Three months into his new job as mayor of Wood Buffalo, Don Scott is setting his sights on revitalizing downtown Fort McMurray.
The municipality’s council recently established an economic development corporation to try and lure new businesses north.
“We’re feeling really optimistic going forward. The price of oil is going up,” Scott said.
“As the price of oil has gone up, I’ve seen the mood of the region go up as well, so I’m feeling really good about where things are headed.”
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Scott wants to see more businesses and companies set up shop in Fort McMurray, and develop the city’s waterfront.
He hopes those improvements will in turn attract more permanent residents to Fort McMurray.
“What I’m hoping to see in the future is more people living in Fort McMurray. We had a bit of a population decline right after the fire.”
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Housing prices have also dropped, making purchasing a home more affordable.
Scott said while the city always had a strong sense of community spirit, the wildfire amplified that.
“If people come here, they fall in love with it. This is a great place to live and a great place to work,” he said.
“I want more people coming here to see it for themselves. Then they can return to wherever they came from and be great ambassadors for the region.”
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