Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s Council is firing the board of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo Economic Development and Tourism (WBEDT).

Following an in-camera meeting of the municipal council on Tuesday night, the Municipality announced that the council voted unanimously to remove the governance board of WBEDT. The organization will now work through its Chief Executive Officer, reporting directly to the RMWB Council and their Chief Administrative Officer, Henry Hunter.

Council will act as the de facto Board of Directors for WBEDT with Mayor Sandy Bowman serving as interim Chairperson.

“Economic development, supporting local business and industry, while always being guided by a spirit of service to the people that live here is important to us,” said Mayor Sandy Bowman in a media statement.

“It has become clear that collectively, we need to have stronger oversight of how the work of economic development and tourism is being led.”

In 2022, the RWMB council was split on the decision to continue funding WBEDT resulting in the municipality temporarily pausing grants to the group. The following April Economic Development asked Council to restore funding.