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The Wood Buffalo RCMP has charged an individual for allegedly defrauding the Fort McMurray Heritage Society of more than $800,000.
The investigation commenced in November 2024, after RCMP received a report from the Fort McMurray Heritage Society (FMHS) of “missing funds” and “financial irregularities” from their business accounts, police said.
Subsequently, the issue was brought to Council in early 2025, which revealed that FMHS had been unable to apply for government grants due to missing audits from 2023 and 2024; A total of $1,2 million in grant funds which were unaccounted for.
FMHS board chair Steve Huffman told Fort McMurray Today that the organization began facing auditing issues when their regular auditor stopped working for non-profits.
At the time, a loss of $500,000 had already been reported, prompting RCMP investigators to conduct a detailed review of financial records, administrative documents, statements from witnesses and any other electronic evidence.
While investigations went on, provincial partnerships and a possible oversight from a Regional Heritage Council were tabled in efforts to introduce a new operating model for FMHS, as well as funding to maintain the assets for the 2026 year.
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) then assumed responsibility for three heritage sites after the dissolution of their operating societies: Fort McMurray Heritage Village, Fort McMurray Heritage Shipyard and Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial Museum.
All three sites are currently closed to the public.
The RMWB’s focus has been on securing facilities, preserving collections, managing legal and governance issues, and planning long-term operations.
Based on an April 2026 Council agenda, the RMWB administration has been developing governance and operating options for Council consideration beginning 2027. RMWB secured temporary access to preserve the site, restore utilities, secure the building, and assess the collection.
In March 2026, the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) also conducted site visits and identified significant concerns with the heritage collections at the Heritage Village and Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial Museum. Collections storage areas were overcrowded and inadequately organized, creating risks of damage, loss, and misplacement of artifacts.
The assessment also found a substantial backlog in collections management, including uncatalogued items, as well as artifacts requiring deaccessioning or disposal. Council said that overall, there is limited documentation and understanding of the full scope and condition of the collections.
$175,062 was reallocated in 2025 to support the Heritage Village and Heritage Shipyard, while $274,578 was reallocated in 2026 for the Fort Chipewyan Museum, with additional 2026 funding approved to support ongoing assessments and preservation planning.
A Fort McMurray woman, Angela Lynch, 44, is now facing charges of theft and fraud in relation to the allegations brought forward by the FMHS. Lynch has been released from custody on an Undertaking and has a court date set for on Oct. 14, 2026.
The RCMP said they are aware of the public’s interest in the outcome of the case, but the investigation required “significant time to complete” due to the complexity of the allegations brought forward.
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