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Fort MacKay

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    The hamlet of Fort MacKay is located 58 kilometres north of Fort McMurray on the west bank of the Athabasca River and is situated amongst many oil sands harvesting sites. Fort MacKay can be accessed from Highway 63 or an airstrip located in Mildred Lake, three kilometres south.

    Fort MacKay was established in 1820 by the Hudson Bay Company as a trading post but was not known as Fort MacKay until it was named after Dr. Williams Morrison MacKay in 1917. While the oil sands industry is the primary employer in Fort MacKay, forestry, hunting and trapping remain to be a part of the local economy.

    According to the 2010 census, there are 44 people living in Fort MacKay but the census did not account for transient oil sands workers or residents living on the nearby native reserve. Many local residents are active members of the Fort MacKay First Nation which is part of the Athabasca Tribal Council.