Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo is celebrating Black History Month this February.

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) Mayor Sandy Bowman gave a local stamp to the national celebration as he issued an official proclamation of the month at a recent municipal council meeting.

“Being a diverse region like we are, this is an opportunity for all of us to recognize and celebrate the contribution Black Canadians are making here, every day,” said Mayor Bowman.

“This is also a great time to engage and participate in the number of events and initiatives led by community organizations for Black History Month, and we thank them for what they’re doing to showcase their culture and heritage, in February and throughout the year.”

The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build”. This theme celebrates the rich past and present contributions and accomplishments of Black people in Canada while aspiring to embrace new opportunities for the future.

Member of Parliament of Fort McMurray – Cold Lake, Laila Goodridge expressed her pride in the legacy of great Canadians like frontier cowboy, John Ware, and Canada’s first Black Member of Parliament, Lincoln Alexander.

“Here in Fort McMurray, I think of the outstanding work done by my friend Regina Oppon and her organization, Rehoboth Alliance,” added Goodridge.

“Or Dango Gogo, President of the Multicultural Association, and Managing Partner of McMurray Regional Law Office.”

Goodridge added, “We have so many black Canadians, locally and nationally, who give freely of their time, talent, and treasure to make our community a better place.”