NO ROOM FOR METH LABS

FORT McMURRAY -- A housing crunch in this northern city has at least one
positive side effect - there's no vacancy for meth labs. There were nine
methamphetamine labs busted in Alberta last year. Mounties here say, to
their knowledge, there aren't any in the city.

"Generally speaking, people are importing (meth) from larger centres," said
Cpl. Jim Janczek, head of the RCMP's drug squad in Fort McMurray. "You
don't have to be a rocket scientist to make it, but you destroy the place
you're doing it in."

The average price of a home in Fort McMurray, at more than $300,000, and
rent costs of about $1,000 a month for a one-bedroom unit, have been cited
as barriers to people moving here.

That also means the region is a far cry from a perfect place for a meth
lab, police believe.

"There's limited space here," Janczek said. "You couldn't do it in an
apartment, and there's not that many houses available.

"Here (in McMurray), we're constantly vigilant about looking out for (meth
labs)," Janczek said. "We're counting our lucky stars that it hasn't come
yet, but we're on the lookout."