Relocation News: Fort Mac puts work camps on hold
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solution to the city's housing crunch has been put on hold.
Municipal councillors in the boom town decided Tuesday to field further
input from the public before going ahead with the idea.
Some residents fear that setting up work camps in and around the city
- to accomodate a burgeoning population of oilpatch employees -
will lead to a rise in crime.
Paul Walzack, a spokesperson for the Alberta Building Trades Council,
says he's hopeful the public will approve of the idea once they're
consulted and informed.
"The council is trying to do a very measured and calculated solution to
what is in essence a very well known housing crunch in the entire Wood
Buffalo region," said Walzack.
"Once residents of the regional municipality get a sense of what
council is trying to accomplish, I think they will be just fine with
it."
Mike Allen, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Fort McMurray,
applauded councillors for soliciting input from citizens.
"I commend them for listening to the input from the community. It shows
they are listening, and I trust they will come forward with the full
details of the plan," said Allen.
Rampant development in Alberta's oilsands has created severe
infrastructure pressures in Fort McMurray, including a scarcity of
housing.
The rental vacancy rate there is less than one per cent. Apartments are
often jammed with numerous workers sharing tight spaces and hotel
vacancies are rare.
In December, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation found rents in
Fort McMurray were the highest in Canada, up 20 per cent over 2004. A
two-bedroom apartment rents now for an average of $1,478 a month.
Residents will get an opportunity to air their concerns at a meeting
scheduled for March 14.
Info Source: http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/story/ca-fortmac20060301.html