May 2025 - Updated Monthly
FMWB Economic Dashboard
Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo has the energy to power Canada's economy. Gain insight on the local picture with these key indicators.
We’re ready to welcome more tourists to Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo. From new events like Hello Summer to growing celebrations like ATC Cultural Festival to notable sports events like the 2025 18U Baseball Nationals, we’re looking forward to a busy summer season.
New investments in our region are helping to attract more visitors, too. Alberta Parks is updating lots at Gregoire Lake and Macqua Lake Provincial Parks. Lodges and back-county tourism businesses are expanding. New restaurants, shops, and other small businesses have opened - and we anticipate more activity in the months ahead.
As more Canadians look north for tourism destinations we’re ready to welcome them to FMWB.
Lisa Sweet | Interim CEO
Canada's energy centre
Oil Sands Production
10% YoY increase from Jan 2024 to Jan 2025. -2.2% decrease Feb 2024 to Feb 2025. Strong momentum or a swell before U.S. tariffs were expected to begin? Key US refineries depend on heavier oil sands crude, so changes to the US energy supply chain would require significant time and investment.
FMWB has the production capacity and the reserves for decades of reliable energy production.
March 2025 data
Average daily production
3.54 million barrels
Year-over-year change
3.5%
Wood Buffalo - Cold Lake Labour Force
Workforce Update
FMWB remains in a stronger labour market position than key comparisons. Unemployment is below the provincial (7.1%) and national (6.9%) averages. This is in line with long-term labour trends for the region.
Statistics Canada highlights that it's taking jobseekers longer to find employment nationally than in 2024. With notable projects with shovels in the ground in FMWB we'll watch to see how the numbers change.
April 2025 data
Participation
73.0%
Employment
68.7%
Unemployment
5.9%
An affordable community
Real Estate Market
Sales for almost every price range of home increased year-over-year in April, with inventory under three months of supply for duplexes, rowhomes, and apartments.
April 2025 data
Year-to-date average residential price
$372,369
Year-over-year increase in home sales
5.5%
Nation-leading affordability
Rental report
Fort McMurray remains a top-ranked market for rental affordability. And while larger centres like Calgary and Edmonton have higher rates, Alberta overall remains well below the national average.
So how affordable is it? Current averages are less than half of the average rate in North Vancouver and Vancouver!
May 2025 report
Average 1BR rent
$1,254
Average 2BR rent
$1,397
Fort McMurray International Airport
Passenger + Flight Info
Fort McMurray International Airport announced expanded flight frequency to Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto in January. This shows in the 23% YoY increase in aircraft movements whereas Jan 2025 saw a 36% YoY decrease. Quick and efficient connections across Canada and around the world.
March 2025 data
Total passengers
25,585
Aircraft movements
3,188
Infrastructure to grow
Traffic Counts
Traffic moves smoothly in FMWB. Ongoing infrastructure investments keep things rolling. The Athabasca River Bridge is a key connector. April stats show little change from 2024 patterns.
April 2025 data
Avg daily vehicles Hwy 63 - Athabasca Bridge
54,480
Welcoming the world
Hotel Occupancy
Fort McMurray saw occupancy and room rates improve slightly in March. Ongoing trade tensions with the United States have decreased cross-border traffic, and could potentially drive new visitors to Canadian destinations like FMWB.
March 2025 data
Average occupancy
46%
