Fort Mac. doesn’t expect major population shift

Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake says she’s not expecting last May’s wildfire to have much of an impact on the Fort McMurray area’s longterm population.

Before the fire, the municipality was expecting growth of between one and three per cent over the next five years and Blake said Wednesday she’s not expecting that to shift much.

The downturn in oil prices and resulting layoffs had already caused the population to shrink in the oilsands region after years of breakneck growth during boom times.

“The economy has changed. Investment has diminished,” said Blake. “It’s a very different, more stable environment that we’re operating in.”

In the near term, while some residents may have not come back since the fire, others are being attracted by a surge in construction activity as homes are rebuilt.