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to which Baker refers. “The oil sector has been very generous in
donating back to the region, whether it be community events
or community facilities,” he says, adding that the support of
industry has helped to “build a community that will attract
not only people that work in the oil industry, but the other pro-
fessional and employment sectors within our community.”
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Higher tax bases, corporate donations, and increased wealth
come at a price. The sheer number of people moving into the
province isn’t easy to accommodate.
Rapid growth has been an enormous strain on the infra-
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structure of many communities, especially Wood Buffalo.
Everything from highways, to medical facilities, to the water
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and sewage system must be upgraded to service the needs of
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the growing population.
Affordable housing—or the lack of it—is another problem
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shared by many provincial municipalities. Housing prices
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skyrocketed throughout Alberta and although the market lev-
elled out somewhat in 2007 in most cities, they remain high.
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in Calgary and $958 in Edmonton.
The most extreme example is found in Fort McMurray.
The average price for a single-family residence in that city
was more than $600,000 in November of 2007, a 31 per cent
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increase in just one year. Rents are also high; the average
monthly rent for a two-bedroom suite in Fort McMurray in
October 2007 was $2,085. The same size suite rents for $1,089
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The lack of affordable housing compounds the labour.
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Logan says that the primary effect of heavy oil development
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on Grande Prairie, as in most of Alberta, has been competi-
tion for labour. Recruiting is difficult; people cannot afford to
move into communities where shelter is at a premium.
“We need more affordable housing, we need more social ser-
vices, we need more schools and the staff to man them, and we
desperately need more medical facilities and staff,” Logan states.
Many people arrive in these communities with very little,
thinking they will quickly find employment that pays well.
Some are disappointed; much of the work requires specialized»
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