This release was issued under a previous government.
Of the 532 contracts signed by the Regional Emergency Operations Centre so far, about 80 per cent are with local employers from the Fort McMurray area.
“It’s frustrating to see misinformation out there about the great work being done by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. The contracting for recovery and cleanup is being led from Fort McMurray by residents of Fort McMurray, and they have done an excellent job of ensuring local employers are being used whenever possible.”
“I’m so proud of the work being done by Wood Buffalo employees throughout this disaster, including their success at ensuring that local companies and local people are spearheading the recovery efforts. Over 80 per cent of the contracts signed so far have been with local employers, and we will be reaching out to many more local businesses in the coming days and weeks. I encourage any Wood Buffalo business owner who wants to help to visit www.rmwb.ca and fill out our offer of assistance form.”
Any business that is either locally owned or employs people in the Fort McMurray area is considered a local employer. Businesses from outside the region are only contracted if there are no local businesses in a position to do the work. These are usually for complex projects that require specific expertise not available locally.