WATCH ABOVE: For the first time, the Edmonton Eskimos are playing a pre-season game in Fort McMurray. But, as Fletcher Kent reports, it’s not just about football.
Fort McMurray – The heart of Alberta’s oil sands can now call itself a CFL town, at least for a weekend.
On Saturday evening, the Edmonton Eskimos kicked off against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a pre-season matchup in the northern Alberta community of Fort McMurray. It is the most northern game ever played in CFL history.
Community leaders hope the game help permanently transform Fort McMurray.
Fans, eager for a hometown taste of the CFL, packed the parking lot in front of SMS Equipment Stadium for a pre-game party.
Chris Evancio has lived in Fort McMurray for 29 years now. The Saskatchewan-native came dressed in his Rider jersey.
“We bought our tickets a year ago. We were pretty excited once we found out Saskatchewan was coming for sure.”
Fort McMurray is home to about 75 thousand permanent residents, and 30 thousand oil sands employees who stay in hotels and work camps.
The mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Melissa Blake, says this game and the new stadium are important to Fort McMurray.
“To be able to host this event as the first event is just icing on the great big cake,” said Blake.
The $133 million stadium has 4,400 seats, but capacity can be boosted to 16,000 people with temporary seating.
The facility is already booked for much of the summer, including another Eskimos game. The green and gold will play the Toronto Argonauts in a regular season game on June 27.
FC Edmonton is set to play two games at SMS Equipment Stadium. Aerosmith will play its only Alberta show there in July.
Fort McMurray will also host the Western Canadian Summer Games this summer.
Mayor Blake believes it’s important for residents to have such events for those living here. However, she says it may be even more important for the so-called “shadow population”.
“If we get them connected to events as they happen, I think it opens their eyes to real possibility that they can bring their families here and take up residence here and really contribute in a whole new way to this region.”
Blake also hopes the national attention will improve Fort McMurray’s image.
“We get the big, lofty headlines about danger, prostitution, and drugs,” said the mayor. “When you have an event like this, you’ll get a much more clear picture of how we live and experience our lives here.”
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