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- calendar_today November 12, 2026
Documenting Fort McMurray History: Saving Waterways’ Fading Memories
The Waterways neighbourhood in Fort McMurray has been shaped by generations of residents as well as dramatic events, from economic booms to devastating natural disasters. Now, a new history project spearheaded by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) and Keyano College seeks to preserve the community’s stories before they are lost.
A Community Nearly Lost to Fire and Flood
For much of its early history, Waterways was a vibrant community of its own. Hugh Furber, who grew up along the Clearwater River in the 1950s, remembers a childhood of fishing and swimming, with the local train station and fishery at the centre of economic life. "It was the hub of the community," Furber recalled. Over time, Waterways was incorporated into Fort McMurray, but many of its historical buildings vanished—some lost to development, others to disaster.
The most significant blow came in 2016, when the Horse River Wildfire destroyed about 90 per cent of Waterways’ buildings. Few homes were rebuilt, and those that returned faced further hardship with severe flooding in April 2020. Even before the fire, redevelopment had diminished the number of historic sites throughout the area. As of a 2023 report to the RMWB council, only 62 of 194 sites identified as historically important in the region were still standing.
Honouring History Through Community Stories
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Waterways train station, the RMWB launched the Waterways project to capture and celebrate the neighbourhood’s unique past. With so many physical landmarks now gone—including the station itself, which burned down in 1998—the focus has shifted toward preserving oral and photographic accounts.
Jessica Barry, a community services co-ordinator with the RMWB, emphasized the importance of personal narratives. "Heritage isn’t just about buildings and artifacts, but it’s also about the stories and the memories and the experiences of people in the region that make it unique." To collect these stories, the RMWB has put out a call for volunteers on its Facebook page for residents willing to share their memories for preservation.
An Innovative Approach Using Technology
The project also utilizes the interactive app On This Spot to give users access to images and stories from the area’s past. The app is designed to make local history – from the train station to homes destroyed by fire and flood – accessible to current and future generations.
Academic and Community Collaboration
Keyano College is also a central partner in the initiative. Kevin Rodgers, a history instructor at the college and curator of the Wood Buffalo Military Museum, noted the transient nature of the community has led to important historical material being scattered across archives as far as Edmonton and Yellowknife. "Many of us feel like we came from somewhere else and we’re just renting space here," Rodgers said. "A lot of times people don’t think their story matters. It is the normal stories that tell us about the social history of a region more so than the extremes." Rodgers and his students are joining the effort by conducting interviews and processing archival materials.
Student Marissa Murphy said there is strong interest in local history beyond the region’s well-known oil sands. Although Fort McMurray and Waterways are relatively young settlements, she noted much of their story has yet to be documented.
Looking Ahead: Building Foundations for Broader History Projects
Rodgers views the Waterways project as a proving ground for wider efforts to gather and archive the stories of the Wood Buffalo region. The methodology and workflows developed here may guide future projects involving the municipality and local Indigenous communities.
As Rodgers explained to his students, "We’re not doing things for today. We’re doing things for a researcher 100 years from now." By safeguarding memories, photographs and community stories now, the project aims to ensure the rich and evolving history of Fort McMurray—and neighbourhoods like Waterways—will not be forgotten.
Source: cbc.ca.
