Canada - The Last Frontier - Alberta, Fort McMurray - The Campbells are coming!
The cry "The Campbells are coming" bred fear into the hearts and souls of peace loving peoples. Not least because of the howling bagpipes normally wailing in the background, and sometimes due to the awful lyrics to the song:
And so it wasn't. The Campbells were staid put up in Fort McMurray in the far reaches of the north of Alberta, after a large slice of lifetime mining for oil in the famous oil sands area, clan Campbell Paul welcomed Felipe and Rosa to his province.
The flight from Vancouver via Calgary took about 4 hours including layover, and gave opportunity to see the flat lands from above. North of Calgary the forests were striking, whilst smoke from fires blurred the view.
Whilst we were in the province, the 'wild fire' (our bush fire) bit hard into the western side of Alberta and destroyed hotels and homes in Jasper.
But the weather was warm, the friendly reception and accommodation at Paul's home in Alpine Court very hospitable.
We had a 3 day plan: arrive Friday arvo and settle in with a steak meal at their equivalent of a pub - table service and wall to wall cathode ray oscilloscope screens displaying every imaginable sport, including deep non assisted diving (latterly removed from the Olympic games).
Rain pelted down on our arrival at the very attractive and pleasantly arranged airport. I'd say the Canadians in Alberta insist on looking after themselves, given the massive contribution their oil sands enterprises make to the economy.
Long days of sun light - before 5am to after 10pm - in late July, probably 4am to 11pm in mid June. Temperature in the region of mid 20s. But in the winter, we are told, it is not unusual to experience 40 degrees below zeros (and live to tell the tale).
A city of 65,000 people, with 6 lane highways between the city and the oil sands mining area 40km to the north, it is evident that people come here to make money. In fact, the name is often misstated as "Fort McMoney".
They had significant fires, back in 2016, which destroyed large numbers of houses, all the bush surrounding the valley and beyond, but it has all been reconstructed. Paul himself said he wished his house had burnt down.
Saturday Rosie and I explored by bus the local area and to the Oil Sands Interpretative Centre just out of town. We now know more about turning bitumen into crude oil and how it is pumped around northern America to be refined, than you need to know in a lifetime. But I was very interested.
Some of the machinery made and used is pictured here. Those against the huge removal of top soil and removal of material below, and the change to the landscape caused thereby have much cannon fodder for their complaint - as they drive to and from the shopping mall in their internal combustion engine motor vehicle. The electric battery car doesn't have the range to get to northern Alberta.
Saturday 27th July Paul and friend/boarder Stacey took us out, with neighbour Lorraine (originally from Maine, USA) to a local restaurant on the river. Excellent service, food and refreshments. Set beside the river and a large park, the many nationalities of immigrants who work and live in Fort McMurray were enjoying the late evening, whilst we enjoyed the French wine.
Image: fire in Alberta. One of 350!
Sunday, Paul rigged up a couple of his motorbikes, and we went for a tour of the mine areas. A good ride the 40km to the fields, and light traffic on a Sunday (although it gets heavy with buses and cars at change of shift at 7pm).
Before heading off Lorraine gave us a huge breakfast - with things we don't usually eat at home: sausage, flapjacks, but added the usual eggs, bacon, fruit. Very kind of her.
The size and scope of operations are astounding. I knew they would be, so are they then, by definition, not astounding? Either way, impressive.
The hot sunny day burnt us out, and so we had a couple of beers at the Canadian Beer Warehouse (with CRO sport wall to wall) but outside in the beer garden. Very friendly atmosphere, and shouted by Rosie, it was economic on our pockets!
Stacey has a 6.6 litre Ford Thunderbird, 1974 model. We had a spin in it and were quickly able to use a bit of the excess petroleum lying around in tanks all over the world. Zero to 180 in the blink of eye.
Monday was departure date, and we left by the noon flight out to Calgary - on to Vancouver, arriving (after time adjustment of an hour) around 5pm. Much discussion about getting Paul Campbell to sing "The Campbells are Going" but we couldn't alter the words of the original song to make better sense.
We shall have to get him on his motorbike in NSW (Forster) to join us for a ride out west or along the Great Ocean Road. Whilst a gentle man, and comfortable in his own skin and time, his courtesy and grace, and generosity, make him great company in all circumstances. He is his own man.
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