The governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan announced Thursday that the $45-million La Loche Road will be completed within the next three years, cutting travel time between La Loche and Fort McMurray from 10 hours to less than two.
With up to 15,000 new jobs expected to be created by the massive oil sands projects in northern Alberta, La Loche Mayor Georgina Jolibois believes the road will open up new opportunities for residents of northern communities such as Buffalo Narrows, Ile-a-La-Crosse and her own village.
Note that it was Alberta that dragged its feet on completing the road: despite Alberta's recent budget surpluses, Saskatchewan has been waiting for years since completing the road on its side of the border.
Fortunately, the waiting will soon be over, and both sides stand to benefit. Alberta will have easier access to labour for the tar sands and will probably also see increased retail sales now that Saskatchewan residents can get to larger shopping facilities, while Saskatchewan should see both increased tourism and access to better jobs. Such an obvious win-win shouldn't have taken this long, but at least it's going to get done.
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