Fort McMurray: Campers and Trucks

June 11, 2007

Fort McMurray: Campers and Trucks

From top:

Campers in the Abasands Heights neighbourhood. A small bungalow here can sell for $400,000, it's said, and thousands of workers are living in trucks, vans, tents and corporate-run camps.

Quad tracks on a local trail.

Trucks bring in new equipment daily.

Traffic in Fort Mc is known for being dangerous, congested and reckless. Almost everyone we've spoken to here says complains about the traffic, and how everyone is in a big hurry. This usually is noted in the context of broader complaints about how everyone is out to get what they want, now, and has little regard for others. One resident of eight years went as far as to say that Albertans have, on the whole, been ruined by their wealth, taught to expect that they can have whatever they want, whenever they want.

The other thing that people talk about is the crime rate.

Local businesses are struggling to find ways for single, unattached workers making $100,000 annually to spend their money.

A float plane behind a fence, near the downtown area.

An abandoned campsite near the river.

Trucks are parked in front of a local casino.