So how did I miss this until now? Boomtown Casino, downtown Fort McMurray. It's actually tucked away in the parking lot of the Peter Pond Shopping Centre (Peter Pond was an early explorer not some early Newfoundlander like Art originally thought, lol). It's in plain view so don't ask me how I missed it until this week. It kind of took me by surprise, don't ask me why, everyone has the right to spend their money in whatever fashion this wish, including the government, they get it back in spades right! Oops, pardon the pun.

We took a drive downtown yesterday, then parked and went for a walk. I wanted to check out some of the 'average' real estate that I've been hearing about. I went on mls online but the pictures were not very good and I wanted to see these places firsthand. We went for a walk in a neighborhood that is within walking distance of the downtown core, well...everything is actually. Like any town or city, there are always areas that are more ideal for families than others, well that was the area that I was looking for. I knew where the seedier areas were, the college residences, the industrial areas and there was another residential area that I had gone to yard sales in that I wouldn't consider 'within easy walking distance'. I like to be right in the heart of a place, which is why I love living in city. Anyway, I found it. It had been right under my nose all the time. It is within minutes to one of the waterparks that we frequent, our favourite ice cream stand is right around the corner, and we parked the van in front of the little cafe, Mitchell's Conversations, that Hannah and I love. We started walking from there. I knew where I was going because I had driven by this stretch of attached houses a few times that had a sign on every lawn. I was curious about the price and I couldn't find them online. They are 2 story row houses built in the early 70's, lots of character but in need of some repairs. There isn't really anything special about them but they appealed to me because a few of them had nice shade trees in the front yards and fenced backyards. They are across the street from the town's Islamic Centre and behind them is a laneway and then the backyards of the houses from the next street over. Once I got more information I was able to go back and check them out online. The asking price is $450,000 each! We walked down a connecting street and came across about 4 or 5 bungalows from the same era. Nothing special here either, houses and yards in need of repair and to be honest, it didn't look like whoever was selling them was even bothering to keep them neat and tidy. I could only assume that they were presently being used as rentals. They ranged in price from $699,000 to $899,000. The most surprising thing about them and others that I came across, was that there were no pictures of the inside of the house and that in the details it was stated that there were "no showings", home and buildings are sold as is or 'home and buildings are as is, where is'. I can't imagine buying a house I wasn't even able to look at especially at that price. Art's assumption is that someone figures that is what the lot is worth to tear down and build a house with much greater value. Are these the houses of former Fort McMurray residents, the original residents, that sold when offered what was then double or even triple what they paid for their homes as the 'big boom' was beginning? So some real estate savvy dude or dudette comes in and makes offers he knows most people won't refuse and buys up a bunch of these old houses knowing that someday he...or she, would be able to make a ridiculous profit on the lots? Because they can't possibly believe these houses are worth the selling price?! Meanwhile, there are people in town who can't afford to find a place to live, no wonder. I met a woman from Fort McMurray while I was living in Cold Lake five years ago who told me that her house, which she had originally paid about $35,000 for at that time was worth $250,000. She didn't want to move but she also said she couldn't go out after dark anymore or go to the local pub because it had become too dangerous. Fort McMurray was a different place. Kinda sad for some of the original folks actually. Well, I've never been downtown Fort Mac after dark. Last night I ventured out to do a little shopping by myself. I wanted to take advantage of the lack of taxes before heading home. The stores close at nine and it wasn't quite dark but close enough. It was Thursday night, LOA (living out allowance) cheques in hand and the end of a shift for some, the town was abuzz. I've seen guys making drug deals outside the mall in broad daylight and homeless people in the streets and drunks weaving and bobbing up and down Franklin Ave before, none of that is surprising, you see it in all cities. That which is considered to be the underbelly of a city does not make me squeamish. I've spent lots of time with homeless people and drug addicts, they have stories like the rest of us and besides, society's less fortunate do not make uncomfortable. It wasn't any of that which caused the hair on the back of my neck to rise, it was something else. There's a certain undercurrent of danger lurking out there after dark. There was a lot of traffic and the sound of Harley's, which there are a lot of in this town, was deafening when the lights turned green. I like the sound of a Harley or two but more than five or six makes you think of bike gangs and being from the East Coast where the Hell's Angels have always had a fairly menacing presence, it makes a person a little uneasy. There were a lot of people on the streets too walking to places unknown. I locked my doors before driving away and couldn't wait to get on the highway away from the stop and go of the traffic lights in the city. I'm not sure what it is, maybe just that there doesn't seem to be any cohesiveness to this town. Too many people here for one reason which is to make a lot of money and then get out. Where's the spirit in a place like that? Definitely a different place after dark.

So I've bought my return ticket home to Nova Scotia. Summer is almost over and I'm ready to get back to my home and sweep out the cobwebs. I've had a small team of family and friends watering and weeding and looking out for our little place and I'm looking forward to getting back there and taking over. I'm a little sad to be leaving The Fort, but it's always nice to leave a place feeling a bit of that instead of feeling sick and tired of it right? We leave Saturday after Art gets off work and we're heading for Edmonton for a couple of nights and then we're heading for Red Deer to visit friends. So the journey is not over yet!