I do have concerns about what was happening in or near the site,” said Yao in an interview.

But Mayor Sandy Bowman has told Premier Danielle Smith the RMWB is happy with the facility and denies any municipal official shares Yao’s concerns.

Tawâw’s leaders say they do not tolerate drug use at the facility. Indigenous leaders have also criticized Yao’s comments as reckless.

Yao told Mental Health and Addictions Minister Dan Williams in the legislature “concerns have been raised about the misuse of supportive housing for drug-related activities” and he had “confirmed this with my own municipal officials” the previous day.

Bowman’s letter to Smith called Yao’s comments “harmful and cast an unfair and negative light on a proven Indigenous program.” He also denied the RMWB had concerns about drug abuse at the facility.

“Without this program, these individuals face a high likelihood of returning to homelessness, never being housed from existing encampments, increasing their reliance on emergency systems, and placing them at greater risk of death," said Bowman.

Tawâw prioritizes people who are chronically homeless. Nearly all clients arrive suffering from addictions, psychosis, and mental and emotional health issues.

Many have been kicked out of other shelters and treatment programs in Fort McMurray, and have been frequently arrested or hospitalized. Some clients lived in an encampment cleared by the RMWB last summer.

Jo-Anne Packham of the Wood Buffalo Wellness Society, which oversees Tawâw, said rooms are searched multiple times daily. Drugs, paraphernalia and weapons are banned.

When drugs are found, staff and residents meet to discuss next steps. Residents have been kicked out when they regularly break the rules. Suspected drug dealers in the area are reported to Wood Buffalo RCMP.

When told Packham’s responses, Yao said “if that’s the case than that’s fantastic and there shouldn’t be any issues or concerns.”

However, he insists there are residents and RMWB officials sharing his concerns.

Leaders with Cenovus Energy and Conklin held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 15 new homes in the hamlet, located more than 150 kilometres southeast of Fort McMurray. Eight more homes will arrive by the end of the year.

The homes are part of a $50-million program announced by Cenovus in early 2020 to build 200 new homes in Conklin, Janvier, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Cold Lake First Nation, Beaver Lake Cree Nation and Heart Lake First Nation. Cenovus has so far funded 161 homes in the communities.

“Living conditions are always going to be a challenge in some remote communities, but I feel we’ve really reduced the challenges around living conditions and accommodations,” said Cenovus CEO Alex Pourbaix in an interview.

“When you can put families in stable housing that are warm, dry, safe, I think you’ve gone a long way to tackling a lot of the other challenges that these communities have.”

Pourbaix first visited Conklin in 2018 to meet with Indigenous leaders. As he toured the area, he was shocked to see so many people living in poorly-built shacks, old campers and crowded homes close to lucrative oilsands operations. He left convinced Cenovus needed to help.

Scott Duguid, CEO of the Conklin Resource Development Advisory Council, estimates more than 75 per cent of people in Conklin lived in unstable housing when he took the job in 2023.

Most homes report serious problems with mould, plumbing, heating and structural integrity.

Housing is not Conklin’s only problem. The community also has problems treating addictions, fighting crime, improving food security, encouraging economic development and accessing health care.

A lack of suitable housing options in the isolated hamlet has made treating these problems increasingly difficult, said Duguid. The 2021 municipal census puts the hamlet’s population at 178 people, a 22 per cent drop from 2018. Most residents are Métis.

“I was flabbergasted when I saw all this data when I took the job,” said Duguid.

“A lot of people are in rough shape or in trailers or sharing housing, so there’s going to be a need.”

A Fort McMurray boy has died in a fatal collision west of Athabasca earlier this week.

Athabasca RCMP says they received reports of a crash on Nov. 18 at around 6:30 p.m. on Highway 2 near Range Road 232. Investigators say a westbound pick-up truck collided with a commercial truck that had broken down.

A 14-year-old boy in the pick-up truck was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers. Both drivers were also injured. Police do not believe drugs or alcohol were involved.

The Fort McMurray Ravens identified the victim as Kyle Murgatroyd, one of the football club’s graduating bantam players.

“Kyle was not only a remarkable athlete, but also a cherished member of our Ravens family. His dedication, passion, and sportsmanship left an indelible mark on our team and community,” wrote Andrew Munro, president of the club, in a Wednesday evening post on the club’s Facebook page.

“At this time we are asking for anyone to reach out to us with any questions and respect Kyle’s family during this incredibly difficult time.”

A Chieftain tank used by the British Army on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. The museum is planning to expand with new exhibits, an archive system and more armoured vehicles. Full article and more photos of the museum here.

Photo by Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network

Members of the Fort McMurray Avrora Ukrainian Dance Club perform during the Festival of Trees on Nov. 16 at MacDonald Island Park. The annual three-day fundraiser for the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre ran from Nov. 15-17.

Photo by Paul Jen of Paul Jen Communications

Fort McMurray’s military history is crowding storage rooms, but the region’s military museum is committed to find ways to showcase all of their growing collection.

The Wood Buffalo Military Museum Centre, which is found at the Fort McMurray Legion, has a growing collection of different weapons, uniforms, flags, photos, documents and other military paraphernalia.

A Chieftain tank used in the British Army is parked outside near a LAV that stands as a monument for Canadians who died in Afghanistan. More vehicles are being restored by Keyano College students.

Kevin Rodgers, the museum’s curator and a history professor at Keyano College, says the collection appears random until Fort McMurray’s own history is considered.

“We’ve got hundreds of veterans in Fort McMurray. Most of them weren’t born here, but they choose to reside here. They bring with them their collections and stories from places like Yugoslavia and Afghanistan,” said Rodgers.

“And it’s not just Canadian soldiers. We’ve talked to people who were Ukrainian soldiers and part of other sides. That’s still part of our history as a community. We’re not just a Canadian or local museum, even though we push that local idea. We also deal with global events.”