People in oil-rich Fort McMurray hope the next government diversifies energy exports

Curtis Ritchie (L) and Miguel Grondin, mechanics at GOAT Mechanical Services fix an engine

The influence of the oil and gas sector is unmistakable in Fort McMurray, Alta., with many businesses connected to it or directly impacted by it in some way.

Employees at GOAT Mechanical Services repair and maintain heavy equipment for many companies in the industry. Their hope is that the next party to form government will prioritize more pipelines and get oil to different markets.

“There’s 169 billion barrels of oil in the ground here,” said Jeff Walsh, operations manager of GOAT Mechanical Services.

“We’ve been in a battle for several years about getting our product to new markets so we can get a better price for our oil.”

According to the Canadian Energy Regulator, the latest figures show that nearly all of Canada’s crude oil exports go to the United States, almost 90 per cent coming from the Alberta oil sands.

“We have a natural resource here that is a national resource. Right now our product is mostly sold to the U.S. and it’s sold at a discount,” said Walsh.

Fort McMurray, with a population 70,000, is in the heart of the Athabasca oil sands in the northern part of the province surrounded by the vast boreal forest. The community has had its fair share of hardships including multiple floods and the devastating wildfire of 2016, which forced more than 90,000 people out of their homes.

In addition to extreme weather, Fort McMurray has weathered through multiple oil boom and bust cycles.

About one-third of its residents are directly employed in the oil and gas sector. The thick, viscous bitumen in the ground, often referred to as “black gold” is an economic driver and a vital resource for the community, meaning the urban centre’s economy ebbs and flows with the industry’s fortunes.

“I’ve seen what it was like here when it was booming,” said Curtis Ritchie, a mechanic with GOAT Mechanical Services who has been working in the oil and gas sector for decades.

“It ain’t booming anymore. People are losing their shirts and their jobs and their homes because they can’t afford to live here.”

Walsh reiterates that if the energy sector were to ramp up, it would help the country and the local community.

“There’s a lot of small to medium-sized businesses that support our industry, our oil and gas industry. And I’ve seen them struggle over the past few years and I’ve seen a lot that had to shut down,” he said.

With the federal election closing in, affordability is the other issue people in Fort McMurray are worried about.

“Affordability when it comes to groceries, affordability when it comes to renting or owning a home,” said Lillian Coffey.

The 22-year-old grew up in Fort McMurray and says some of her life dreams may be out of reach.

“I’ve always wanted to eventually own a home and have a family in my own home, but as of right now, it doesn’t seem like I’m going to have my own home.”

She says the next government needs to “fix” the situation.

“Make it so everybody can actually live life instead of surviving life.”