Growing Up with the Oil Sands

Mireille Farkouh knows her bitumen. Not only can she tell you why a bitumen molecule is one of the most complex found in nature, but she can tell you the story of the Cree man who brought the first sample of bitumen to the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1719.

Farkouh has popped out hundreds of facts like these during her summer job over the last four years as a tour guide for Suncor Energy Inc. in Fort McMurray.

“We get people from all over the world coming to visit the site,” says the future graduate of Mount Royal’s Public Relations program in Calgary. 

"The people who visit the oil sands are amazed to hear that residents are actually part of the Fort McMurray community and don't just live in camps and work. I enjoyed leading them through the city and telling them about what was going on. It would change a lot of perceptions about the city," she says.

She gave a thorough tour of the community because she grew up in Fort McMurray. Both Farkouh’s parents work in the energy sector - her mother for an oil sands industry association and her dad in construction.

"The oil sands have helped support my family for many years and it has supported me through university," she says. 

Farkouh took some time to find the right area of study for her before moving to study in Calgary for the last five years.

"The opportunity to work in the oil sands has allowed me to support myself. Without it, I would probably be paying off student loans," she says.

Now that’s she’s graduating from university and ready to build a career in communications, Farkouh, like many others she knows, has not ruled out moving back to Fort McMurray in the future.

"I have an attachment to the place I grew up living in, and I sometimes miss being part of a smaller community. I think I would really enjoy living and working there again."

She says the oil and gas industry that fuels her hometown has a powerful effect far beyond the city limits. 

"It hasn't just given the province an opportunity to grow, it's given Canada an opportunity for growth,” she says.

"So many people from across the country have moved to Fort McMurray to start a new life where they can support themselves. I think that's important to recognize."

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