February 2007 ISSUE
Welcome to Paradise
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS |
Fort McMurray is the heart of Alberta’s oil sands, and its reputation is one of big, awe-inspiring machines churning across the horizon to create wealth. But there are other aspects of this iconic resource town you may never have heard about.
BY RATTAN S. GARCHA, P. ENG.
PEGG Contributor
When you think of Fort McMurray, your mind automatically sparks up images of oil and tar sands. Perhaps you think of the big oil companies operating there and how you’d like to see some of that larger-than-life action firsthand.
But maybe you should show up for another reason: the great outdoors.
That’s right. Fort McMurray, no matter what the time of the year, offers a rich fresh-air experience — one that goes beyond bitumen and bank accounts.
The area really has only two seasons, winter and summer. The transition is so abrupt that spring and fall are virtually non-existent. Fleeting though spring may be, its arrival opens the floodgates to outdoor adventure and fun.
Many of the area’s more than 1,000 APEGGA members and their families flock to the golf courses for a high-quality game at a reasonable price. They’ll often be treated to sightings of bear, deer, fox or beaver during their game.
Lay of the Land
No wonder there’s plenty of wildlife — because there are plenty of
habitats. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo covers about 70,000 square
kilometres, home to many lakes, rivers, ravines, hiking trails and campgrounds.
The area offers moose and deer hunting in the fall, and lots of opportunity for
those who love fishing, too.
The city is located at the confluence of four rivers. There are more than 40 lakes nearby. Some are fly-in only, while others are accessible by surface travel. In addition to summer fishing, ice fishing is a favourite activity in the colder months.
The Peace-Athabasca Delta is located in the southern part of Wood Buffalo National Park, a World Heritage Site. The delta is a paradise for bird watchers. Accessible only by water from Fort Chipewyan, this undisturbed bird sanctuary offers, in the spring and fall, more than 200 species.
Another outdoor adventure in northern Alberta is a visit to the Athabasca Dunes. Located in the Maybelle River Wildland Park, this ecological reserve features many tall and huge sand dunes and high kames.
Access to the edge of the park is via winter road from Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan. Even though getting there can be tricky, those who make the effort are rewarded with a bounty of wildlife and vegetation few other sites can match.
Fort McMurray itself is in the auroral band. This means residents are privileged to watch the dance of aurora borealis on most clear evenings during the equinox from September to March. These famous northern lights appear in many forms and colours.
This mystery of nature is a wonder to behold. On a not-so-cold moonlit evening, a simple walk on a snow-covered city trail can be a spiritual experience. The same trail offers nature’s gift of chirping birds on those winter days that are sunny and cosy.
In addition to its oil wealth, its high-tech machines, its advanced engineering and its geological marvels, the Fort McMurray area is a place of immense natural beauty.
You must experience it to appreciate it. Those among the APEGGA membership who haven’t made the trek north to Fort McMurray should definitely make it a priority.
It’s a decision you will not regret.
Rattan S. Garcha, P.Eng., MASc., MBA, is a staff engineer (electrical) with Syncrude Canada Limited. He has worked in upgrading, utilities and extraction divisions of Syncrude. An executive member of APEGGA’s Fort McMurray Branch, he has lived in Fort McMurray since 1988.