The FUTURE of OIL

"I wanted to write a book that would explain the oil sands, said Sanjay Patel, over a coffee at Live Cafe.  The book he has published is called The Future of Oil | A Straight Story of the Canadian Oil Sands.  

I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW HE SAID IT, but in that conversation he referenced a surprising lack of knowledge, in the general community and even with many people working in oil sands, about why this development is so important, not only to our region and our province, but to our country and planet.  He set out to take a factual, well-resourced approach and has delivered a book that is incredibly current, jam packed with verifiable facts, and anticipatory of our uncertain future.

There are two salvations of my morning drive. One is a smoothie. The other is a radio spot promoting NorthStar Ford, which is owned by Marty Giles.

In a market fraught with lackluster radio spots, the NorthStar Ford commercials are smart, compelling, and original. Giles writes the ads himself, which proves that you don't need an MBA to be a marketing hero (you don't even need a degree-Giles is a self-described "University of Calgary drop-out").

8 a.m.    Nine people wait outside the Centre of Hope, on Franklin Avenue.  It’s minus 23C.  Some walked over from the Salvation Army, where they slept the night before. Others slept in apartment building lobbies or around cars. It’s referred to as “sleeping rough.” One man says that he slept in the snow, and he invites you to feel his hands. They’re warm.

6 On

Tommy Gun’s

Want a real man’s haircut? Hit up Tommy Gun’s and take advantage of their great services. Free drinks, snacks, and arcade games to boot, plus a wide selection of men’s grooming products. It’s a win-win. They also own Fat Franks. What a company!

SHAKING OFF THE MONKEY

How we change community image, one conversation at a time.

I’VE BEEN DOING A LIE TO ME MARATHON IN RECENT days, a show starring Tim Roth about deception expert Cal Lightman, who watches micro expressions in peoples’ faces to determine whether or not they are telling the truth. So truth, and its presence (or not), was on my mind when I traveled out to Janvier for the annual Athabasca Tribal Council Regional Gathering in August in my role as Deputy Mayor (a function that rotates through all ten members of council every three months).

6 ON

The Tavern on Main
Great service, great location and basically any beer in the world at your disposal. If you haven’t been there yet, check it out. Also, it’s Fort McMurray in a nutshell. A place where blue collar meets white collar and everything in between.

DURING THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, NOBODY BITCHED ABOUT NOT HAVING A GO-KART FACILITY NEARBY…

For the most part, everyone was just pretty stoked about the potential to strike it rich. Well, not everyone. In history books and in folklore, there are records of people losing their minds: either from the extreme temperature, the crippling homesickness, or the gamble gone bust.

Sound familiar?

An untapped business market, a high-paying job, a rich husband: we all came to Fort McMurray in a quest for our proverbial goldmine. Maybe you were born here. No matter - your parents came here for the same reasons.

YMM Editor Krista Balsom sat down with local theatre enthusiast Michael Beamish to find out more about Keyano Theatre’s upcoming large-scale production - “Hometown… The Musical!”

Describe yourself and what you do in less than 50 words.
I am a playwright, director, and actor. I started my career at Keyano College in the VPA program and went on to get my degree at Lethbridge University. I did indie theatre in Edmonton where I wrote and directed my own shows, and I toured at various festivals across Western Canada. I moved to McMurray just over a year ago and have been involved in numerous productions including The 39 Steps, The Farnsworth Invention , Rubbish, and Legion Blues.