Meetings this month in Peace River and Ft. McMurray won’t result in the province deciding to build a highway between those two communities. But they will likely help to marshal support for the project, which the Northern Alberta Development Council (NADC) (and others) has been pushing for years.
“It’s to determine the support from municipalities and especially private industry,” says NADC Executive Director Tom Baldwin. “And then we’ll take it to the province from there.”
The province is interested in the idea, but it is not high on the priority list yet. According to Alberta Transportation spokesman Trent Bancarz, “the road is identified in our very long-range plans. “It’s certainly not in our three-year construction program.”
On the other hand, Transportation Minister Ed Stelmach did speak enthusiastically about such a project at a recent meeting of rural municipalities. M.D. of Lesser Slave Lake Reeve Sheila Foley was there and she heard him. Her impression is that, “it appears to be a priority with the province.”
Foley plans to be at the Peace River meeting on Apr. 27. So do Slave Lake Mayor Ray Stern and Councillor George Snider. They want to make sure the views of their municipalities are heard, and also to learn as much as possible about what’s proposed.
“Generally I support (it),” says Stern. “It’s got to help everybody in the region.”
It is possible that some scenarios could help the Slave Lake area more than others. Snider says he’s looked at a couple of proposals in some detail and firmly supports them as long as they connect Hwy. 88 with the proposed new east-west corridor.
Snider says that given the amount of timber, oil and and gas in the federal Athabasca riding, he thinks the chance for federal involvement in the project is pretty good.
“That’s why I’m excited about it,” he says. “I think (Prime Minister) Paul Martin wants to open up the north. I can’t think of a better way.”
Snider envisions much more traffic on Hwy. 88 as a result of the new highway, with a solid economic benefit to Slave Lake.
“Slave Lake could become a supply centre for the north,” he says.
It would benefit tourism as well. Steve Lane, the Chair of the Alberta North Tourism Destination Region, says that organization is very much in favour of it.
“This enables us to put together circle package tours,” he says.
How soon the project might become a priority for the province may depend on buy-in from partners who are willing to kick in money to pay for it. That’s Foley’s impression, at least. There are the three directly concerned rural municipalities, for starters – Wood Buffalo (which includes the city of Ft. Mac), M.D. of Opportunity, and Northern Sunrise County. Then there is private industry.
“The province is always interested in the three P’s, (Public-Private Partnerships),” says Foley. “If the NADC steers it towards industry involvement it would make the sell to the province easier. It may also influence the route.”
That’s one reason Foley wants to be there.
“We’re going to make sure there’s a political presence there,” she says.

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