I've lived in the mac for a few years now. Don't know many people that smoke pot. That stays in your system too long for drug tests etc. Coke is the 'weed' of Fort Mac.

What's that?

timpo working in fort mac?:heckno:

No NWT I was strictly in a camp setting.

Sounds like an Ernest movie "timpo goes to site"

National Timpoon's Fort Mac Vacation

I've worked in the mac. I started after my first year of engineering as a summer student - dad is a QA/QC manager. It really does depend a lot on who you know. I know people that have been trying to get a job up there with tons of experience and cant get in. I've also gotten 2 of my friends jobs who have no experience; one for part of the summer and another full time (but he quit soon after).

Camp life isn't for everyone though, being away from people for weeks at a time sucks. I had friends up there though, and since I was an engineering student, I worked in the office so I sat in a computer all day and walked around occasionally. I've worked 2 weeks on 1 week off, and 9 days on and 5 days off last summer. My company paid for flights back and forth so I was actually home quite often. Also got to save a lot of money since being in camp, food and shelter was provided for so I spent nothing while I was up there.

Allowed me to pay for my degree without any debt, but then I bought a car right after graduating so now I'm in debt lolol. If you find a good company though, they really do take care of you.

And money is great, my buddy that I got a job with no experience (marketing student lol) made ~30K in 3 months of 2 weeks on and 1 week off.

TLDR its about who you know - and yes money is pretty damn good.

I have a few friends working for the Municipality of Wood Buffalo right now, so not on the rigs, but in city hall. They work in the same industry I do, but make 20-30% more in salary, plus monthly living allowance. They like it as a short term play (1-3 years), but I don't think I would do it based on lifestyle factor alone. I'd rather make a bit less and live in Vancouver.

yeah I don't have any connections there

not having to endure their winters, office work, airfare paid for, good money...wow that must be nice never mind just for students.

well, thats what an engineering degree gets ya lol..

not like your working the goon spoon as a P-Eng

my brother is in his 4th year mech eng coop and he got offered a position starting at 80k to work with Taseko in williams lake. Lots of opportunities for the people who have the right education

Hahaha Gibraltar.

Taseko is a good site. The location is almost directly in between williams lake and quesnel so you can choose where you want to stay. (williams lake is a pretty decent place).

The facilities on site are nice, I helped build their new expansion (GDP3). So they have new equipment and components on site.

About the only hazard about working there is the drive to site. That road is worse than the highway of tears, in 6 months we lost 3 vehicles from deer collisions. Once you hit the actual mine road its part of grazing ground for a nearby cattle farm, so in the summer you have to be careful not to hit a cow, if you hit a female cow you have to pay like $10k.

I think the workers in the actual mine have bus transportation from Williams lake though. Us contractors arranged our own transport.

Mount Poly is the other site up near there, I wouldn't pick that site over Gibraltar. What a POS.

anyone have any info on working up north as an EMR?
i heard its boring as hell but if i don't get into BCAS right away after getting licensed i might consider working as an industry paramedic for a while.. heard the money is decent

What do you want to know? They come out to safety meetings and then fuck off back to their shack to jerk off, watch tv, work on courses, generally do absolutely nothing.

That just might be the most accurate description of a superintendent I have ever read.

One of my close friends was an EMR on a drilling rig although it wasn't up in the mac. What Gab said is EXACTLY what he did. The positive is that he studied like a motherfucker for his ACP EMT test and killed it. I wish I would have gone up there younger, but can't get over the amount of time away from my wife and Dog to do it now. My wife's brother is up there as a dual ticket electrician/welder as well as an instrumentation apprentice and was just offered 320k a year to sign a 3 year contract. Its great money, but its had an interesting effect on his life. Think of it as selling your life to oil and gas for a few years, and have an exit plan and set the price high, or IMO its not worth it (for me of course)

Fuck a dude I used to drink with said he's known a number of oil and gas workers who now have weird random flu and body aches years after working up there. Guy thinks it has to do with chems they work with. He had a duffle bag with gear in it stored at his family home and after not opening it for a year he found that his boots melted and a bunch of clothes dissolved!

If you believe that you're a ritard

I'm finishing an arts degree this December (criminology, always wanted to be a cop) but I'm seriously considering Ft Mac for a few years to get outta debt an maybe buy a house. I'm a fit guy and the physical labour aspect doesn't scare me at all. I have no wife or dog or any other serious commitments that would make me want to come back to Vancouver.
The more I think about it the more I want to do it. But, as other people have mentioned, I have absolutely 0 connections up there. Any tips for someone like me?

EDIT: Just started reading that other linked thread. Seems like it might have some adivise..

The only knock is really for guys with families who can't cut it. Be it missing the wife and kids or just not built for this. Between shitty food/travel etc
Folks don't seem to realize you make so much you can take time off. Like 6 months at a time. Money's great but you need to live your life and avoid a burnout or just plain bitterness. Save your money and you are good.

Summer is coming to an end and there will be job fairs for entry level jobs for coop students etc. at any tertiary education places once school starts.

Honestly "0 connections" is not an excuse. You start building network even just by researching and asking questions. There will always be colleagues, competitors etc that have better connections than you.

IMO if you don't have a graduate / professional degree and you still want to own non strata property (Freehold 1mill+) in Metro Vancouver (without being powered by parents etc etc), commuting up North or East is pretty much the only legal way to do it.

Fire off as many resumes to as many companies as you can for as many positions as possible. THEN, call and follow back up with them.

Yeah thanks, hitting up recruiters would be a good place to start. I'll ask around at school for any job fairs or info sessions that oil rigs might be at.

If Fort McMurray is your goal.. then it might be wise to apply to the firms Ab offices instead of BC offices. Just coming up with a list of companies that do work that interest you is a good start.

Thanks, yea but thats what I mean about 0 connections. I'm not sure how it would work with applying to places in Alberta, I suppose I'd have to fly there a buncha times for interviews before finding a job?
This concerns me because I spent over $1k (flight/hotel/etc) flying to Edmonton for an interview with the Alberta Sheriffs, not to mention almost another $1k to get all the certificates and courses needed just to apply. I ended up not getting the job, and eating $2k hurt for a budget conscious student trying to pay his way through school.

I recently got to know someone thourgh work, and he explained that his sister apparently got a Health and Safety job working on remote job sites across BC and Alberta. This job interests me because this girl randomly applied with an arts degree and no supporting expierience - same situation as me. Apparently in her frist 6 months she made $64K. Little labour necessary in this job as well. Does anyone have any insight into Health and Safety jobs? Here are the companies she suggested to me..
Pivotal Safety - Careers
Industrial Safety Careers