Fort McMurray Forum

What are your plans to bring new stores like Winners,Best Buy or Costco to Fort McMurray?

I believe it is critical that we get more commercial land available in our region. The high costs facing businesses in our municipality our ridiculous. If elected I will ensure that when we re design the downtown core that there is the maximum amount of commercial land released as is possible. I would also like to explore the idea of having Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corporation built a large commercial tower in the city centre. Business offices in our region are often forced into strip malls; I believe having a large commercial tower available to accommodate those businesses is essential. Every floor would add more square footage of commercial space to our municipality, as businesses moved into the tower it would also free up existing commercial space. I believe it is critical that we need to increase the amount of commercial land available to help lower the high costs businesses face in our region.

I like your idea about having commercial space on the first floors of residential buildings.

What are your thoughts about either subsidizing or offering tax brakes to attract certain kind of business into the region? Or building new retail space and leasing it at reduced rates to attract businesses?

We need these stores. Plain and simple.

It's one of the things people complain about most. So we need to fix it and entice those big box stores (and small businesses too) to set up shop here.

Between the downtown revitilzation and the two new subdivisions (Parsons Creek and Saline Creek Plateau), we have a huge opportunity to get it right with commercial development.

As noted in my first half of my platform released on Thursday, I am in favour of offering tax incentives to services we currently don't have. http://tyranault.com/2012/06/07/tyran-a ... n-platform

Thanks,
Tyran

Tyran,
You want to attract small businesses, but yet in the very site you direct us to, you give local small webdesigners a direct slap in the face.
Nothing on your site was designed by a local company.
Kudos!
I would have figured that with your willingness to spend money on signs every 25ft on every road in town, you would shill a bit for the local business you "support"...which makes me ask...did you get you signs out of town too?

Hi there,

Need to quickly clarify this one as I 100% support local business.

My graphics for my website were done by my girlfriend (who is a local graphic designer) and one other friend (who does web design) who are both volunteering my campaign. The only costs come from the fee for the wordpress blog.

My signs were ordered and printed at Printing Unlimited. I know many candidates running did not purchase locally. It was important to me to do so.

I also ordered my stickers locally at Dreamline Promotions.

Thanks,
Tyran

I see little the municipality can offer in the way of incentives to businesses apart from low or no property taxes. The large retail operations we already have are struggling to keep even semi competent individuals on staff. With all the oil operations around us they usually only get to pick from people who can't pass the mandatory drug tests. Secondly, unless they own the property the greedy landlords (who are usually in Edmonton or Calgary) squeeze many of the business out of existence.
How about this for an idea for the municipality. They already have Wood Buffalo Housing established so expand their mandate to also cover small business retail space? Develop some form of rental structure based on the business income much like they do with the housing they operate. This way we will have local businesses run by local people with the revenue remaining in town instead of shipping it off to Edmonton.
As for the Costco junkies, until we have a much larger "official" population you will can still get a fix at http://www.costco.ca/. If the municipality was a little more aggressive at going after illegal renal units they may get a much more realistic population number. An online census isn't going to work because these people are most likely not claiming the rent as income to avoid income taxes and not declaring the renal unit with the municipality to avoid complying with building code and property taxes. Check out this little gem listed as a nine bedroom income property. http://propertyguys.com/property/index/id/65067 Go through the photos and play count the building code violations.

I know back when I still rented (and we were renting a legit townhouse) there were 6 of us there.
Only two of us were actually considered to be Fort Mc residents though.

Personally I think the best way to crack down on the illegal rental units is to ban onstreet parking.
If its on the street and not in a marked stall, it gets a ticket.
The city will make a fortune for the first few months and eventually all those people will find places to live that provide ample parking, which more than likely will be a legal unit.
Of course being forced into legal units, they will be counted in a census and *SHOCKER* the people who live and pay taxes here will actually be able to drive down their streets.

Banning on street parking will certainly reduce the likelihood of dandelion seeds blowing into my yard.

Banning on site parking except for homeowners with a sticker is an excellent idea! The home next to ours now has at least 6 vehicles and room for 2 in the driveway and one in front of the home...guess where the other vehicles are parking???