Fort McMurray#Demographics

{{See also|History of the petroleum industry in Canada (oil sands and heavy oil)}}

File:Clearwater River valley (from Highway 63).JPG valley from Highway 63]]

Before the arrival of Europeans in the late 18th century, the Cree were the dominant First Nations people in the Fort McMurray area. The Athabasca oil sands were known to the locals and the surface deposits were used to waterproof their canoes. During the fur trade, the location of Fort McMurray, west of Methye Portage, was an important junction on the fur trade route from eastern Canada to the Athabasca Country.

In 1778, the first European explorer, Peter Pond, came to the region in search of furs, as the European demand for this commodity at the time was strong. Pond explored the region farther south along the Athabasca River and the Clearwater River, but chose to set up a trading post much farther north by the Athabasca River near Lake Athabasca. However, his post closed in 1788 in favour of Fort Chipewyan, now the oldest continuous settlement in Alberta.[https://web.archive.org/web/20060909151603/http://collections.ic.gc.ca:80/fortmc/ The History of Fort McMurray]

File:William McMurray-edited.jpg

In 1790, the explorer Alexander MacKenzie made the first recorded description of the oil sands. By that time, trading between the explorers and the Cree was already occurring at the confluence of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers. The Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company were in fierce competition in this region. Fort McMurray was established there as a Hudson's Bay Company post by 1870, named for the Chief Factor William McMurray.{{cite web|author=Frits Pannekoek |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fort-mcmurray/ |title=Fort McMurray – The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |access-date=2016-05-08}} It continued to operate as a transportation stopover in the decades afterwards. The Alberta and Great Waterways Railway arrived in 1915 complementing existing steamboat service.{{cite book|title=Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada|year=1915|publisher=Board of Trade|location=Fort McMurray|url=http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=328520|access-date=2016-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924062807/http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=328520|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=dead}}

The community has played a significant role in the history of the petroleum industry in Canada. Oil exploration is known to have occurred in the early 20th century, but Fort McMurray's population remained small, no more than a few hundred people. By 1921, there was serious interest in developing a refining plant to separate the oil from the sands. Alcan Oil Company was the first outfit to begin bulk tests at Fort McMurray. The nearby community of Waterways was established to provide a southern terminus for waterborne transportation when the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway reached there in 1921.

Abasands Oil was the first company to successfully extract oil from the oil sands through hot water extraction by the 1930s, but production was very low.{{cite web|last1=Alberta Culture and Tourism|title=Abasand|url=http://history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/sands/unlocking-the-potential/abasand/default.aspx#page-1}} Fort McMurray's processing output gradually grew to over 1,100 barrels/day by World War II, and Fort McMurray was set up by the US and Canadian forces as staging ground for the Canol Project.

Fort McMurray and Waterways amalgamated as the village of McMurray (the "Fort" was dropped until 1962, when it was restored to reflect its heritage) by 1947, and became a town a year later. Fort McMurray was granted the status of new town so it could get more provincial funding. By 1966, the town's population was over 2,000.

In 1967, the Great Canadian Oil Sands (now Suncor) plant opened and Fort McMurray's growth soon took off. More oil sands plants were opened, especially after the 1973 oil crisis and the 1979 energy crisis, when serious political tensions and conflicts in the Middle East triggered oil price spikes. The population of the town reached 6,847 by 1971 and climbed to 31,000 by 1981, a year after its incorporation as a city.

The population peaked at almost 37,000 in 1985,{{cite web|title=1985 Official Population|url=http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/ms/1985population.pdf|access-date=February 3, 2011|publisher=Alberta Municipal Affairs}} then declined to under 34,000 by 1989.{{cite web|title=1989 Official Population|url=http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/ms/1989population.pdf|access-date=February 3, 2011|publisher=Alberta Municipal Affairs}} Low oil prices since the oil price collapse in 1986 slowed the oil sands production greatly, as oil extraction from the oil sands is a very expensive process and lower world prices made this uneconomical.

On April 1, 1995, the City of Fort McMurray and Improvement District No. 143 were amalgamated to form the Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The new municipality was subsequently renamed the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo on August 14, 1996. As a result, Fort McMurray was no longer officially designated a city. Instead, it was designated an urban service area within a specialized municipality. The amalgamation resulted in the entire RM of Wood Buffalo being under a single government. Its municipal office is located in Fort McMurray, which accounts for the great majority of the RM's population; all but 5,000 of the RM's residents live in the Fort McMurray urban service area.

The city continued to grow for a few years even after the oil bust caused by the 2003 collapse in world oil prices. Oil price increases since 2003 made oil extraction profitable again for around a decade, until another slump in oil prices which began in December 2014 and deepened in 2015 resulted in layoffs and postponement of projects.{{cite news|author1=Ian Austen|title=Oil Sands Boom Dries Up in Alberta, Taking Thousands of Jobs With it|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/international/oil-sands-boom-dries-up-in-alberta-taking-thousands-of-jobs-with-it.html|access-date=October 13, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=October 12, 2015}}

In June 2013, heavy rains caused the Hangingstone River to flood, causing a six-day state of emergency, a bridge collapse, the closure of highways 63 and 881, and the evacuation of 150 people.{{Cite news |last=Siekierska |first=Alicja |title=Fort Mac flood victims can apply for aid funds |url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/edmonton-journal/20130701/281676842493107 |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |date=2013-07-01 |access-date=2020-07-26}}{{Cite news |last=Beamish |first=Laura |title=Province upholds more than $6.5 million in funding for Fort McMurray flood mitigation project |url=https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/province-upholds-more-than-6-5-million-in-funding-for-fort-mcmurray-flood-mitigation-project/wcm/ba42d225-3d68-4b22-ae70-60c5c0655613 |newspaper=Owen Sound Sun Times |date=2019-11-12 |access-date=2020-07-26}}

{{Main|2016 Fort McMurray wildfire}}

On May 3, 2016, a large wildfire burning southwest of Fort McMurray resulted in the mandatory evacuation of the community.{{cite news|title=Wildfire destroys Fort McMurray homes, most of city evacuated|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-fire-social-media-reflects-fear-worry-as-the-flames-enter-city-1.3564982|access-date=May 3, 2016|work=CBC News Edmonton|date=May 3, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Parsons|first1=Paige|title=Thousands flee from Fort McMurray wildfire in the largest fire evacuation in Alberta's history|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-pushed-back-even-as-temperatures-climb|access-date=May 3, 2016|agency=Edmonton Journal|publisher=Postmedia Network|date=May 3, 2016}} Record-breaking temperatures, reaching {{convert|32.8|C|0}},{{cite web|url=http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climateData/dailydata_e.html?timeframe=2&Prov=AB&StationID=27216&dlyRange=1996-05-01%7C2016-05-03&Year=2016&Month=5&Day=1|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160506153357/http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climateData/dailydata_e.html?timeframe=2&Prov=AB&StationID=27216&dlyRange=1996-05-01%7C2016-05-03&Year=2016&Month=5&Day=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 6, 2016|title=Daily Data Report for May 2016|access-date=May 6, 2016|publisher=Environment Canada|date=May 6, 2016}} low relative humidity and strong winds contributed to the fire's rapid growth in forests affected by "an unusually dry and warm winter".{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/fort-mcmurray-and-the-fires-of-climate-change

| title=Fort McMurray and the Fires of Climate Change | date=May 5, 2016 |magazine=The New Yorker }}

Upwards of 88,000 people in the community and surrounding region were evacuated.[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36244499 Canada wildfire: 20% of Fort McMurray homes destroyed, says MP], BBC (May 8, 2016).Andrew V. Pestano, [http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/05/09/Official-About-20-percent-of-Fort-McMurray-homes-destroyed-in-wildfire/4481462791376/ Official: About 20 percent of Fort McMurray homes destroyed in wildfire], UPI (May 9, 2016). It was Canada's largest recorded wildfire evacuation in history and third-largest recorded environmental disaster evacuationAngela Fritz, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/05/04/hot-dry-and-windy-weather-stokes-the-violent-alberta-wildfire/ Fort McMurray wildfire evacuation was largest on record in Canada], Washington Post (May 4, 2016). behind the 1979 Mississauga train derailment and the 1950 Red River flood.{{cite web | url=http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/what-were-canadas-biggest-mass-evacuations/ | title=What were Canada's biggest mass evacuations? | author=Jaime Weinman | magazine=Maclean's | publisher=Rogers Media | date=May 4, 2016 | access-date=December 15, 2017}}

About one-fifth of homes in the community were reported to be destroyed in the fire.

On April 27, 2020, massive ice jams{{Cite news |last=Snowdon |first=Wallis |title=Military assistance requested as flooding hits downtown Fort McMurray |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-flooding-1.5546029 |publisher=CBC News |date=2020-04-27 |access-date=2020-07-26}} along the Athabasca River resulted in a major flood. It devastated the downtown of Fort McMurray, submerging streets and ruining businesses, cars and houses.{{Cite web|last1=McDermott |first1=Vincent |last2=Beamish |first2=Laura |title=Fort McMurray floods force 15,000 to flee; Premier Kenney pledges more police, flood mitigation supplies |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/boil-water-advisory-issued-north-of-athabasca-river-evacuation-orders-issued-for-parts-of-downtown/ |newspaper=Edmonton Journal |date=2020-04-28 |access-date=2020-04-27}}

Approximately 13,000 people from Fort McMurray and the surrounding area were evacuated.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wood-buffalo-flooding-1.5547546|title=Warmer weather only possible weapon against northern Alberta ice-jam flooding|last=Snowdon|first=Wallis|date=April 28, 2020 |website=CBC}}

{{Main|2024 Canada wildfires}}

On 14 May 2024, a wildfire led to the evacuation of several neighborhoods in the urban service area.{{cite web | last=Digital | first=GHD | title=Evacuation Order: Abasand, Beacon Hill, Prairie Creek and Grayling Terrace move to evacuation order | website=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | date=2024-05-15 | url=https://www.rmwb.ca/en/news/evacuation-order-abasand-beacon-hill-prairie-creek-and-grayling-terrace-move-to-evacuation-order.aspx | access-date=2024-05-16}}

The evacuation displaced upwards of 6,000 people from their homes in these neighborhoods.{{Cite web |last=Paget |first=Elizabeth Wolfe, Joe Sutton, Sharif |date=2024-05-15 |title=Unwieldy wildfires scorch Canada and threaten a community scarred by past catastrophe |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/weather/canada-wildfires-fort-mcmurray-climate-wednesday/index.html |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=CNN |language=en}}

File:Fort mcmurray winter day.jpg

Fort McMurray is {{convert|435|km|abbr=on}} northeast of Edmonton on Highway 63, about {{convert|60|km|abbr=on}} west of the Saskatchewan border, nestled in the boreal forest at the confluence of the Athabasca River, the Clearwater River, the Hangingstone River, and the Horse River. It sits at {{convert|370|m|abbr=on}} above sea level. Fort McMurray is the largest community in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.

White spruce, trembling aspen, balsam poplar and white birch are the most prominent native trees in and around town. Black spruce and tamarack occur in poorly drained areas and jack pine may be seen on the driest sites. European aspen, blue spruce and sand cherry are among the exotic trees occasionally seen.{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

With severe winters except during periods of warming chinook winds, mild to warm summers and only three months which average temperature is higher than {{convert|10.0|C}}, Fort McMurray has a borderline subarctic climate (Köppen: Dfc), being just below the threshold of humid continental climate (Dfb), with May and September average temperature of {{convert|9.9|C}}. It falls into the Natural Resources Canada (NRC) Plant Hardiness Zone 3a.{{cite web|title=Plant Hardiness Zone by Municipality|url=http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en&prov=Alberta&val=F|website=Natural Resources Canada|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=May 7, 2016}}

The community lies at a lower elevation than most other parts of Alberta, so under the right conditions it can be a "hot spot" for Alberta.{{Citation needed|date=May 2016}}

Temperatures range from an average of {{convert|-17.2|C}} in January, to {{convert|17.3|C}} in July. The average annual precipitation is {{convert|404.6|mm|abbr=on}} and falls mainly in the summer months. Average annual snowfall is {{convert|110.6|cm|abbr=on}}, with almost all of it falling between October and April.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Fort McMurray was {{convert|40.3|C}} on June 30, 2021.{{cite web |title=Daily Data Report for June 2021 - FORT MCMURRAY A| date=October 31, 2011 |url=https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?StationID=49490&Month=6&Day=1&Year=2021&timeframe=2&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2021}}

The lowest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-53.3|C}} on February 1, 1917 and December 31, 1933.

{{Fort McMurray weatherbox}}

Neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray include Abasand Heights, Beacon Hill, Dickinsfield, Eagle Ridge, Grayling Terrace, Gregoire, Lower Townsite, Parsons Creek, Prairie Creek, Saline Creek, Stone Creek, Thickwood Heights, Timberlea, and Waterways.{{cite web | url=http://www.rmwb.ca/Assets/Corporate/Census+Reports/Census+reports+Part+1.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045554/http://www.rmwb.ca/Assets/Corporate/Census+Reports/Census+reports+Part+1.pdf | archive-date=March 4, 2016 | publisher=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | title=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Municipal Census 2012 | date=October 2012 | access-date=December 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}{{cite web | url=https://www.rmwb.ca/Assets/Corporate/Census+Reports/Municipal+Census+2015+Report.pdf | publisher=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | title=The Municipal Census 2015 Report | date=2015 | access-date=June 22, 2017 | archive-date=March 5, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305020544/http://www.rmwb.ca/Assets/Corporate/Census+Reports/Municipal+Census+2015+Report.pdf | url-status=dead }}

File:Fort mcmurray jubilee centre.jpg

{{Historical populations

|title = Federal census
population history

|type = Canada

|align = right

|width =

|state =

|shading =

|percentages =

|footnote = Source: Statistics Canada
{{cite book | title=Ninth Census of Canada, 1951 | volume=I: Population, General Characteristics | year=1953 | publisher=Dominion Bureau of Statistics | location=Ottawa | page=6.73–6.83 | chapter=Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1871–1951}}{{cite book | title=Census of Canada, 1956 | volume=Population, Counties and Subdivisions | year=1957 | publisher=Dominion Bureau of Statistics | location=Ottawa | page=6.50–6.53 | chapter=Table 6: Population by sex, for census subdivisions, 1956 and 1951}}{{cite book | title=1961 Census of Canada | series=Series 1.1: Historical, 1901–1961 | volume=I: Population | year=1963 | publisher=Dominion Bureau of Statistics | location=Ottawa | page=6.77-6.83 | chapter=Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1901–1961}}{{cite book | title=Census of Canada, 1966 | volume=Population, Specified Age Groups and Sex for Counties and Census Subdivisions, 1966 | year=1968 | publisher=Dominion Bureau of Statistics | location=Ottawa | page=6.50–6.53 | chapter=Population by specified age groups and sex, for census subdivisions, 1966}}{{cite book | title=1971 Census of Canada | volume=I: Population, Census Subdivisions (Historical) | year=1973 | publisher=Statistics Canada | location=Ottawa | page=2.102-2.111 | chapter=Table 2: Population of Census Subdivisions, 1921–1971}}{{cite book | title=1976 Census of Canada | series=Census Divisions and Subdivisions, Western Provinces and the Territories | volume=I: Population, Geographic Distributions | year=1977 | publisher=Statistics Canada | location=Ottawa | page=3.40–3.43| chapter=Table 3: Population for census divisions and subdivisions, 1971 and 1976}}{{cite book | title=1981 Census of Canada | volume=II: Provincial series, Population, Geographic distributions (Alberta) | year=1982 | publisher=Statistics Canada | location=Ottawa | page=4.1–4.10| chapter=Table 4: Population and Total Occupied Dwellings, for Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1976 and 1981 | isbn=0-660-51095-2}}
{{cite book | title=Census Canada 1986 | volume=Population and Dwelling Counts – Provinces and Territories (Alberta) | year=1987 | publisher=Statistics Canada | location=Ottawa | page=2.1–2.10 | chapter=Table 2: Census Divisions and Subdivisions – Population and Occupied Private Dwellings, 1981 and 1986 | isbn=0-660-53463-0}}{{cite book | title=91 Census | volume=Population and Dwelling Counts – Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions | year=1992 | publisher=Statistics Canada | location=Ottawa | pages=100–108 | chapter=Table 2: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 and 1991 – 100% Data | isbn=0-660-57115-3}}{{cite book | title=96 Census | volume=A National Overview – Population and Dwelling Counts | year=1997 | publisher=Statistics Canada | location=Ottawa | pages=184–198 | chapter=Table 16: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Urban Areas, 1991 and 1996 Censuses – 100% Data | isbn=0-660-59283-5}}{{cite web | title=Population and Dwelling Counts and Population Rank, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Urban Areas, 2001 Census – 100% Data (Alberta) | url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/census01/products/standard/popdwell/Table-UA-P.cfm?T=1&PR=48&SR=101&S=1&O=A | publisher=Statistics Canada | page=5 of 5 | access-date=April 2, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-550/Index.cfm?TPL=P1C&Page=RETR&LANG=Eng&T=802&SR=1&S=3&O=D&RPP=9999&PR=48&CMA=0|title=Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and urban areas, 2006 and 2001 censuses – 100% data|publisher=Statistics Canada|date=January 6, 2010|access-date=February 2, 2011}}{{cite web | url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0292&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Fort%20McMurray&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1 | title=Census Profile – Fort McMurray, Alberta (Population Centre) | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 8, 2012 | access-date=February 8, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0292&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Fort%20McMurray&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=0292&TABID=1 | access-date=November 2, 2017 | title= Census Profile, 2016 census}}

|1951|926

|1956|1110

|1961|1186

|1966|2614

|1971|6847

|1976|15424

|1981|31000

|1986|34949

|1991|34706

|1996|33078

|2001|38667

|2006|47705

|2011|61374

|2016|66573

|2021|68002

}}

In the 2021 census, the Fort McMurray population centre recorded {{nts|68002}} residents living in {{nts|24505}} of its {{nts|28670}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:68002-67123}}|67123|1}} from its 2016 population of {{nts|67123}}. With a land area of {{convert|52.17|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|68002|52.17|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810001101 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=February 10, 2022}}

In the 2016 census, the Fort McMurray population centre recorded 66,573 residents living in 23,937 of its 28,567 total private dwellings, a {{percentage|{{#expr:66573-60555}}|60555|1}} change from its 2011 population of 60,555. With a land area of {{convert|51.79|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|66573|51.79|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2016.{{cite web | url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0292&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&SearchText=Fort%20McMurray&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=0292&TABID=1&type=0 | title=Census Profile, 2016 Census – Fort McMurray [Population centre], Alberta and Alberta [Province] | publisher=Statistics Canada | date=August 9, 2019 | access-date=May 1, 2021}}

The permanent population of the Fort McMurray urban service area according to the RM of Wood Buffalo's 2021 municipal census is 72,917,{{Cite web |date=April 22, 2022 |title=Municipal Census Report - Census 2021 |url=https://www.rmwb.ca/en/permits-and-development/resources/Documents/Census/Census-Report-2021.pdf |website=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo}} a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:72917-72056}}|72056|1}} from its 2018 municipal census permanent population of 72,056.{{cite web | url=https://www.rmwb.ca/en/permits-and-development/resources/Documents/Latest-Census-Report-2018.pdf | title=census2018: Municipal Census Report | publisher=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo | year=2018 | access-date=May 1, 2021}} In addition, the 2021 municipal census counted a shadow population of 3,089 non-permanent residents for a combined population of 76,006, while the 2018 municipal census counted 3,559 non-permanent residents for a combined population of 75,615.

Fort McMurray is an increasingly multicultural community.{{Cite web |last=Beamish |first=Laura |date=May 17, 2022 |title=Municipal census shows Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo becoming an increasingly multicultural region |url=https://fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/municipal-census-shows-fort-mcmurray-wood-buffalo-becoming-an-increasingly-multicultural-region |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Fort McMurray Today |language=en-CA}} The 2021 census published by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo found roughly 6,700 people moved to the region since the 2018 census.

The top four provinces that sent people were other communities in Alberta (55 per cent), followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (13 percent), and British Columbia and Ontario (nine percent each).

This is a drastic change from the 2012 municipal census, which was taken when Fort McMurray and the oil sands was undergoing a huge period of economic and population growth. That census reported people from Ontario represented 27.5 percent of Canadians coming to Fort McMurray, followed by British Columbia (26.3 percent) and Newfoundland and Labrador (17.5 percent). People from elsewhere in Alberta made up 3.1 per cent of the population.{{Cite web |date=2012 |title=Municipal Census 2012 |url=https://www.rmwb.ca/en/permits-and-development/resources/Documents/Census/Census-2012-migration.pdf |access-date=July 20, 2022 |website=Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo}}

The 2021 census found 61.5 percent of residents are white, compared to 64 percent in 2016. The second largest pan ethnic group is Indigenous (10 percent), South East Asian (9.2 percent), followed by South Asian (7 percent). People identifying as Chinese, Japanese or Korean represented 1.3 percent of the population.

Indigenous peoples represented 7 percent, remaining consistent from 2018. The municipal survey did not count the population of the region's First Nation reserves because they do not fall under municipal jurisdiction. First Nations people represent four percent of the municipality's population. Métis people represent 2.89 percent of the population, followed by Inuk (0.16 percent) and non-Status First Nation (0.13 percent).

About 3.2 percent of people identified as African, followed by mixed ethnicities (2.44 percent), Black or African Canadian (2 percent), European (1.73 percent), Arab (1.41 percent), Hispanic or Latin American (1.08 percent), Caribbean (0.67 percent) and Oceanic (0.13 percent).

2.88 percent of respondents did not answer and 0.52 said they did not know their ethnicity.{{Cite web |last=McDermott |first=Vincent |date=April 25, 2022 |title=RMWB's 2021 census shows more people settling as population shrinks, becomes increasingly multicultural |url=https://fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/rmwbs-2021-census-shows-more-people-settling-as-population-shrinks-becomes-increasingly-multicultural |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Fort McMurray Today |language=en-CA}}

Fort McMurray is considered the heart of one of Alberta's (and Canada's) hubs of petroleum production, located near the Athabasca oil sands. Besides the oil sands, the economy also relies on natural gas and pipeline transport, forestry and tourism. Oil sands producers include Syncrude, Suncor Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, and CNOOC Petroleum North America ULC. Fort McMurray's growth is characteristic of a boomtown. Housing prices and rents are far higher in Fort McMurray than most such remote areas, and in 2006, Fort McMurray had the highest prices in Alberta.{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=07e553a7-1cc6-442d-81be-afeccd4c85df|title=Fort Mac right to cry 'Enough!'|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070325131522/http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=07e553a7-1cc6-442d-81be-afeccd4c85df|archive-date=March 25, 2007|df=mdy-all}} The Alberta government has promised to release more Crown land for residential construction, particularly in Timberlea on the north side.

File:Fort mcmurray float plane at syne.jpg

File:Fort mcmurray hwy 63.jpg]]

{{See also|List of airports in the Fort McMurray area}}

There are several airports in the area, with Fort McMurray International Airport being the largest in northern Alberta. It is serviced by Air Canada, Air Canada Express, McMurray Aviation, Northwestern Air, WestJet and WestJet Encore, with scheduled flights to Calgary, Edmonton, Fort Chipewyan, Fort Smith, Montreal and Toronto. The airport is also serviced by various oil companies with corporate and charter flights heading north to private airstrips at oil sands operations. Flights are frequently booked to capacity because of the high transient worker population and workers who commute to Fort McMurray from other parts of Canada.

Fort McMurray Transit operates in the community, with routes that extend to all subdivisions on the south side and subdivisions on the north side.[https://www.rmwb.ca/en/transit/transit.aspx Transit] Although the service concentrates on Fort McMurray it does operate to hamlets in the RM including Anzac, Janvier, Conklin and Fort McKay.{{cite web|url=https://www.rmwb.ca/en/transit/rural-bus-schedules-and-fees.aspx |title=Rural Bus Schedules and Fees|access-date=February 10, 2021}}

Ebus and Red Arrow operate scheduled passenger bus services to Edmonton and other communities along Highway 63, as well as other destinations farther south.

Highway 63 is the only highway between Fort McMurray and Edmonton. Due to the industrial demands of the oilsands, Highway 63 boasts some of the highest tonnage per kilometre in Canada, and the largest and heaviest loads that trucks have ever carried. Highway 63 was fully twinned in May 2016.{{Cite web|title=Highway 63 Alberta Transportation|url=https://www.transportation.alberta.ca/4942.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602103626/https://www.transportation.alberta.ca/4942.htm|archive-date=2 June 2016}} Highway 881 also provides access to the region from Lac La Biche.{{cite web|author=Fort McMurray Tourism|url=http://www.fortmcmurraytourism.com/|title=Fort McMurray Tourism|access-date=January 30, 2008|archive-date=February 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212110534/http://www.fortmcmurraytourism.com/|url-status=dead}}

Canadian National Railway (CN) discontinued the Muskeg Mixed (mixed train) to Fort McMurray in 1989, and there has been no passenger rail service since. CN continues to operate freight service on its Lac La Biche subdivision and stations beyond.

Canada Post identified Fort McMurray as "having a particularly high cost to serve" in January 2014, and planned to institute a surcharge of $5.00 for all parcels shipped to the area.{{cite web|url=https://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/assets/pdf/business/parcels_changes_2014_en.pdf|title=Parcel Services Price and Service Overview of Changes |publisher=Canada Post|access-date=January 6, 2014}} However, the postal service retracted this decision before the rate change went into effect.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/canada-post-cancels-parcel-surcharge-in-fort-mcmurray-1.2494669|title=Canada Post cancels parcel surcharge in Fort McMurray

|publisher=CBC|access-date=January 16, 2014}}

File:Fort mcmurray timberlea public school.jpg

The Fort McMurray Public School District (FMPSD) and Catholic School District both serve the primary, elementary, and secondary education needs of students in Fort McMurray. Each school district offers diverse programs like French immersion, performing arts or a dedicated technology and science lab, however only FMPSD offers the Advanced Placement program at one of their schools, being Westwood Community High School.

On Abasand Drive, École Boréal is the only francophone school in the area and goes from pre-kindergarten to grade 12.

Keyano College is a publicly funded college and vocational institute based in the area and plays a role in training workers for the oil sands. Known as the cultural hub of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Keyano College contains both a state-of-the-art theatre and recital hall, hosting a variety of musical and theatrical events that attract upwards of 50,000 visitors each season.

Local teams include the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), the Fort McMurray Giants of the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL), and the Keyano Huskies of the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC).

The MacDonald Island Park recreation centre is located on MacDonald Island north-east of downtown. The centre contains the Wood Buffalo Regional Library, indoor water park, basketball, tennis and squash courts, rock climbing, fitness centre, indoor playground, ice rinks and public rental space. Shell Place, a connected recreational facility, and a seasonal golf course surround the centre. Fort McMurray Knights Rugby Football Club is also based in the town.

File:MacDonald Island Park (27107873560).jpg

• Tantoo Cardinal, actress
• Mikael Colville-Andersen, urban designer
• Humberly González, actress
• Mark Hartigan, professional hockey player
• Natasha Henstridge, actress
• Aaron Lines, musician
• Cassandra Naud, actress and dancer{{Cite web |last=Volmers |first=Eric |date=June 9, 2023 |title=Calgarian's horror film Influencer a cautionary tale about online manipulation |url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/movies/calgarians-horror-film-infuencer-a-cautionary-tale-about-online-manipulation |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=Calgary Herald}}
• Kudakwashe Rutendo, actressRadheyan Simonpillai, [https://www.cbc.ca/arts/rising-stars-kudakwashe-rutendo-backspot-1.6959481 "Kudakwashe Rutendo is making a handspring into the spotlight with the cheerleading drama Backspot"]. CBC Arts, September 7, 2023.
• Daniel Sunderland, Olympic bobsleigher
• Brooke Voigt, Olympic snowboarder
• Massey Whiteknife, business executive and musician
• Chris Phillips, professional hockey player
• Tany Yao, paramedic, firefighter
• Carter Yakemchuk (born 2005), ice hockey player, picked 7th overall in 2024 NHL draft by Ottawa Senators

• List of former urban municipalities in Alberta
• Media in Fort McMurray
• Petrolia, Ontario, Canada's first oil town
• Shell Place

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons}}

• {{wikivoyage-inline|Fort McMurray}}
• [https://www.rmwb.ca/ Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo]

{{Geographic location

|Centre =Fort McMurray

|North =Fort McKay

|Northeast=

|East =La Loche

|Southeast=Cold Lake

|South =Lac La Biche

|Southwest=Athabasca

|West =Wabasca

|Northwest=Wood Buffalo National Park

}}

{{Subdivisions of Alberta}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1947 establishments in Alberta

Category:Cities in Alberta

Category:Former new towns in Alberta

Category:Hudson's Bay Company forts

Category:Mining communities in Alberta

Category:Populated places disestablished in 1995

Category:Populated places established in 1870

Category:Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

Category:Urban service areas in Alberta

Category:1870 establishments in the British Empire