Last week I had the privilege of visiting Fort McMurray with Parsons Holiday Tours. My husband and I were part of a group of 36 enthusiastic travellers, mostly seniors. It turned out to be a very entertaining, educational three days. Even the long road between here and there, we discovered, is full of history and activity.

We boarded the bus in Red Deer at 7:45 a.m., picked up more passengers in Lacombe, then headed north. The seniors were astounded at the construction along Ellerslie Road as we skirted Edmonton. Morning coffee stop was in Fort Saskatchewan.

The next stop was near Bruderheim to see the Skaro Shrine and Our Lady of Lourdes grotto. Our informative driver, John Parsons, informed his passengers of the history of the many Catholic and Orthodox churches of the area. Dry conditions were obvious along the way, and the grass and crops were faring poorly.

Lunch time found us in Boyle, where demolition was in progress on the elevator. The elevator was known as a “buffalo bin” and was one of only three structures of its kind built in Alberta, the other two being in Magrath and Lyalta. We were served a “soup and sandwich” lunch at a small hotel in the town.

Heading easterly, our next stop was in Lac la Biche. The bus stopped along a park-like setting by the lake where there was a statue of David Thompson and his fellow explorers. It had surprised the driver to discover, in his pursuit of history, that David Thompson had mapped as far north as the Lac la Biche area. He reminded us of the David Thompson highway commemorating the exploration of Central Alberta, and that Thompson had also explored and mapped most of the area south and west into Washington and Oregon. We enjoyed a little walk along the scenic pathway before reboarding the bus and heading north on Hwy 881.

Afternoon break was near Conklin, where the bus stopped at the construction scene of a gas station. We enjoyed a refreshing cup of cold water and a cookie, brought along with the knowledge that there were no places to have coffee on that stretch of highway. However, the scenery was beautiful along Hwy 881. Very little fire damage was evident in the miles of green grass and trees. As we proceeded north, the poplar bluffs gradually gave way to great stands of evergreens.

Six o’clock saw our arrival in Fort McMurray. We were issued keys to our hotel rooms and given the evening to relax.

We put our luggage in our room and phoned a friend, who is working with Suncor as an engineer. Kim picked us up, treated us to buffet supper, then showed us some of the highlights of the city from a young adult’s view.

New construction was prevalent, and the equipment large. She informed us that when construction started in a new area, equipment was borrowed from the mines to prepare the ground.

“In Fort McMurray,” she stated, “one thing we really know how to do is move dirt!”

Fort McMurray is a contrast of the very old and very new. There is a “downtown” section that appeared rather run-down, but most of the residential areas are clean, tidy and new. In some driveways we saw evidence of the “boys and their toys” reputation, with truck, boat, ATV and snowmobile surrounding the garage. They were the exception, as most of the residences were very similar to Red Deer.

Returning to the hotel we crashed early, knowing we would have a full day of activity coming up.

***Watch for Day 2 - the tours***