APRIL 2016
H
business elite canada
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settlement dating back to 1788.
“People from every country in the world
call Wood Buffalo home,” Mayor Blake
said. “It brings a whole wonderful flavour
to our community.”
OIL SANDS JOBS CREATED
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Jobs created by commercial oil produc-
tion from the oil sands were responsible
for drawing migrant workers to the area,
many of whom decided to put down per-
manent roots and makeWood Buffalo their
home. These growing families are at the
heart of the area’s diversity, bringing the
flavours and traditions of Asia, the Carib-
bean and the Mediterranean, among other
cultures, to this relatively remote part of
Canada. New generations are establishing
their own roots within the area, starting
new businesses, making use of the com-
munities’ resources and contributing to a
population growth well above the norm at
about 10 per cent annually, Mayor Blake
explained.
Projections for the area’s development
rely heavily on what the population and
the economy will look like 10 to 15 years
from now, she added. The community is a
young one with an average age of 32 and
approximately 100 babies are born each
month. That means education, health care,
recreational facilities and job opportunities
will all play a prominent role in Wood Buf-
falo’s future.
Those future decisions will be considered
carefully by a municipal government that
is unique in its structure. Wood Buffalo is
Mayor Melissa Blake
