Fort McMurray Home Search – Create Your Account and Save a Search

The A-Team's new Fort McMurray home search tool has gone live, and it's not your average MLS experience. We've overhauled the traditional online home shopping search, doing away with unneeded search pages and limited parameters, placing everything on one page. Even better, your A-Team account is redone and better than ever.

In this mini tutorial, A-Team leader Tom goes through account creation and the process of saving a search. Both are very simple and will enable you to find your dream home much faster, and most importantly, without annoying marketing emails. Just you and your homes.

We hope our new account and search management system helps you find your dream home. If you find something you like, reach out to us and we'll connect you with a specialist buyer's agent.

Check out our upcoming mini tutorials so you can find your dream home with the A-Team Fort McMurray search tool!

The article Fort McMurray Home Search – Create Your Account and Save a Search is republished from The A-Team YMM

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray? (October 4)

Fort McMurray ushers in the month of October with lots of fun and worthwhile activities for the whole family. From arts to outdoor activities to a variety of entertainment shows, there is always something to everyone. Locals and guests could join in the fun no matter what age bracket you belong to.

Scuba enthusiasts are invited for the Wet and Wild Diving Society Monthly Meeting on October 2, 2019 at MacDonald Island Park/Suncor Community Leisure Centre at Shell Place, Redpoll Centre Conference Room. The meeting will take place from 7:30 PM to 9 PM, Wednesday.

Wet and Wild Diving Society Monthly Meeting

The Wet and Wild Diving Society is a group of scuba divers in Fort McMurray. We encourage training and hold various events in the community such as lake clean-ups and a dive rodeo. Anyone interested in scuba diving can join, attend meetings and participate in activities. - Via Fort McMurray Albert Scuba Divers

If you are into creative stuff and crafting activities, the next one on the list would absolutely make your go out of your way and participant. Back for its third year, the Signature Mosaic Handmade Market invites everyone on the 4th of October.

The event will run until the 6th so you have several days to choose from and go to the MacDonald Island Park/Suncor Community Leisure Centre at Nexen Field House in Fort McMurray. Activities and exhibits will start at 10 AM on the opening day.

Signatures Mosaic Handmade Market

Signatures Mosaic Market is a uniquely Canadian handmade marketplace in Fort McMurray that features the works of over 80 artists, artisans, makers, and designers from coast-to-coast. Since 2017, the show has been a once-a-year opportunity for visitors to meet passionate creatives in person, hear their stories, and feel their works first-hand. Join us at MacDonald Island Park for an unforgettable experience and shop for handmade that lasts a lifetime. - Via signatures.ca

On October 5, 2019, get inspired by Christian illusionist David Laflin as he visit Fort McMurray for a time of entertainment and inspiration. It is a show full of cutting-edge and classic illusions with programs for the whole family. The tour will be on Saturday at 7 PM and will take place at the Northlife Fellowship Baptist Church, 141 Alberta Drive.

Illusionist David Laflin Tour

Illusionist David Laflin has entertained and inspired audiences around the world. More than simply an entertainer, David is also a gifted speaker. He is quick to point out that everything he does is simply an illusion. Only God can do real miracles. David has a desire to bring families together for an experience they will not forget. Don't miss out! Tickets are on sale for $20 for adults Family Ticket package $60 at NorthLife Church 141 Alberta drive. For more information 780-743-3747. - Via davidandteesha.com

Every day is all fun and entertainment at Fort McMurray, making it one of the go-to destinations for the entire month of October. Check out the A-list team next week for more exciting updates!

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray? (October 4) is republished from https://www.ateamymm.ca

Fort McMurray Home Search – A-Team Custom Search Tutorial

You may have noticed the new look we've got on the A-Team website- it's our redesigned vision of what online real estate should be. Among many improvements, we've overhauled our MLS® search to be the most comprehensive way to find Fort McMurray homes online. Take a look at this primer from A-Team leader Tom:

We hope our new search tool helps you find your dream home. If you find something you like, reach out to us and we'll connect you with a specialist buyer's agent.

Check out our upcoming mini tutorials so you can find your dream home with the A-Team Fort McMurray search tool!

The post Fort McMurray Home Search – A-Team Custom Search Tutorial was first published on The A-Team Blog

Beyond Franklin: Moberly Crescent

A reflection on the man who named Fort McMurray – Henry John Moberly

A builder, hunter, post manager, and, in his later years, a book author, Henry John Moberly is the man responsible for naming Fort McMurray. Today, his name remains in the community on Moberly Crescent, which is downtown, off of Centennial Drive. The Crescent is a short walk away from the Fort McMurray Heritage Village.

Moberly was born a Post Captain’s son in Penetanguishene, Ontario, on August 8, 1835. His father, John Moberly, was a Royal Navy officer from Russia, who was appointed to be Commandant in control at Penetanguishene Naval Yard on Georgian Bay.

As for Moberly’s mother Mary Fock, she was the daughter of General Fock of the Russian Imperial Service. Together, John and Mary had nine children, six sons and three daughters. Moberly was a younger son.
When Moberly turned 19, his father got him a position working for Lloyd’s of London, an insurance and reinsurance market. He left Canada to work in Russia, but quit after two years and returned home in 1853.

The Fur Trade King

In Moberly’s autobiography, When Fur Was King, published in 1929 in Great Britain, he writes about his pioneer days in the fur trade industry and roles at the Hudson Bay Company (HBC).

“After two years with Lloyd’s in St. Petersburg, Russia, tiring of the country, I returned at the age of eighteen to Ontario in 1853, and soon afterwards met a member of the party sent by the overland route via the Mackenzie to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin,” it states.

“His account of the Saskatchewan country, the immense herds of buffalo, the droves of deer, freedom from restrictive laws, Indians on the warpath and dearth of police, fired my youthful soul. Here, I felt, was the land of all the world after my own heart. As I was a happy knack of getting out of one scrape only to fall into another my friends were of the same mind.”

Through his position as an HBC post manager, Moberly travelled to several fur trading posts across the province; including the Jasper House, Fort Assiniboine, Edmonton, Fort Vermillion, Peace River Crossing, Fort McKay and Fort McMurray to name a few.

In his autobiography, he further wrote about his venture to The Athabasca District in a chapter titled, I Establish Fort McMurray.

He described the location of Fort McMurray as being “one hundred and eighty miles up the Athabasca River still another, established for the Hudson’s Bay Company by myself. This, I named Fort McMurray after a chief factor who was one of my oldest friends.”

Moberly first arrived in Fort McMurray in the fall of 1869. At this time, he had already left his position for the HBC twice to be a free agent in the fur trade. However, he was persuaded to rejoin by his good friend, and Chief Factor of Fort Chipewyan, William McMurray.

In 1870, he built Fort McMurray’s trading post on the Athabasca River, at the forks where the Athabasca, Clearwater and Snye rivers converge.

A year following the Roman Catholic missionaries at Lac la Biche started to make a cart road to Fort McMurray but after spending $1,100 abandoned the project because it became an unattainable task.

And, by 1873, HBC sent an officer to examine the road and reported it would be an impossible task to build.

Shortly after, HBC approached Moberly to look over the project, and he agreed the road could not go forward. However, he had an alternative solution to build a portage, which is known today as one of the most important portages in Canada's fur trade history – the Methy Portage.
To learn more about the life of fur trade pioneer Henry Moberly, his autobiography When fur was king can be found online on the University of Alberta Libraries website.

Beyond Franklin: The Street Names of Fort McMurray is a written online series profiling the people of local history compiled and written by Dawn Booth of Media Booth in partnership with Tom Albrecht of The A-Team at RE/MAX Fort McMurray. Series resources will include The Fort McMurray Heritage Society, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and files from Mrs. Frances Jean.
Corrections/Comments: For corrections, comments or suggestions on Fort McMurray street names to explore, please email dawn@mediabooth.net. Updates will be published on www.ateamymm.ca.

The following post Beyond Franklin: Moberly Crescent is courtesy of www.ateamymm.ca

Fort McMurray Housing Market: August 2019 Update

August 2019 has come and gone, and it brought with it some interesting developments in Fort McMurray's housing market scene. The field looks to be stable, but condos and mobile homes seem to be falling. Full story in the video!

TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:

Hi there! it's Tom Albrecht here with the A-Team of RE/MAX Fort McMurray on a mountain on my walk super warm day. September the 16th is today's date. So, what has the market been doing? You'll want to get up to date with our blog series, especially our Fort McMurray housing price blog. That's one we published about two months ago now, which you find on our website. But in a nutshell the answer is: they're stabilizing, but its kind of depends what you’ve got. Prices are not going up at this time.

We don't really expect that they will go up significantly. There's certainly stabilizing for many property types. I think if we look at the average selling price of townhomes, apartments and duplexes this year versus last year, they're pretty stable. Now that doesn't necessarily mean that if you have a duplex, it hasn't fallen. It just means the duplexes that have been selling this year, have been selling for on average more than what duplex, the duplexes that sold last year.

So, that means if there are different sets of duplexes, it doesn't necessarily mean that prices aren't falling. But when you start to talk like that that's kind of how you know. I think we're in the fine-tuning here, falling this very slightly. So, actually, all property types except mobiles and single-family homes appear to be fairly stable at this point. There's quite a lot of demand for townhomes, apartments and duplex. Mobiles, weirdly enough, we're actually seeing the average sale price for mobiles this year is still higher than the average price for the ones that sold last year.

Now that could be that more new ones are selling. So, you know we don't want to judge it too much but that's kind of it very interesting to me. Single-family homes are still falling and still fairly rapidly. Especially the more expensive ones still coming into adjustment. The shape of demand exposes for single-family homes really changed. A lot of people got out of single family homes into other property types over the last few years. So, we're definitely still seeing a big adjustment, even the lower price changes this weird like with lots of demand and low price changes, but there's lots of supply to you.

There's actually one last thing that I forgot, which is that very recently we've started to hear that condominium cooperation insurance rates are starting to go up. So, premiums and deductibles and I mean now of at least one case here already where that's being passed on to the owners in terms of a higher condo fee. So, that's a change that from our understanding is not in anyone's control around here.
So, I think it's a potentially a really important change because if we do see condo fees increasing kind of across the board, then that's likely to impact demand for condos and possibly demand for other types of properties, if people substitute into those. We're watching that one really carefully.

If you have questions please feel free to reach out. You'll maybe want to go look at some of our other videos to get to grips with what's been happening over the last year. I have been posting these videos; I think this is the seventh one in the last year. So, check it out and see what you think. If you have questions please give us a shout. We are the number one team in in Fort McMurray we really do care and that's by sales volume in 2018.

We're here to help you. If you want to sell your home for as much money as possible, that's what the listing agents do. My wife and Aaron, they're, I think, the best realtors in town at doing that. You see them on Facebook and YouTube etc. If you're looking for a really good deal on a house, there's four of us buyers agents. That's all we do for a living. We are specialists and we love helping.

Feel free to reach out. If you have questions, you can put them in the comments or message us. Thank you.

The blog post Fort McMurray Housing Market: August 2019 Update was originally published to The A-Team Real Estate

Canada Housing Market Update – September 25, 2019

The latest updates in the Canadian real estate sector shed some light on what is really going on and if there is reason for optimism in the coming days, weeks, and months.

Based on a report from Teranet - National Bank of Canada, the housing prices are reaching a new record with an all-time high particularly in the month of August. Several variables are seen as the main factors for this kind of development and some key players are quite happy with the growth. An excerpt of this report in betterdwelling.com states:

The sudden acceleration of price growth came largely from smaller markets. Most cities saw price growth last month, with Vancouver being a notable exception. The C11, an index of Canada’s largest real estate markets reached a new all-time high last month. Prices are now at a new all-time high as a result, but some markets didn’t benefit from the increased enthusiasm. - betterdwelling.com

In the same light, Canadians are now starting to buy homes after the scare of the stress test in the previous months. A report from livabl.com shows some indications, which even support the growth in the real estate sector particularly in August:

Homebuying activity in Canada is on the rise as the market absorbs the impacts of tougher mortgage rules brought into effect in 2018. In August, Canadian home sales were up 5 percent annually and 1.4 percent compared to July, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

“The mortgage stress-test has eased marginally and that’s helped some potential homebuyers,” says Jason Stephen, CREA’s president, in a statement.

“But the extent to which they’re adjusting to it continues to vary by community and price segment,” Stephen continues. - livabl.com

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) pointed out that the national August housing numbers show sustained improvement and this is a rosy figure that is felt across the country. According to the data, the sales are up for August and this is the sixth consecutive month.

As a consequence, the board is also prompted to improve its forecast, which would include Canada’s weakest market turnaround. Based on the data by zoocasa.com, the sales have skyrocketed up to 5% in the year with 44,437 transactions in total.

CREA anticipates these improvements will continue with steady sales growth throughout the remainder of this year and 2020; sales are to increase 5% and 7.5% over the next two years, respectively. That includes robust improvement in the beleaguered British Columbia market, where sales are to rise by a whopping 14.3% in 2020, as well as a 5% uptick in Alberta. The national average sale price is forecast to stabilize at 0.5% this year (compared to a previously predicted -0.6% decline), before increasing 2.1% to an average of $501,400 in 2020. - zoocasa.com

Final Thoughts

The housing market in Canada is making a comeback according to industry observers and financial experts. This is a remarkable indicator that despite the roller-coaster ride, the industry is up again and would hopefully stay that way until the end of the year.

Canada Housing Market Update – September 25, 2019 Read more on: The A-Team

Beyond Franklin: Manning Avenue

From farm boy to preacher in politics as Alberta’s premier

The Manning name is often used for titles of streets, schools and centres across the province to honour Alberta’s longest-standing premier – Honourable Ernest C. Manning.
In Fort McMurray, the name is on Manning Avenue, which is in the city’s lower townsite. Manning was also the father to Ernest Jr., known commonly as Preston Manning, who was the founder and only leader of the Reform Party of Canada.

Born on September 29, 1908, Manning was a distinguished man of many firsts. The Saskatchewan-born farm boy was the first student and graduate of Dean William Aberhart’s Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute. He was also the second youngest cabinet minister in British parliamentary history and became the longest-standing Premier of Alberta.

Not only was he the longest-serving premier in the British Commonwealth, but Manning was also known internationally as a Bible prophecy teacher through his direction of the international religious radio program called Back to the Bible Hour, known today as Canada’s National Bible Hour, which was the oldest and most far-reaching broadcast of its kind in Canada.

A Preacher of Faith and Politics

The Christian-based program was first broadcasted in 1925 by its originator the late William Aberhart. As Aberhart’s successor and the first graduate of the Calgary institute, Manning continued broadcastings after Aberhart’s death.

“The broadcasts were eventually aired on over 90 radio stations across Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver, and had a large audience,” as stated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

According to the Global Outreach Mission, the program continues today and is the oldest North American Gospel broadcast and continues to broadcast as a 30-minute program each Sunday morning throughout Canada.

Manning had a way of highlighting religion and politics but claimed he never intertwined the two; even when his critics didn’t agree with him and his position with the Social Credit party.
In CBC’s Radio archives of the “Alberta election 1944: Ernest Manning Magic” story feature, it quotes Manning through his party campaign.

“I’m sure many of you find life complicated and often difficult. Some fixed guidepost can help you charge the safe course and give you confidence amid the storms that often obscure your path,” he said on the radio program, Canada’s National Back to the Bible Hour.

A New Phase in Petroleum

While Manning was serving as the Province’s eighth premier (1943-1968), Alberta’s petroleum industry was entering the next phase as new oil discoveries in Leduc and Redwater were developing during the late 1940s.
The Leduc No. 1 well is preserved today as a National Historic Sites of Canada due to being responsible for the boom in petroleum exploration and development in Western Canada post-WWII. It was built in 1946.

In the Government of Alberta’s archives of the oil sands, it gives credit to Manning for keeping the political and public interest’s eyes on the development.

“It was Manning who made sure that these discoveries did not derail development of the province’s other oil resource, the oil sands,” it states.

The historic Canadian politician died on February 19, 1996, in Calgary, Alberta.

To learn more about the oil sands industry’s local history and development, visit the Oil Sands Discovery Centre at 515 MacKenzie Boulevard and visit online at www.oilsandsdiscovery.ca.

The article Beyond Franklin: Manning Avenue Find more on: The A-Team Fort McMurray Blog

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray? (September 17)

This week in September, Fort McMurray is highlighting some educational fun as locals and guests delve into some of the events you shouldn’t miss. The activities would absolutely guarantee hours of entertainment but is also great venue for information and new knowledge. The best thing about it is that there’s a fun educational event for everyone this week.

Get ready for some trivia fun and entertainment on September 16, 2019 because all geeks and non-geeks are invited. It is a fun night that you would never dare miss especially if you want to showcase your nerdy talent and prowess. All you have to do is be at 9708 Main St. Fort McMurray, Alberta at 7:30 PM for the best food and drinks plus night of trivia entertainment:

Trivia Night at Tavern on Main

Free to play and tons to win! Open Category trivia, Visual Rounds and Themed Buzzer rounds bring a team of 6 down and show everyone who Knows Best! Trivia Night @ Tavern is the First regularly scheduled Trivia Night in Fort McMurray. Zach Barrett is your host at the Tavern on Main on Monday nights at 7:30 - Via facebook.com

There’s another exciting event coming up this September 19 in Fort McMurray and this time it’s for the kids! Your little ones would absolutely love the fun activities that they could enjoy with other participating toddlers. It is a great way to keep them occupied for an hour while making sure they learn something as well. Make sure you bring your tots at 10:30 AM to the Syncrude Program Room WBRL 1, MacDonald Dr Fort McMurray, AB.

Lots O’ Tots

Bring your toddlers to Lots O’Tots and we can all shake our sillies out and wiggle our waggles away! We’ll sing, dance, read stories, and of course, play! See you and your mini movers and groovers every Thursday! Audience: 1-5 years. - Via maccalendar.ca

After the fun stuff with toddlers, it’s high time Fort McMurray delve into some activities that are best for the entire family. You learn arts and get to do it with a purpose. Guests are invited to be at the Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre around 4PM to 6PM on Saturday, September 21, 2019 and experience this artistic and meaningful event.

 

Paint with a Purpose

Paint With a Purpose will be hosted by your local artists in support of the Alberta Brain Injury Initiative.

Want to support a local cause in your community? Want to do it while having fun with your family? Say no more. Come down to the Nistawoyou Association Friendship Centre on Saturday Sept 21st . Enjoy FREE refreshments while painting the night away with your loved ones. This is a family friendly event so please bring your whole household for an evening filled with great vibes and messy fingers! - Via fortmcmurraytourism.com

 

 

Stay tuned to more upcoming fun events for everyone in Fort McMurray in the next event list by the A-List team!

The post What’s Happening in Fort McMurray? (September 17) was first published to The A-Team Real Estate

Canada Housing Market Update – September 8, 2019

Real Estate Market Update - Still a Roller Coaster Ride for the Mortgage Sector

The Canadian mortgage market is one of the most changeable and challenging industries in the real estate realm today. The latest update on the mortgage sector showed more evidence that the market has turned upside down and back again in its previous position. However,for two Canadian bank key players, the most recent news in this sector could prove advantageous to mortgage borrowers:

According to an excerpt from Livabl.com, Deputy Chief Economist for Scotiabank, Brett House and Raffi Ghazarian, senior research analyst, it is quite a very unusual and uncommon advantage:

“With long-term rates lower than short-term rates, home buyers have had a rare opportunity to lock in longer maturity fixed-rate mortgages at lower rates than if they had opted for variable rate mortgages.” - livabl.com

Zoocasa.com in a similar report reiterated the statement from the Bank of Canada, as part of the BoC’s September announcement:

For variable-rate mortgage holders or applicants, there won’t be any immediate change for rate prices; existing borrowers won’t see any fluctuation in their mortgage payments, and lenders are under no obligation to discount their variable rates at the moment for new borrowers. However, those considering signing up for a variable rate will already benefit from some of the lowest mortgage pricing available in today’s low-interest environment, and may see discounting in the months to come.- zoocasa.com

Nevertheless, there is a different way of looking into this scenario and making an analysis. For instance, the report from Betterdwelling.com showed that there may be a growth in the Canadian mortgage credit sector but other types of debt are also surfacing and they are not looking good:

Canadian households are pushing mortgage growth higher, but not other types of debt. Bank of Canada (BoC) data shows the rate of growth for mortgage debt hit a high for the year in July. Meanwhile consumer credit continued to the lowest rate of growth seen in years. An unusual match, since both segments don’t typically diverge for long. Compared to last year, both segments are showing continued signs of decelerating growth. - betterdwelling.com

Experts are saying that the mortgage growth indicates acceleration compared to the previous year but credit growth also varies with longer-term trend. Moreover, there is consistency in terms of the longer-term picture:

Compared to last July, the rate is also 8.82% lower, meaning we’re seeing a faster slowdown than we are with mortgages. Odd, since consumer credit usually rises when the economy is improving, as it is now. - betterdwelling.com

Final Thoughts

The trend in the mortgage sector for the Canadian real estate market is a fluid and ever-changing one. However, certain indications are showing that it is quite a good period for now especially with the latest five-year fixed-rate mortgages. Canadian home buyers, especially those who wanted to have a great deal from the market would no longer have to worry about higher interest rates. Thus, key players expect more growth in the Canadian housing market in the coming months.

The following article Canada Housing Market Update – September 8, 2019 Find more on: The A-Team Real Estate

Downtown Highlights: The Alley YMM

A new family-friendly facility brings local entertainment to the next level

The Alley YMM is the newest family entertainment centre to open its doors in the Wood Buffalo region, and it’s gaining popularity each day.

With five and 10-pin bowling alleys, an arcade packed with the newest featured games, a walk-up Starbucks, food counter, and a licensed bar with a place to pour your beverages; the Alley YMM is raising the bar in the local entertainment industry.

The all-age, family-fun facility is located in Fort McMurray’s lower townsite at 8528 Manning Avenue and is neighbours with restaurants like Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch and Spring Moon. It first opened its doors in July.

According to BowlCanada.com, approximately 95 million people across the globe enjoy the game of bowling, and it comes with many benefits as it promotes body growth and helps reduce weight and stress.

Bowling can also be played at a competitive level at ages 10+ for five-pin and 11+ for 10-pin bowling, as stated by Youth Bowl Canada. The organization explains the YBC league offers the importance of sportsmanship and fair play.

There are currently no registered youth bowling leagues in Fort McMurray, but with two alleys now open in the community, it has the opportunity to exist in the future.

The Alley YMM is the second bowling place to open in Fort McMurray this summer and has been receiving raving reviews on its Facebook page. It currently scores a 4.9 out-of-five based on the opinion of 72 people.

Based on her positive experience from hosting a birthday party for her four-year-old, Melanie Russell recommends Alley YMM to others.

Whether you’re hosting a birthday or company party, bowling is a great way to get everyone together. The Alley YMM has made it easy for its guests to book in advance online.

As for the menu, it has a list of finger foods with fair prices, starting at $3.49 for fries to $35.99 for a 24-inch pizza. The kids’ menu also includes fan food favourites like fries and chicken fingers.

The Alley YMM is open every day of the week: Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On weekends, it’s open 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, 10 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m.

To thank the fans, it’s hosting a "Snap & Share" social media contest.

During September, guests will receive a chance to win 60 minutes of bowling, four shoe rentals, $20 in arcade play and a 12-inch pizza.

To enter the contest, guests have to take a photo at the Alley and tag them on their social media platforms at @thealleyymm.

Learn more about The Alley YMM on their Facebook page for updates and announcements.

Downtown Highlights: The Alley YMM See more on: The A-Team

Beyond Franklin: Fraser Avenue

How the family of a piper populated the Prairies

Located in the heart of Fort McMurray’s downtown core, Fraser Avenue recognizes some of Alberta’s earliest settlers who populated the Edmonton area in the 1800s.
Today, the Avenue is home to landmarks and facilities like the Rotary House Seniors Lodge, Chez Dube Country Inn and the city’s first high-end apartment condominium – the II Villagio.

According to the Fort McMurray Historical Society, Fraser Avenue's name comes from Colin Fraser and his son Junior (Colin). Colin Fraser Sr. was a piper from Scotland, and his son built a post in the Lesser Slave Lake region in 1885. Based in Fort Chipewyan, Junior was a fur trader of precious furs including fox, beaver and mink in Alberta’s oldest community.

Building the Fraser Name in Alberta

Fraser is a nostalgic family name to the Province of Alberta. It first gained recognition by Colin Fraser in the early 1800s. He was a personal piper for Hudson Bay Company (HBC) Governor George Simpson, and he followed Simpson around on legendary canoe trips to the HBC forts across Canada.

According to Carol Snyder’s novel, After the Fur Trade, Fraser was a servant for Simpson. He dressed in full Highland regalia as worn in Scotland and would play bagpipes when Simpson would “sneak up on the forts, surprising staff with his sudden appearance. This would provide him with a true picture of conditions at the fort.”

The Frasers were one of the first families to claim River Lots in the area that is known today as the City of Edmonton. In December 1872, Fraser purchased land and built his family home the following summer.
The Glen Bow Art Museum in Calgary has records of information on the Fraser family from the 1930s. A letter written by Colin Jr. on February 15, 1933, indicates his father was born in Scotland in 1807 and he died in the 1860s in Lake St. Ann., while he was with the HBC.

He married Nancy Beaudry at Fort Carlton, an HBC hub in Saskatchewan, and was transferred to alternate HBC post known as the Jasper House, where most of his 12 children were born before making their way to Edmonton.

Located on the Yellowhead Highway in Jasper National Park, the Jasper House viewpoint remains as a national historic site today. From 1813 to 1884, it functioned in two different locations and was a staging and supply post for travels through the Canadian Rockies.

As preserved in the Provincial Archives of Alberta, his wife Nancy’s obituary notice in the Edmonton Bulletin from August 31, 1900, stated she was 92 years old when she passed. Nancy was the oldest resident in Edmonton at the time of her death.

The notice further mentioned that Nancy had fifty grandchildren alive and 27 dead. She also had thirty-nine great-grandchildren living and ten who had passed. They were some of the earliest settlers to “1885 Street” at Fort Edmonton Park.

As for Fraser’s son, Colin, he became well-known for his independent fur trading post in Fort Chipewyan and took his scow up the Athabasca River to sell furs and supplies in Edmonton each year. He had four sons and six daughters with his wife.

On March 6, 1944, a notice was posted in a newspaper’s classifieds section that Colin Jr. left behind an estate valued at $75,000. He passed away on February 3, 1942, at the age of 91. The beneficiaries included his daughter and Victoria-resident Mary Mellow, and his grandson Horace Mellor.

To learn more about the Fraser family and local history, visit the Fort McMurray Historical Society’s Heritage Park and Heritage Shipyard. Go to www.fortmcmurrayheritage.com for locations and visiting hours.

Beyond Franklin: The Street Names of Fort McMurray is a written online series profiling the people of local history compiled and written by Dawn Booth of Media Booth in partnership with Tom Albrecht of The A-Team at RE/MAX Fort McMurray. Series resources will include The Fort McMurray Heritage Society, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and files from Mrs. Frances Jean.
Corrections/Comments: For corrections, comments or suggestions on Fort McMurray street names to explore, please email dawn@mediabooth.net. Updates will be published on www.ateamymm.ca.

The following blog post Beyond Franklin: Fraser Avenue is courtesy of The A-Team Blog

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray? (September 2)

Fort McMurray Event Updates - Some Sumptuous Treats for Everyone

September is absolutely around the corner and these upcoming events would make you anticipate and drool over it too! Check out some of the activities we prepared for you at A-Team and see which of these events are your cup of tea for September 2019.

As has become tradition, we'll be holding our annual Client Appreciation event this week at the Howard Pew Park. Details can be found below.

The A-Team Client Appreciation Event

The event is free, and everyone we've worked with in the past is welcome to participate. There'll be music, door prizes, and many other events in store. Come see us September 5th between 4pm and 8pm at the Howard Pew Park!

Lunch and Network with Fabulous Women

We welcome Members and Non Members when we meet for lunch one Thursday of the month with the purpose to learn, network and to connect with other success oriented women in our community. Members can sign up to do a presentation for the group. 15 minute Keynote, 5 min success presentation or 5 min book presentation. (templates for these presentations are on our members only Facebook page. - Via meetup.com

If you feel like going for brunch on September 7, 2019, there is yet another foodie event with a cause that awaits you. The Habitat for Humanity Wood Buffalo is hosting a pancake brunch, absolutely free! This event is in support of the build projects of the organization. The event starts at 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Unifor Bldg, 10019 MacDonald Ave.

Habitat for Humanity Pancake Brunch and Volunteer Appreciation Event

A great opportunity to learn more about Habitat for Humanity Wood Buffalo, and how you can be involved! Talk with current volunteers about what they do for the organization, and discover the many different ways you can contribute - there are tons of opportunities that don’t all involve a hard hat! - Via fortmcmurraytourism.com

The A-Team will be out with more updates for our next roundup of exciting news on all the events taking place in Fort McMurray today!

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray? (September 2) was originally published to https://www.ateamymm.ca/

Anzac Highlights: Recreation Centre

Celebrating half a decade in community recreation excellence

For the past five years, the Anzac Recreation Centre has been offering guests an outlet for fitness, community events and championship games in its state-of-the-art facility.

The 112,000 square-foot structure features a fitness centre, an indoor running track, a youth room, an NHL-sized arena, a field house, an indoor playground, a boardroom and meeting spaces.

Located by Willow Lake at 237 Stony Mountain Road, the rec centre first opened on March 3, 2014. It was developed and built by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) to accommodate the population growth in Anzac, which has slowed down in the region post-wildfire.

According to the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo, the Centre celebrated its grand opening with a performance by Canadian rock icons Trooper. (The band will be returning to Fort McMurray for the Wood Buffalo Ribfest on August 31, 2019.)

The celebration event also included soccer and football clinics, which granted local youth opportunities to train with the pros from FC Edmonton and the Edmonton Eskimos.

“We’ve witnessed this Centre transform from bricks and mortar to a state-of-the-art facility that will provide increased community, recreation and athletic opportunities for the local communities. We hope this Centre will serve as a pillar of the community for years to come,” Tony Mankowski, former VP Operations at Nexen Long Lake stated in a news release by RRC.

Today, it continues to improve the livelihood of the Anzac community, and guests credit the staff of the facility for being “rock stars” in service.

On the Anzac Recreation Centre’s Facebook page, it receives a 4.8 out-of-five based on the opinion of 17 people, and 37 people recommend it.

Jennifer Van Der Voort was a recent visitor and gave the facility a five-star rating.

“Anzac Recreation is incredible. They have a deep love and compassion for the rural area they serve,” she stated on the Facebook page. “Their employees are local rock stars, and I love the new programs they have been running.”

While the facility holds regular events for the community, it has also shared its part in hosting athletes from across Canada as it was the venue for the Canadian Ringette Championships in 2015.

According to Ringette Canada, the championships are “designed to crown champions in the U16, U19 and National Ringette League (19+) divisions.” Ringette Canada’s championships are held annually in late March or early April. In 1979, the first championships took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The recreation centre was also one of the 11 host venues during the 2018 Wood Buffalo Alberta Winter Games, which brought thousands of athletes from across the province to participate in 22 different sports in the Wood Buffalo region.

The Alberta Games alternate through cities in the province each year. Not only do they provide over 2,800 young athletes with the chance to challenge themselves, and others, through sport at a provincial level, but the Games also enable the opportunity for Albertans to get to know their home province, celebrate its culture and boost the economy.

The Anzac Recreation Centre will be on the list of venues for the upcoming 2020 Arctic Winter Games, which are the largest, northern multi-sport and cultural event in the world.

According to the RMWB news release, past Games have provided $7.65 to $14.3 million to the event hosts’ economies. The total cost to host the Games is between five to eight million dollars.

The official announcement for the RMWB claiming the host title took place on February 8, 2019, at MacDonald Island.

RMWB Mayor Don Scott shared excitement alongside Alberta Minister of Culture and Tourism Ricardo Miranda and Co-Chair for the Wood Buffalo 2022 Arctic Winter Games Kim Rizzi.

“I’m excited that our region will be hosting a major international event and welcoming thousands of visitors to our community,” stated Mayor Scott in a news release.

To learn more about the Anzac Recreation Centre, and its memberships and facilities available, visit www.anzacrec.ca and stay tuned for more 2022 Arctic Games announcements on the RWMB’s website at www.rmwb.ca.

The blog post Anzac Highlights: Recreation Centre Read more on: The A-Team Real Estate

Fort McMurray and the Canadian Oil Market: A Quick Look

The oil industry is one of the bloodlines in overall economy of Canada but it had been a roller coaster ride for this sector in the previous years to the present. From legislation to oil companies changing their business strategies every now and then, the fluidity of the industry is inevitable. Programs such as the curtailment policy in the oil sector are adding to the seemingly unending debates and challenges.

According to a news report from Fortmcmurraytoday.com, the program will be extended until December 2020, further giving the Alberta government authority in the imposition of production caps, affecting all oil companies in the region:

“I am the very last person who wants to see curtailment continue,” Energy Minister Sonya Savage said Tuesday. But while extending curtailment is far from ideal, under the current context it is necessary.” - Via fortmcmurraytoday.com

The updated policy aims to offer more flexible options and better results for the industry based on the statement by the Minister of Energy. This would include offering more advanced notice to oil producers regarding any changes to production limits. It would also double the curtailment base limit as reported by mix1037fm.com:

In addition, the extension would increase the base deduction from 10,000 BPD to 20,000 BPD and adjust the curtailment formula accordingly – resulting in an increase of about 25,000 BPD to the allowed production limit for October.

It will also reduce red tape for small producers.

Savage adds an extension is the last thing the provincial government wanted – but that it’s essential to improving market access. - Via mix1037fm.com

The province went for the curtailment extension mainly because of the Line 3 Replacement project of Enbridge, which would reach the US Midwest and could add up to 370,000-barre capacity on a daily export basis. However, due to the production limits, more than 150,000 barrels are kept from the export market.

Canada is trying to increase its export presence in the international oil market, pushing oilsands firms to consider measures such as diluent recovery units for increased volumes of crude by rail. This report from mymcmurray.com states:

Ongoing pipeline project delays and growth in crude-by-rail capacity from Western Canada are leading some oilsands producers to consider spending billions of dollars to build diluent recovery units.

Oilsands bitumen is a thick, sticky oil which must be diluted with about half as much light petroleum to flow in a pipeline, but diluent isn’t needed for rail transport because the product can be heated for loading and unloading.

In a recent interview, Cenovus Energy Inc. CEO Alex Pourbaix said his company is actively investigating building a unit at its terminal near Edmonton which would cost between $800 million and $1 billion. - Via mymcmurray.com

Analysts are saying the proposed diluent recovery units to be based in Alberta could improve the overall efficiency and profitability of crude by rail in the country as well as in the southern US. Thus, such developments in the oil sector show its active participation in the Canadian economy now more than ever.

The following blog post Fort McMurray and the Canadian Oil Market: A Quick Look is courtesy of The A-Team Blog

Canadian Housing Market (August 24)

The Canadian Real Estate Association recently released the latest figure in the housing market and the sales are showing a massive soar for the month of July. The numbers are indicative of the most sales for July in previous years, showing only two major markets declining. According to CREA, the reports showed more than 12% growth in sales, which is the highest since 2016.

An excerpt from Betterdwelling.com showed the changes in the housing sales in the Canadian real estate market:

The rate of growth is increasing, but there’s a few things worth noting. First, this is a rare monthly increase for July, and the first one in over 10 years of data. Typically, sales make a seasonal decline in July, and this year they did not. The 12-month rate of growth has been trending higher, but making its fourth positive print. – Via betterdwelling.com

According to Zoocasa.com, the continuous recovery of the housing market in Canada is continuously felt throughout the country. CREA stressed that the overall recovery of the market reached up to 15% and sales soared up to 60% in all local markets:

While this uptick is partly the result of buyers acclimatizing to the national mortgage stress test and a lower interest rate environment, even the largest markets remain subdued compared to pre-policy levels, say CREA’s analysts.“The extent to which recent declines in mortgage interest rates have helped lift sales activity varies by community and price segment,” states CREA President Jason Stephen. – Via zoocasa.com

The same trend and emphasis on the stress test and its effects on the mortgage status of most Canadian homebuyers received a highlight in Betterdwelling.com, reiterating the statement from a CREA expert:

CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump notes, “Sales are starting to rebound in places where they dropped when the mortgage stress test took effect at the beginning of 2018, but activity there remains well below levels recorded prior to its introduction.” Further adding, “Sales continue to rise in housing markets where the mortgage stress test had little impact due to upbeat local economic conditions and a supply of affordably priced homes.” – Via betterdwelling.com

In particular, market observers and analysts in specific parts of the country such as Quebec share the same observation and optimism with the increase of housing sales and its continuous growth in the most recent month. Livabl.com quotes Nathalie Begin, president of the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers:

“The sales growth that we’ve been witnessing since the start of the year reached a new peak in July with the largest increase in sales since May 2017…What’s remarkable is that the resale market continues to be so strong after 53 consecutive months of increases.” – Via livabl.com

Final Thoughts

The unusual yet welcomed increase in the Canadian housing sales bucked seasonal declines, putting the market near historical buying levels. The major rise in sales as well as the growth is indicative of the trend that could be reversing. Moreover, the slew of sales activity remarkably sustained despite the apparent increase in home prices in major markets, giving us more hopes for a rebounding real estate sector.

The post Canadian Housing Market (August 24) was originally seen on The A-Team YMM

Beyond Franklin: Hospital Street

A street surrounding the health care of the region

Hospital Street’s name comes from the location where the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s hospital – The Northern Lights Regional Health Centre (NLRHC) resides.

The NLRHC is in Fort McMurray’s lower townsite area at 7 Hospital Street. It’s the community’s third hospital facility to service its residents.

The first hospital was a two-bed nursing station based out of the Presbyterian Church and managed by Nurse Olive (Dolly) Rose in the 1920s.

Dr. George Ings also helped residents with medical treatment and procedures at the Church. He was the first physician in Fort McMurray and served patients across Northern Alberta from 1921 to 1933.

During the early 1930s, there was population growth in the area due to the new interest in the early oil sands development, after the first commercial sale of bitumen for the oil sands occurred in 1930 by Bitumount, which was owned by Alberta’s only independent commercial oil sands developer, Robert Fitzsimmons.

According to the Fort McMurray Historical Society’s documents of The Catholic Mission: The South of the North Pioneers, the community’s growing numbers demanded a larger health practice.

“There were too many smaller communities in the area turning to Fort McMurray for aid. Fort McMurray needed a hospital, and citizens began petitioning for one as early as 1915,” the document states. “In the 1930s, with a population still increasing, citizens started what became a six-year campaign to get a “Sisters Hospital” run by the Grey Nuns of Montreal.”

By 1938, the Hôpital St. Gabriel, or St. Gabriel's Hospital, was built on Franklin Avenue, on the corner of Hardin Street, where the Jubilee Plaza stands today. The Grey Nuns named the hospital after Bishop Gabriel Breynat. The hospital officially opened on May 24.

The hospital was a two-storey structure with 16 beds and four bassinettes, which also included separate men and women wards, living quarters for staff and the Grey Nuns, as well as a chapel.

In its first year of operation, the hospital admitted 152 patients, performed 27 surgical operations, filled 63 prescriptions, applied 657 bandages, and had four deaths.

In the 1960s, the need for a hospital was at an all-time high and construction for the Fort McMurray General Hospital began due to the oil sands boom and the opening of the Great Canadian Oil Sands. The hospital opened in 1965, and the St. Gabriel Hospital became a convalescent (nursing) home for residents in the community.

Today, Fort McMurray's Heritage Park honours the first two hospitals – Presbyterian Church and the St. Gabriel's Hospital – and its earliest medical staff.
The structure of the church sits on the park grounds, and the hospital sign of St. Gabriel’s is the only remaining part of the structure preserved as it was demolished in 1979 to build the Jubilee Plaza. The park also features an exhibit devoted to St. Gabriel’s and the Grey Nuns.

Decades following the opening of Fort McMurray’s hospital, known now as the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre; the Northern Lights Health Foundation was initiated as a non-profit organization to support the Alberta Health Services in the Wood Buffalo region.

Two years following the kick-start of the Foundation, it received “official charitable status under the Hospitals Act” and, it began gaining recognition in the community through its annual Signature Events, the Festival of Trees and Spring Fling, as it states on the Foundation’s website.

The NLRHC continues to grow and is currently undertaking extensive re-development work to several areas in the facility with its $42-million-dollar project. This included the $8.5-million helicopter landing pad project.

For updates and more information on the NLRHC, visit the Northern Lights Health Foundation website.

 

Beyond Franklin: The Street Names of Fort McMurray is a written online series profiling the people of local history compiled and written by Dawn Booth of Media Booth in partnership with Tom Albrecht of The A-Team at RE/MAX Fort McMurray. Series resources will include The Fort McMurray Heritage Society, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and files from Mrs. Frances Jean.

Corrections/Comments: For corrections, comments or suggestions on Fort McMurray street names to explore, please email dawn@mediabooth.net. Updates will be published on www.ateamymm.ca.

The article Beyond Franklin: Hospital Street is available on https://ateamymm.ca/

Parsons Creek Highlights: Skatepark

Fort McMurray skatepark provides one of many outdoor experiences to Parsons Creek North

The Parsons Creek Skatepark is an outdoor hub for skateboarders and creates a safe and designated environment for youth in one of Fort McMurray’s newer neighbourhoods.

Parsons Creek North is north of Timberlea and is the first architecturally controlled community in the city. It’s also the closest subdivision to the oil sands development.

The subdivision was created to help with the high-population demand for housing in the area at the time. Almost a decade following, the third phase of development is still awaiting approval for completion.

The skatepark facility is part of the original Parsons Creek Urban Design Plan, which was submitted to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo council to review and approve in 2010.

In the plan, it stated the new subdivision would have “housing and recreation opportunities to the citizens of Fort McMurray and surrounding area.” And, further included “a regional park site will be located in Parsons Creek to meet the passive recreational needs of the area.”

In 2015, SG Landscaping (a company based out of Spruce Grove) partnered with a local concrete company, Ripley Construction to build the skatepark.

Located on the corner of Heritage and Nicholson Drive, the skatepark is part of an outdoor recreation area, which also includes a spray park, playground and washrooms.

The Parsons Creek Skatepark is the fourth skateboard park to open in Fort McMurray. Other skateparks available in the city include Simons & Lucas Park in Abasand, Casselman Lush Memorial Skate Park at the Borealis Park and the Syncrude Athletic Park in Timberlea.

On Google, the skatepark’s reviews receives 4.3 out of five stars based on the opinion of 48 visitors.

Recent guest Jay Beck gave the park a 5-star rating stating it’s a “great place for anyone to sit, relax and get some exercise.”

According to the Skaters for Public Skateparks (an international non-profit skatepark advocacy organization), skateparks have a wide-range of benefits for the community as they add a healthy, athletic outlet for youth and offer accessible, low-cost, equal opportunities for all children to participate.

Not only do skateparks bring out all wheeled-sport participants to play on their skateboards, BMX bikes, freestyle scooters and inline skates; they also improve safety by having a zoning area for children and youth to take part in their desired sport.
To learn more about parks and outdoor recreation areas within the Wood Buffalo region, a full list of information is available online on the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s website.

The following blog post Parsons Creek Highlights: Skatepark was first published to www.ateamymm.ca

Canada Housing Market Update (August 10)

The Bank of Canada has released mortgage credit figures for June, and it is overwhelmingly positive. This is indicative of an improvement in mortgage growth and follows an unusually darker phase in the country’s real estate sector. While this growth is slower than desired, especially when compared to previous years, it is still a step in the right direction.

Still on this subject matter, this excerpt from Betterdwelling.com should provide some pointers on what this means:

The annualized pace of growth is pointing towards more potential growth, at least near-term. The 3-month annualized growth reached 4.3% in June, an increase of 38.70% from the same period last year. This represents a 16.21% increase compared to the current 12 month rate of growth. To clarify, this doesn’t mean the growth rate will necessarily reach 4.3% soon. Instead it means there’s more seasonal pressure moving the annual rate higher. Whether this carries into the fall and winter will be a completely different story. The 3-month annualized rate could collapse and bring the trend lower, but it would have to be a steep drop. There’s enough room for it to fall a little, and still drag the 12-month higher. via betterdwelling.com

According to the excerpt below from Livabl.com, the cause of this growth can be traced:

They also cite mortgage stress testing that federal policymakers introduced in January 2018. The rules, drafted by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, a financial-sector watchdog, set a higher bar for uninsured-mortgage applicants through a new stress test. The test requires these borrowers to qualify at a rate that is either 200 basis points higher than what’s on their contract or matches the Bank of Canada’s qualifying rate — whichever is higher. via livabl.com

Despite this growth, the mortgage debt continues to rise reaching new heights with figures for June released this month. Again, Betterdwelling.com reels out some BoC figures concerning the mortgage debt situation:

Canadian mortgage debt topped a new record, as growth picked up a little last month. The outstanding balance of mortgage credit reached $1.57 trillion in June, up 0.57% from last year. The balance is now 3.7% higher than the same month last year. The annual rate of growth is an improvement over what we’ve been seeing over the past few years. via betterdwelling.com

If you are unsure of what the mortgage stress test is all about, this excerpt from Zoocasa.com sheds some light:

In early 2018, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) implemented a mortgage stress test that requires home buyers to qualify at a mortgage rate that is the higher of the Bank of Canada’s benchmark rate or two additional percentage points to their contract rate.
The stress test was put in place to ensure Canadians don’t take on any mortgage debt that they couldn’t be able to pay off, in the event of future rate increases. It essentially forced home buyers to purchase more affordable houses than they could have previously qualified for.
In real terms, this means that a home buyer who gets a five-year fixed-rate mortgage of 2.54% (currently the best mortgage rate in Ontario) would have to prove to their lender that they could qualify for the Bank of Canada’s benchmark rate. via zoocasa.com

Final Thoughts

With the growth in mortgage credit, there appears to be a silver lining. If this could see a decrease in reverse mortgage debt, then the stunning heights of 2017 would no longer feel like a mirage. For now, we can only be optimistic about developments in the real estate sector.

The following article Canada Housing Market Update (August 10) is republished from The A-Team YMM

Beyond Franklin: Dickins Drive

Canadian flying ace legend lives on in Fort McMurray

Canadian aviation pioneer Punch Dickins made his mark in the Wood Buffalo region for delivering the first airmail to the Northwest Territories (NWT) on January 23, 1929.

Dickins was born on January 12, 1899, in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba and moved to Edmonton, Alberta with his family when he was ten. Seven years later, Dickins enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps and flew 73 missions during World War I.

This incredible feat earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross at age 18, which is “awarded to officers and Warrant Officers for an act of valour, courage or devotion to duty performed whilst flying active operations against the enemy,” as stated by Veteran Affairs Canada.

In the winter of 1928, the First World War flying ace left the Royal Canadian Air Force to join the Western Canada Airways (WCA), where he flew an experimental load of mail to Fort Resolution. This inaugural flight opened the doors to northern mail service, and his route took him through Waterways, Alberta (which is now a sub-division in Fort McMurray) regularly.

On January 3, 1929, he landed two Western Canada Airway Fohker’s in Fort McMurray and made the first unofficial airmail flight to Fort Simpson. By the end of the year, a regular airmail contract had been granted to Edmonton’s Commercial Airways.

The Western Canada Airways

The Western Canada Airways was formed in 1926 by wealthy Winnipeg grain merchant, James A. Richardson. Dickins was hired by Richardson and was responsible for creating the regular air service down the Mackenzie River from Fort McMurray.

The aviation company continued to receive large contracts from the Canadian Government to transport goods. One of the most prolific tasks was the transportation of 800 lbs. of dynamite, which the Government reports as one of the largest Canadian airlifts to-date.

Western Canada Airways merged into Canadian Airways in 1930, until it was purchased by Canadian Air Lines in 1941. In 1942, Dickins became Vice-President and General Manager of Canadian Pacific Airlines.

According to Bushplane.com, Dickins continued to fly over unmapped areas of Northern Canada and covered 1.6 million kilometres of northern Canadian wilderness, which included “the first reconnaissance flight across the Barren Lands of the Northwest Territories.”

The flights were often so close to the magnetic north pole that compass navigation was impossible. He was also the first to fly the full length of the Mackenzie River, which he covered in two days.

During World War II, he managed six flight training schools. It also states he later collaborated with aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Canada on the design of DHC-2 Beaver – one of the best bush planes ever built. The first production on the aircraft was delivered to the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests in April 1948.

In March 2019, Canada Post celebrated Dickins as “one of the highest achievers in Canada’s rich aviation history” with a postage stamp to honour the prolific bush pilot in correlation with their Canadians in Flight: Official First Day Cover collection.

Today, Clenell “Punch” Haggerston Dickins legend lives on by his name found within one of the Fort McMurray’ sub-divisions, schools and streets, which are Dickinsfield, Dickinsfield School and Dickins Drive. The area is located at the top of the hill, where the Thickwood Heights and Timberlea sub-divisions meet.
Dickins continued flying until he was 78-years-old. After his death on August 2, 1995, his son John scattered his ashes along the Mackenzie River.

Beyond Franklin: The Street Names of Fort McMurray is a written online series profiling the people of local history compiled and written by Dawn Booth of Media Booth in partnership with Tom Albrecht of The A-Team at RE/MAX Fort McMurray. Series resources will include The Fort McMurray Heritage Society, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and files from Mrs. Frances Jean.
Corrections/Comments: For corrections, comments or suggestions on Fort McMurray street names to explore, please email dawn@mediabooth.net. Updates will be published on www.ateamymm.ca.

Beyond Franklin: Dickins Drive was first published on https://ateamymm.ca

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray (August 5)

At Fort McMurray, there is something for you and your family to do and enjoy every day of the week. Below are some interesting events happening over the next two weeks.

Come Tuesday, join an exciting team of artists in the Arts Match under the auspices of the Arts Council Wood Buffalo (ACWB):

Arts Match: Speed Networking for Artists

This event is an engaging network activity designed to bring artists of common interests together in a friendly atmosphere. Singers, dancers, musicians, and actors seeking an opportunity for performance, those wishing to work as volunteers, those looking for mentors, project managers looking for participants, or persons seeking for inputs concerning a new idea will find this event beneficial. No lover of the Arts should miss this event. The ACWB organizes the event in conjunction with the Arts Recovery Project, Canadian Red Cross, and Keyano College Theatre & Arts Centre, and it is FREE.

The Arts Match is holding at Keyano Theatre & Arts Centre on Tuesday, August 6 from 5.30 pm to 9 pm. The event creates a forum for artists to meet, socialize, and seek networking opportunities. In this event, participants will be given two minutes to pitch their interests or ideas to other participating artists. After that, there will be a complimentary BBQ in the courtyard. Click here to reserve your FREE position for this event.

Bring along your car – any make, any model – or come along and be entertained in Summit GM’s 2nd Annual Show and Shine.

Summit GM Annual Show and Shine

Summit Collision and Glass GM 2nd Annual Show and Shine is holding on Saturday, 10th August 2019 at 460 Macalpine Crescent from 10 am to 4 pm. Gates open at 8 am. Car collectors and lovers are invited to this one-day Summer event to display their collection of cars, trucks, or motorcycles. All makes and models are invited. Bob McKay and Robbie Picard will hold this year’s event. There is a registration fee of CAD 20 for this event.

During the “Show and Shine,” Summit’s body ship will be available, donating windscreen’s chip repairs. Also, vendors representing Ceramic Pro and Expel Paint Protectant will be at the venue. You can test your vehicle’s horsepower and torque at a modest fee – whether you have just installed new engine mods or you are interested in knowing your vehicle’s performing power. Canadian Championship Mud Racing (CCMR) will also be available to provide DYNO testing. Proceeds from all services offered at this event, including the registration fees, will be donated to Fort McMurray’s local Salvation Army “Feed the Homeless” program.

The Centre for Aboriginal Relations (CFAR) Society presents a Golf Tournament and Networking Lunch. It is an event designed for you to enjoy and improve your golfing skills while, at the same time, expanding your circle of friends and contacts:

Golf Tournament and Networking Lunch

Here is another opportunity for you to increase your circle of contacts, friends, and influence in this year’s event. It will take place at Miskanaw Golf Club on Friday, 16th August 2019 from 7.00 am to 3.00 pm. Breakfast will be available from 7 am, and Shotgun starts at 8 am. Networking lunch follows after that. The event costs between $190 - $300. You may select and book your tickets for this event here.

Come along with your ideas, thoughts, and call cards. You may also bring along your promotional products for door prizes to market your products. And, in case you do not have a golf kit, there is a full-service Pro Shop at the event’s venue. If you would like more details about this event, you can call 403-271-2262 and leave a message or send an email to maureen@cfarsociety.ca.

What’s Happening in Fort McMurray (August 5) was first published on https://ateamymm.ca/