Fort McMurray

After massive hits to the oil economy and tens of thousands of job losses, Albertans are declaring bankruptcy at exorbitant rates.

Homebuilders who wish to work in the ravaged northern Alberta community, the headquarters for Canada’s oilsands region, will have to submit a "builder declaration" before they can apply for a permit.

Veterans Affairs Minister and Alberta MP Kent Hehr said the advance payment from the federal−provincial disaster assistance agreement will be in Alberta’s hands by early July.

Residents of Fort McMurray were allowed to return earlier this month, four weeks after a wildfire cut the city in two and forced more than 80,000 residents to flee.

Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake said she was "particularly NDP-loving" on Saturday as she told New Democrats about her escape from Fort McMurray.

As a huge wildfire raged, Alberta's labour market continued to struggle last month — job losses mounted, the unemployment rate surged and total hours worked hit their lowest mark in 30 years.

The federal government says it's beefing up the ecological protection of a newly created national urban park in Toronto while allowing farms in the park longer term leases of up to 30 years.

The Fort McMurray wildfire has disrupted global oil supplies even more than the ramped up attacks in May by militants in Nigeria, a U.S. government energy agency said on Thursday.

From the streetfront window of rock station 100.5 Cruz FM in downtown Fort McMurray, program director Andrew Wilcox can see the forested hill where his home still stands. But he still can't return.

Experts like Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz expect the disaster to have Canada-wide economic consequences.

“There’s no money on earth that can put out a fire like Fort McMurray,” said Glenn Mason. “If you build your community right into the forest, sooner or later that’s going to be a problem."

A few days ago Mike Flannigan travelled to Fort McMurray as part a special scientific research team studying the raging wildfire.

The bison herd on the Syncrude's Mildred Lake property is doing well, even with fires raging nearby.