The Globe and Mail – The Fort McKay Group of Companies business portfolio generates gross revenue of about $500-million a year and creates about 2,000 jobs. Only about 5 per cent of its annual net income is derived from government transfers; the other 95 per cent is own-source revenue from business activities.
Fort McKay’s Community Well-Being Index, based on income, employment, housing quality and education, has steadily risen until it is almost as high as the average for all Canadian communities. The average after tax income for Fort McKay residents was $73,571 in 2015 – significantly higher than for Alberta ($50,683) and Canada ($38,977). This is an outstanding achievement for a First Nation whose people just a generation ago were hunters and trappers in a remote wilderness area.