At a Glance Location:  435 Km northeast of Edmonton on Highway 63   Population:  56,000 Average Temperature:  January -19.8 C July +16.6  Annual Rainfall:  334.5 mm  Annual Snowfall:  172.0 cm Hours of Sunshine/Year  2108.9 Elevation:  370 m  Industries:  Oil sands, natural gas and pipeline sectors, forestry, tourism, retail   Known as Alberta’s “Northern Light,” Fort McMurray is the major commercial, cultural and recreational centre for the oil sands region and headquarters of The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. While the perception may be that Fort McMurray was born overnight during the 1960s oil sands development, history shows that the community has been surging for more than 100 years, since its inception as a Hudson’s Bay Company post in 1870. Today Fort McMurray is one of Canada’s youngest, fastest growing and most dynamic places—a close-knit community with an abundance of natural beauty as well as energy. Located in the northeast quadrant of Alberta, the region’s primary industry is oil sands extraction, which services approximately 20 per cent of Canada’s energy needs. Forestry and tourism also play important roles. Fort McMurray is a young community. The average age is 30; less than 2,000 residents are over 60 years of age and more than half of the population is connected to the oil industry. Not surprisingly, there are 10 per cent more men than women in Fort McMurray. Dispelling the myth that everyone who arrives eventually leaves, 45 per cent of residents have been living here for more than 10 years, and 25 per cent have lived here 25 years or more. In a recent survey it was found that 50 per cent of Fort McMurray’s adult population actively volunteers—more than double the national average. It is a proven commitment that the community wants to share—a feeling that people are here to stay.