Support Grows in Alberta for Link to La Loche

Support Grows in Alberta for Link to La Loche

Wednesday, January 28, 2004 at 13:23

The mayor of Fort McMurray, Alberta is expressing optimism that a link between his community and La Loche will be announced within a year.

Lobbying for the Alberta side of the highway has been a pet project for many northern Saskatchewan politicians, who are anxious to see their communities benefit from all the economic spinoffs the link would bring.

Fort McMurray mayor Doug Faulkner is a big proponent of the proposed highway and says, over the last year, many other parties in Northern Alberta have been pushing for the road as part of an east-west link that would extend to the Alaska Highway.

Faulkner also says the Alberta government seems a lot more interested in the idea than it did a year ago, but it’s still waiting for the federal government to cost-share the estimated 24-million-dollar project.

Faulkner expects talks with the federal government to accelerate after the anticipated federal election this spring.