At the heartbeat of the energy sector, Fort McMurray residents weigh in on election issues

Julia Wong · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 29, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Born and raised successful Fort McMurray, Alta., Corey Coffey has seen the assemblage spell done ups and downs.

From the 2016 wildfire to flooding to economical downturns, the bluish Alberta assemblage has persisted.

But the looming menace of U.S. tariffs has him nervous.

"This feels a batch different," said Coffey, who has worked successful the oilsands since helium was a teenager, 

Coffey, the CEO and proprietor of GOAT Mechanical Services, a dense instrumentality repair company, said it has been a "rollercoaster" arsenic tariff threats loom implicit the industry. Coffey said 98 per cent of his concern is connected to the vigor sector.

Plans for an enlargement person crushed to a halt and determination is besides a intermission connected caller hiring arsenic a effect of the commercialized war, helium said.

"[There's] a lot of uncertainty with respect to the tariffs and respect to elections present being called conscionable recently, which puts again, a batch of uncertainty into the region," said Coffey.

When asked however pivotal this upcoming national predetermination is, Coffey said it's going to beryllium critical.

"This predetermination is going to beryllium [a] defining infinitesimal successful the adjacent 5 to 10 years for Canada. Whoever gets successful powerfulness and however they represent themselves and however they're capable to negociate with the Trump administration, that is decidedly cardinal for america close now," helium said.

Important issues

Coffey wants reddish portion for the manufacture to beryllium eliminated and to spot firmer task deadlines.

He further wants the large parties to explicate however they privation to unite Canada and what Alberta's relation successful that would be.

"Typically, we're similar the achromatic canine of the family, the achromatic sheep right? So however bash we acceptable into this nationalist unity right? What are their plans for expanding the entree of our resources to the West Coast and the East Coast alternatively of relying heavy connected exports done the U.S.?," Coffey said.

Watch | Fort McMurray residents sermon their tops issues astatine the ballot box:

He said the situation is important to support successful mind.

"By nary means should anybody scrap immoderate biology regulations but certainly, look astatine what tin we amended connected successful what areas," Coffey said.

Caitlyn Gould, the main concern improvement serviceman astatine Acden, the concern limb of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, agrees that tariff threats person provided uncertainty to the vigor sector.

Gould said Acden has 23 businesses nether its umbrella, chiefly serving the lipid and state industry.

"The vigor assemblage and liable assets improvement successful this portion and for each of Canada, Fort McMurray remains a cornerstone of vigor for our nation," Gould told CBC News.

"It is highly important for not lone our portion present but each of Canada and vigor security," she said.

Trevor Boe volition besides beryllium keeping a adjacent oculus connected the national predetermination campaign.

Boe, the president of Inner City Diesel, an biology dewatering and tailings absorption company, said tariff threats person created volatility for his company.

"It's truly throwing a wrench into immoderate of our plans. We had a mates of projects that person been postponed for this year," helium said.

He said determination are 3 pressing issues erstwhile it comes to the lipid and state sector: emissions policies, c pricing and aboriginal commercialized relations.

And the main ballot container question for Boe is who tin champion woody with the economy, tariff uncertainties and commercialized relations.

"We're successful turbulent times close present and however they navigate those headwinds oregon those unsteady waters is going to beryllium important to Canadians," said Boe.

Sovereignty connected the ballot

Dianna de Sousa, CEO of the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce, would similar to spot changes to the projected emissions cap, the Impact Assessment Act and the West Coast tanker ban.

Now that determination is simply a menace to Canada's sovereignty, it's important to cultivate divers markets and to spouse with the national government, she said.

"So that we tin past really recognize our economical maturation and our prosperity some arsenic a portion but besides arsenic a country," de Sousa said.

She said the lipid and state assemblage wants to spot much enactment and much assurance from the national government, specified arsenic regulatory certainty and much infrastructure.

"We're looking for a authorities that volition implement, rotation backmost and enactment policies that volition let for america to truly maximize the worth that we tin person retired of lipid and gas," de Sousa said.

On the caput of residents

At a occupation just successful Fort McMurray, occupation seeker Normand Savoie, a dense instrumentality driver, said employment and migration issues are issues helium volition beryllium tracking during the campaign, on with energy.

"Pipeline. I support coming backmost to the pipeline," Savoie said.

"Just much enlargement projects successful the lipid plants."

Fellow occupation seeker Loralie Hartle canvassed the occupation just looking for administrative jobs. She has worked successful the lipid and state assemblage for the past 16 years.

The commercialized warfare with the U.S is apical of caput for her.

"The tariffs and worldly that we support proceeding about. That's scary, particularly with lipid and gas," Hartle said.

But she said she besides wants the adjacent premier curate to code occupation opportunities and housing, adding she wants her sons, who are successful their 30s, to beryllium capable to spend a home.