LANA HILL

“I have met some of the most giving, amazing and beautiful people here.”

“Fort McMurray is my home and has my heart.” With that first statement, Lana defines a lot of who and what she is. Whether volunteering in the community as Board President of Girls Inc or in her work in Aboriginal Relations and community engagement at Syncrude, Lana has a heart as big as the sky.

Lana has been here for 34 years, arriving as a little girl with her parents. “It was just the three of us then,” said Lana, “The Three Amigos.” It was difficult at first, “My Dad worked all the hours he could get at any job.” We lived in a tent that first summer, but my dad got us into a house before I had to go to school. Later he joined Syncrude, studying through them to finish high school and become a Millwright. Loyalty like that begets loyalty, and it was always on the cards that Lana would work at the same place that had done her dad so proud.

Now, Lana sees the real work that is being done in the community as well as what still needs to be done. She is in a unique position to effect change, and loves the challenges of her job and volunteer work alike. In addition to Girls Inc Lana volunteers for the Food Bank, the United Way and Beacon Hill Parents Plus as well as being a kennel sponsor for the SPCA. “I love the people! I love how diverse our community is! I have met some of the most giving, amazing and beautiful people here. It’s those people that make Fort McMurray feel like home.”

And the people certainly recognize Lana’s work. Lana was one of eight woman honoured in the Aboriginal community through the ‘Paving the Pathways to Success’ program, which helped to raise awareness of those who make a difference and create change in the community.

Lana is certainly one of those.