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Place in Alberta, Canada
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Tallgirl assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Fort McMurray is the largest community in the Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta. It lost its city status in 1995 when it merged with a large rural area to form the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and its fortunes have risen and fallen in lockstep with the price of Alberta crude oil; its structures were decimated by a May 2016 wildfire.
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History of the oil sands and the rapid pace of development north of the city, exhibits of machines used to process the oil and opportunities to see how oil sand is mined and converted into product.
Schedules tours of Syncrude or Suncor, the main oil sand plants, from May to September. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance (one week to 10 days advance booking recommended). Children under 12 are not allowed on the tour.
Licensed steak and seafood restaurant; Canadian foods with a touch of international flair.
Home-cooked style food.
Sushi, seafood.
An Irish pub in Thickwood.
A smaller tavern located about a block north of the Peter Pond Shopping Centre.
Best Western Plus
Full-service Best Western Plus hotel with indoor pool and jacuzzi, fitness centre, business centre, free parking, high speed Internet. Hearthstone Lounge and Grille (11am to midnight, meals $12 to $30) in open concept lobby offers a wide selection of Canadian and local specialties, breakfast and lunch buffets, along with spirits, wine and beer. Jiggs Dinner featured every Sunday.
The main mall; it is, however quite small for a city of 80,000 people.
By car
Highway 63 is the main road to Fort McMurray, about 450 km northeast of Edmonton, and can be accessed from the Edmonton Region via Highway 28. It is paralleled by Highway 881 for about 200 km.
By train
Passenger rail service ended in 1986. While there's been some talk about upgrading the existing rail freight corridor, there's no real prospect of bringing back passenger trains.
By bus
Fort McMurray is a loose cluster of several dozen subdivisions, many having only one entry/exit.
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Fort McMurray · Regional · YMM
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