Making a life in Mcmurray

Recently I've gotten a lot more involved in local social media. I love know what is going on in my hometown, especially events and fundraisers. I just feel like lately I've been flooded with negativity about Fort Mcmurray. Sure, the traffic sucks and I would love to have some more local shopping but this town is growing. The coming changes are truly amazing and the amenities are coming!

I always get the same reaction wherever I go. Someone asks me if I like living in Fort Mcmurray and my answer always is that I love it here, it’s my home. People are shocked! I moved here a little over 5 years ago with literally nothing. My first months rent sucked up any savings that I had. I borrowed my damage deposit from my parents. I bought a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter and that’s what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the first week until I got paid. I was determined. I knew the money was here! I was going to work my ass off for a year and then get the hell outta dodge. My dad lived here in the 70’s, Fort Mcmurray is no place for a lady is what I was told. I had a short term get rich quick plan and then go build my happily ever after someplace else

Then this crazy thing happened. I learned that in this industry town, if you had drive you could go places! I started in an entry level position in my company. 3 years later I was in management. I had gone back to school at Keyano and completed a Continuing Education diploma all while working full time. I moved out of the room I was renting into a one bedroom apartment. I bought myself a brand new Toyota! See ya later 1992 Honda Civic! Imagine, a 25 year old female, Management in a construction company, living on my own, taking trips to sunny vacations on a whim. Do you know what I would be if I lived pretty much anywhere else in Canada? A 60 year old dude. Quality people are nurtured in this town. Potential thrives in these big oil companies. If you are willing to put a little effort in you can be really successful. In my time climbing the corporate ladder I also started to put down roots.

I always hear from people that there is nothing to do here. Really? Because I don’t stop! There is always something going on! Fort Mcmurray is one of the most giving communities I have ever lived in! Every weekend there’s a different fundraiser or activity you can participate in. Run for the cure, Relay for Life, United Way, Local schools, the Center of Hope, The Hub, The Fort Mcmurray family crisis center, The SPCA, the list goes on and on! Pick your favourite local or national charity and get involved!  Get active with fitness classes at Mac Island or the YMCA. Check out some of the awesome local fitness trainers. Want a serious ass kicking? Go see Kelly at Ultimate Sculpting. She’s the greatest!

Fort Mcmurray also has a great night life if you are into the bar scene. I’m a live music junkie so I love open mic at the Tavern on Main (Also love Monday night trivia!). There’s also always a band at Paddy McSwiggen’s or the Blackhorse. This weekend is St. Paddy’s Day (one of my favourite occasions!) and I’ll be heading to Wood Buffalo Brew to see Mackenzie Wallace. I saw him in Hometown the Musical and he was awesome. I totally had a crush on the John character! There are also so many great local artists like Amy Heffernan and Stu Marchand. They don’t play all the time, but if you get the chance, go see them! There is so much talent right here in Mcmurray! There are also many different genres of local artists. You are bound to find someone you are in to.

Another one of my favorite things to do here is go to the Keyano Theatre. I try to see pretty much every event they put off. And why stop at viewing? There are always opportunities to audition or volunteer for the crew. I’m definitely going to be involved in next year’s performance of Les Mis in some way or another.

Lastly, build a solid group of friends here! A lot of people are just as displaced as you are. I have no family here but I never get home sick. I’m single, but I spent 2 hours opening presents with the sweetest one year old ever on Christmas morning and then the rest of Christmas day running around to the 3 Christmas dinners I was invited to! Last Thanksgiving we had an “orphans” dinner. All of us with no family here got together and had a lovely turkey dinner cooked by Bestie. There were 10 of us and we had an absolute blast! Get a few friends together for a board game night, quad out into the beautiful woods we are surrounded by and have a little cookup, spend the day getting lost on the Birchwood trails, get a crowd around the fire pit for a few beers and laughs. I have barely scraped the surface on what you can do here! If you put effort into a life here you will find a great one.

So to all those single girls out there wondering if you can survive in Fort Mcmurray, I want to let you know that you can not only survive, you can thrive! The shifts are long, the work is hard and it takes effort to have a good balance here. But it is possible! Take a chance and see what this beautiful northern town I call my home has to offer. Don’t sit around and focus on the negative. You can find negative attributes in any city. I feel that the positive far outweighs the negative! And to quote the beloved local production Hometown the Musical: “That highway runs both ways”. If you are unhappy then leave. Its not worth it. Life is too short.