Centennial RV Campground closing by May 2026 to become dealership
Council approved the rezoning needed for this change, but some councilors were shocked to learn the campground's permit expired in 2020.
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The Centennial RV Campground will close by May 2026 so it can become a Legacy Dodge dealership. Council approved an amended bylaw to allow the rezoning, but some councilors were shocked to learn the campground’s permit expired in 2020.
The campground was destroyed in the 2016 Horse River Wildfire. When the owner applied to rebuild the campground, the municipality learned the land was actually zoned for parks and recreation. To support the post-wildfire rebuild, the municipality allowed the land to continue operating as a campground until March 28, 2020.
When the permit expired, the municipality told the owners a new three-year permit was needed to continue running, the municipality was told about the owners’ hopes for the land. Last April, the owner proposed amending the land’s zoning to allow the campground to remain open until they are ready to break ground on a dealership.
Legacy Dodge owners told council the dealership will bring new development to Fort McMurray’s south side and support local jobs.
They reminded council about their charitable sponsorships of the Fort McMurray Boys’ and Girls’ Club, the NorthLife Soup Kitchen, the Salvation Army, the Family Christian Centre’s counselling centre. Legacy Dodge also has the naming rights to the fitness centre, baseball field and golf practice facility at MacDonald Island Park.
Pastor Edwin Rideout of the Family Christian Centre told council that he believes Legacy Dodge will follow through with their plans to build a dealership at the site and praised their support for the church’s counselling centre. Rideout said the development would be an improvement.
“I often bring guests into the city from around the world and I actually hate driving by that section of the road as I’m trying to introduce them to the city and help them realize how vibrant and great this city is,” said Rideout.
Lana Thiesen, who has been managing the park since 2020, told council she keeps the park well maintained and has rules about noise, cleanliness and additions. She defended the park as a community of short-term and long-term tenants. She did not say if she was in favour or opposed to the motion.
Councillors Ken Ball, Keith McGrath, Stu Wigle and Mayor Sandy Bowman said they supported commercial development of the land. Ball and McGrath also called the trailer park ugly, while Bowman said he was happy to see a new business open south of the Athabasca River.
Ball said he supported redeveloping the land, but was frustrated that the campground has been non-compliant since 2020. He felt council was being asked to do “what we can to fix the non-compliance.” He also criticized calling the site a campground, since many people in the park are long-term tenants.
McGrath proposed an amendment that a dealership would be built within the next 25 months. Municipal lawyer Chris Davis said the municipality can’t mandate the development, but council can order the campground will shut down within the next 24 months. McGrath agreed with this change.
“We’ve forgotten our way to enforce our own governance and that’s not on these owners,” said McGrath. “We’ll have a new dealership in the ground or we won’t have a campground.”
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vmcdermott@postmedia.com
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