The Alberta RCMP has charged a 44-year-old woman with defrauding the Fort McMurray Heritage Society (FMHS) of more than $800,000, in a case spanning nearly two years.
Wood Buffalo RCMP received a report from the FMHS in November 2024 about missing funds and financial irregularities in its business accounts, reporting losses of $500,000, police said in a news release.
The agency’s general investigation section began a lengthy probe that involved a detailed review of the society’s financial records, administration documents, electronic evidence, and witness statements.
“Due to the complexity of the allegations, the process required significant time to complete,” the RCMP said, while acknowledging the public’s interest in the case’s outcome.
Wood Buffalo RCMP arrested Angela Lynch from Fort McMurray on Aug. 19 and charged her with theft over $5,000 and fraud over $5,000. Police released her from custody on an undertaking, and she will appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Fort McMurray on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Fort McMurray Heritage Society
The Fort McMurray Heritage Society is a non-profit organization that managed the Fort McMurray Heritage Village and Heritage Shipyard. The village contains 17 historic buildings on a 6.6-acre site, and has a collection of artifacts from the community’s days of fur trading.
During a March 2025 council meeting, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) agreed to cover the Fort McMurray Heritage Society’s operational expenses for three months and provide $300,000 since it was out of revenue.
Other options included the RMWB doing nothing, which would have caused the properties and artifacts to deteriorate, or preserving the properties and artifacts for $180,000 should FMHS dissolve.
A council report said the FMHS had outstanding audited financial statements for 2023. It had received $1.2 million in grant funding for 2023–2024, but could not provide accurate or adequate financial reporting.
These factors meant the organization was ineligible for grant funding in 2025 from the RMWB’s Community Investment Policy, and the regional municipality could not release the remaining 2024 funding of $175,000 until the society provided its audited financial statements.
As part of the agreement, the society was required to provide audited financial statements within three to six months. However, it was unable to do that by Sept. 30, 2025, and dissolved, prompting the RMWB to take temporary control of the society’s assets—including Heritage Village and Heritage Shipyard—until the end of the year.
This included reallocating $175,062 in previously committed funding for FMHS to the community services department to support heritage preservation activities from October to December 2025.
Council also directed administration to consider the fee structure for the Heritage Village and Shipyard and explore opportunities for a new operating model. This included partnerships with the community and the Government of Alberta and the creation of a regional heritage council.
“We recognize and value Fort McMurray Heritage Society’s longstanding contributions to preserving the region’s history,” Mayor Sandy Bowman said in a September 2025 news release.
“With Heritage Society’s decision to transfer these important assets to the Municipality, our focus continues to be on protecting Heritage Village, Heritage Shipyard, and the artifacts that tell our story,” he added.
Bowman added that the municipality was present to ensure residents could engage with the region’s history and heritage, with any future steps guided by that principle.
“We are proud of the work our staff and volunteers have done over the years to preserve and share the rich history of Wood Buffalo,” Steve Huffman, chairman of the Fort McMurray Heritage Society, said in the news release.
“While this marks a transition, we are hopeful that efforts … will continue to ensure these important sites and artifacts remain protected for future generations,” he added. “We appreciate the collaboration with RMWB and the shared commitment to heritage preservation.”
In April, RMWB administration provided council with an update about a proposed Heritage Resources Management Plan, which provides a strategic framework to guide the identification, stewardship, and management of Wood Buffalo’s heritage resources.
Council will consider the document in early 2027.
