Trans Mountain pipeline project gives hope to those working, living in Fort McMurray

With the official opening of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion just days away, those who live and work in Fort McMurray hope their fortunes are headed for an upswing.

As the urban centre at the heart of Canada’s oilsands industry, Fort McMurray has seen more than its share of ups and downs.

A decade and a half ago, the northern Alberta community was this country’s most famous boom town. High oil prices helped to drive unprecedented demand for the thick, viscous bitumen that lies beneath the earth’s surface here, and workers flocked from around the world to cash in on the bonanza.

Then crude prices crashed, layoffs began, and the frenzy of oilsands-related construction dried up. The party, it seemed, was over.

Now, with the official opening of the long-awaited Trans Mountain pipeline expansion just days away, those who live and work in this region hope their fortunes are once again headed for an upswing.

Fort McMurray, population 68,000, is situated in northern Alberta in the heart of the Athabasca oilsands, the world’s third-largest proven crude oil reserve.

The oil industry permeates every aspect of life here. Every morning, oil workers clad in blue-and-yellow coveralls line up at the local Tim Hortons for double-doubles, and diesel trucks and big rigs churn up dust on their way out to industrial work sites. The airport gift shop sells “Canada’s Oilsands” sweatshirts and local rec centres and educational facilities are emblazoned with the names of their oil company sponsors.

With so many livelihoods dependent on oil, all eyes here are on the expected opening this week of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, a years-in-the-making megaproject which will soon start shipping Canadian crude to export markets.

“It’s hard to quantify the value of the … pipeline to a region like ours,” said Dennis Vroom, senior strategic advisor for the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, which encompasses Fort McMurray and the surrounding rural area.