[El Bastardo]

The following is a post from an anonymous Revscene member

Just got offered a position in retail in fort mac.
The position is small promotion from what I am currently doing but can potentially get me much further ahead in my career path.
It is something that the VP of my company personally offered to me.
I have a scheduled conference call with him tomorrow to discuss the details of the position, including term on contract and compensation.

What would be a fair compensation for a relocation for fort mac?
1.5X current salary?
2x current salary?
2.5X current salary?

Also, what would be a fair amount of flight allowance to negotiate for?
6 round trips? 4 round trips?
I get 6 weeks of paid vacation per year.

I know accomendation up there is expensive, but how is cost of staple food? Like milk, chicken breast etc?

Any information regarding this would be helpful.
Also, anything else I should negotiate for in my contract if I decide to go?

Thank you!

[meowjinboo]

we need more info on your salary, position etc.

Retail is really broad.

[A-Dev]

Flight allowance? For a retail position?

[El Bastardo]

The following is a reply from the anonymous member

we need more info on your salary, position etc.

Retail is really broad.

currently salary is in the 6x,xxx figure + bonuses which usually puts me at around 8x,xxx before tax at the end of the year.
Position would be a general manager for a retail store.

[westopher]

If I made 80k a year managing a retail store in Vancouver I'd likely never leave. Thats a great wage for this city, and a nice comfortable amount to live on. I wouldn't go, but I love it here. Men to women is about 9/1, its more expensive than vancouver, there is nothing to do except work and meth, and 5 months of the year its too cold to walk outside. Unless you have an exit strategy, i.e. go bank 300k over 3 years, find somewhere you want to settle and buy a condo/house I wouldn't do it. My wife's brother does it and she says she can literally see him become more introverted and awkward every time he comes back to visit. If you are a social person, it is really tough to deal with. If its going to be a temporary thing, and you are young, I'd suggest considering it if the career benefits are massive, but be prepared to sacrifice a lot for your career.

[El Bastardo]

The following is a reply from the anonymous original poster

If I made 80k a year managing a retail store in Vancouver I'd likely never leave. Thats a great wage for this city, and a nice comfortable amount to live on. I wouldn't go, but I love it here. Men to women is about 9/1, its more expensive than vancouver, there is nothing to do except work and meth, and 5 months of the year its too cold to walk outside. Unless you have an exit strategy, i.e. go bank 300k over 3 years, find somewhere you want to settle and buy a condo/house I wouldn't do it. My wife's brother does it and she says she can literally see him become more introverted and awkward every time he comes back to visit. If you are a social person, it is really tough to deal with. If its going to be a temporary thing, and you are young, I'd suggest considering it if the career benefits are massive, but be prepared to sacrifice a lot for your career.

I am currently in my mid 20s
Living outside of the GVRD
My lifestyle right now is very comfortable
The place I'm living in has extremely low cost of rent
I pay ~$1200 for a waterfront 1600sqft apartment.

So my standard of living would drop significantly in fort mac
From a career stand point, this move puts me in a much larger volume store within my company, and would normally take 3-4 years to achieve from where I am now.

So it is kind of a spring board for my career.

Need to know what kind of compensation is "fair"
And also what else can I negotiate?
Flight allowance?
Extra vacation time? Etc

[DragonChi]

Food is about the same cost up there maybe ~10% more.

In the winter, you'll pretty much want a car to get around. Public transit exists up there but runs every 15-30 mins for most routes.

IMO fair compensation would be the average of wages of everyone in the same role as you. I would try to contact people that are doing the same thing and ask what their salary is.

Fly in, fly out, is normal up there, but I've never heard someone in retail getting it. Usually once every 2-3 months is the norm.

Negotiate for housing assistance?
What about health and wellness benefits?

If you live in camp, you will have problems with trades people doing drugs. If you actually live in the city, and you're an outdoorsy person, you will have no problem finding people to hang out with. When I mean people, I mean people that are not degenerates.

[stewie]

I cant say this is the same for you, but for my bud who went to fort mac, he found that either you did drugs, or everyone shunned you.

he lasted 8 months before he had to move home because everyone up there was cracked out and wouldn't talk to him cause he wouldn't smoke with them.

[subordinate]

I cant say this is the same for you, but for my bud who went to fort mac, he found that either you did drugs, or everyone shunned you.

he lasted 8 months before he had to move home because everyone up there was cracked out and wouldn't talk to him cause he wouldn't smoke with them.

Keep in mind he's in retail, not in trades.
So the drug use might still be there but the herd/bullying mentality might be vastly different then that of a bunch of rig/trades guys

[A-Dev]

I understand you want to keep everything confidential, but I would love to know what retail store in fort mac generates more volume, more sales, more revenue then a retail store here in the gvrd.

[El Bastardo]

The following is a reply from the anonymous original poster

So I spoke with a couple of decision makers to day.

So far we didn't get into too much detail in regards to my compensation.

But it sounds like a "couple" of paid flights "home" is negotiable
how the pay structure works will be a raise on top of my current wage + a significant amount in living allowance.
the total of wage + living allowance would be close to 2.2-2.3X my current wage.

it is a 3 year contract, afterwards i keep my wage but lose the living allowance when I move back into a major metropolitan area.

so far they are going to arrange for me to visit the city and environment before I need to make a decision.

what i want to know is um....does the compensation sound fair? should I negotiate other things into the contract? etc

ultimately the $ is nice, but its the advancement in my career that is the main driving factor.

[PJ]

My wife's brother does it and she says she can literally see him become more introverted and awkward every time he comes back to visit.
..
If you are a social person, it is really tough to deal with. If its going to be a temporary thing, and you are young, I'd suggest considering it if the career benefits are massive, but be prepared to sacrifice a lot for your career.

This.

A bunch of my engineering classmates moved up there for work, and whenever they come back to visit, those of us who stayed in the lower mainland totally notice a change in their personalities.

Ultimately, it all depends on your priorities and lifestyle.

My salary would easily double or maybe even triple if I moved up there, but I just have too much going on in Vancouver. Friends, family, music, arts, dating, teaching, etc.

I wouldn't give any of that up for, hell, even 5x my salary. Funny enough, I was actually considering moving down to California and making less.

But I'm one of those "you can't put a price on your 20's" people. I'd move up there as a last resort, but I would never consider it at my current age.

If I had moved up there when after I graduated, I'd have money coming out of every pore right now. But I would have missed so many opportunities and life memories here in Vancouver that I could not and would not put a price on.

Unless you're super pressed for money and sitting on a unrecoverable pile of debt (which I assume you're not, or at least, I hope you're not, as you're living in a waterfront condo), then just relax. We're in one of the best places to live in the world.

Of course, this is all just me.

[PJ]

So far we didn't get into too much detail in regards to my compensation.


Get into detail. Don't let them be ambiguous until you see the contract.

But it sounds like a "couple" of paid flights "home" is negotiable

Do you get paid vacation days?

what i want to know is um....does the compensation sound fair? should I negotiate other things into the contract? etc


Just ask them about anything else you want. But "living expenses" is pretty broad.

Calculate your rent, car, phone, hydro, cable, food, etc.

[westopher]

The following is a reply from the anonymous original poster


what i want to know is um....does the compensation sound fair? should I negotiate other things into the contract? etc

Its fair, and actually quite generous. If you look at jobs across the board in ft. Mac they usually end up averaging from 1.5 to 1.75 times normal metropolitan area salaries. I'm obviously generalizing a lot here but its a starting point. Really YOU have to make the decision of wether its worth it or not, and it sounds as though you've already made the decision, as it always comes back to you talking about career advancement. Sign up, get there fast, make your money and get the fuck out of there. If your smart, you'll end up with house paid off in your 30s and a nice car. You mention negotiating flights and such into your contract, but considering you are going to be making 180k a year basically I wouldn't make it a deal breaker.

[El Bastardo]

The following is a reply from the anonymous poster

I understand you want to keep everything confidential, but I would love to know what retail store in fort mac generates more volume, more sales, more revenue then a retail store here in the gvrd.

cant say the company name, since nothing is finalized yet
but fort mcmurray has a much higher disposable income
this store currently does top 10 volume in the country, with the highest dollars per square foot in the country.
they are expanding and opening a new store 3Xs the size and potentially has the potential to be the top 3 store in the country in terms of volume...and yes larger than any store in the GVRD.

This.

A bunch of my engineering classmates moved up there for work, and whenever they come back to visit, those of us who stayed in the lower mainland totally notice a change in their personalities.

Ultimately, it all depends on your priorities and lifestyle.

My salary would easily double or maybe even triple if I moved up there, but I just have too much going on in Vancouver. Friends, family, music, arts, dating, teaching, etc.

I wouldn't give any of that up for, hell, even 5x my salary. Funny enough, I was actually considering moving down to California and making less.

But I'm one of those "you can't put a price on your 20's" people. I'd move up there as a last resort, but I would never consider it at my current age.

If I had moved up there when after I graduated, I'd have money coming out of every pore right now. But I would have missed so many opportunities and life memories here in Vancouver that I could not and would not put a price on.

Unless you're super pressed for money and sitting on a unrecoverable pile of debt (which I assume you're not, or at least, I hope you're not, as you're living in a waterfront condo), then just relax. We're in one of the best places to live in the world.

Of course, this is all just me.

Yes I understand that i will be putting my social life on hold.
the Money isnt the main driving factor, but the career boost.....without this move, it would take me another 3-4 years to get close to the volume of store that they are currently offering me.

also, after this store (provided I succeed), I can pretty much dictate where I would like to go next. which is nice to have that 'choice'

Get into detail. Don't let them be ambiguous until you see the contract.



Do you get paid vacation days?



Just ask them about anything else you want. But "living expenses" is pretty broad.

Calculate your rent, car, phone, hydro, cable, food, etc.

I will see the contract after my visit to the area sometime next week or week after.
i get 6 weeks of paid vacation per year (but that is same as now)
the living allowance is quite a significant amount, which is designed to cover off rent + some food. (should be able to cover all food if i dont eat out all the time).

I would like to ask for a company car, but I doubt they will do that.

[bloodmack]

Honestly, you ask us if we would do it, most of us say no but, you're still telling us about how it will give your career a big boost. So, if I were in your position, I'd do it. You seem like you're willing to make sacrifices for it, so why not? Also, most of the problems people would have, seem to be covered for you if you make the jump (living and eating mainly). It will be cold when its cold, and you seem like a smart man, you will know who the bad apples are and who aren't. You have years to go and you seem like you're doing well, what's life without experiences, eh?

[SoNaRWaVe]

bloodmack has it right on the dot. you keep favoring career advancement, and money is not a biggy for you, so i say you should just do it. if you think you'll miss the city life, remember, its only 3 years. it seems long, but it isn't really that long. how many 3 year contracts have you gone through for cellphones? how many years of renting have you gone through already? and if you can negotiate vacation and paid flights back home twice or three times a year, thats just icing on top.

[lowside67]

If you are making $80k a year now, 2.3x would be $185k a year approximately. If they are going to pay you that plus some flights home and then you are going to be able to come back to Vancouver and still make most of that, that's a no brainer. You are relocating to another city for 3 years, not spending 3 years in a dungeon doing data entry, people in this thread need to HTFU a bit. Life is not just where you live, it's also how you live - you can be sure there are people who are loving life in Fort Mac and also people who are miserable in Vancouver!

Mark

[PJ]

No one's saying what's right or wrong, just making sure OP knows what he's in for, and giving our own opinions.

Again, it all comes down to priorities and values.

OP seems very career-driven and is willing to relocate for the future of his career. I admire that, because that's something I simply couldn't do. Much respect.

To expand a bit on my earlier post, I was actually looking to relocate down to California and take a pay cut. But that makes sense for me, because my priorities are music scenes and casual dating, neither of which Fort Mac has much of.

If OP doesn't have much of an interest in anything location-specific, then it just comes down to a family/friends thing.

Fort Mac has everything else we have here, basically. Pools, bars, gyms, theatres, etc.
BUT the 9 males to 1 female ratio is not exaggerated. Seriously. The four friends I have that are working up there right now tell some pretty interesting stories of the lengths people go to for thrills. :lawl:

[Jmac]

I understand you want to keep everything confidential, but I would love to know what retail store in fort mac generates more volume, more sales, more revenue then a retail store here in the gvrd. When I was working at Staples, the Fort Mac store destroyed anything in BC in sales volume. I wouldn't be surprised if that's typical of any retail store (FS, BB, LD, etc.), to be honest.

[shenmecar]

When I was working at Staples, the Fort Mac store destroyed anything in BC in sales volume. I wouldn't be surprised if that's typical of any retail store (FS, BB, LD, etc.), to be honest.

http://images.wikia.com/uncyclopedia/images/9/9e/697.gif

[koukimonst3r]

I work in Fort Mac 14 days on and 14 days off. It's true food and everything else is more expensive but the wage you'll make will compensate for it. Roughly a one bedroom basement is around $1800 / month and that depends which part of town you would like to live in. When it comes to transportation, I would suggest you drive something awd or 4x4 since winter here gets rough. Good luck on your career!
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[meowjinboo]

who are loving life in Fort Mac and also people who are miserable in Vancouver!

Mark

(raises hand)

to the op:

don't listen to people: Do what you think is right. Fort mac isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Noone in this thread except for maybe 2 people have been there.

[dlo]

ill take it, fuck you'll be banking hard and a boost in ur career!! your social life will always be strong, if those really care for you, they will keep contact with you, vice versa

[meowjinboo]

ill take it, fuck you'll be banking hard and a boost in ur career!! your social life will always be strong, if those really care for you, they will keep contact with you, vice versa

pretty much. Really take a look at your social life, most people don't realize it, but if you are meeting a friend once or twice a week than it isn't that big of a deal.

If your co-workers are cool people then it wont be so bad. I will admit that I'm easily introverted, and I spend alot of time travelling by myself. I know girls that work in camps at fort mac at the front desk only make 70k a year, but they get their housing + food paid for, and then spend their 7-10 days off travelling.

seriously, our parents are all immigrants to this country. They left their lives for a better life no matter what it took.

[ScizzMoney]

I live up here in Fort McMurray.

A lot of what some people are saying isn't true:
- The ratio of men to women is more like 55/45 or 60/40 at the worst. The ratio does get skewed when you go to the 'poorer' areas of town though. Then it is nothing but dudes (Waterways & Downtown. Women generally don't like those areas)
- "nothing to do except work and meth" is borderline retarded. If you want drugs, you can find it in any town you want in the country. It's all about the company you keep. My friends and I never touch drugs and are never exposed to it.
- People don't shun you for not doing drugs. To the guy that said they did probably had a sketchy group of friends.
- As for people coming back more introverted and awkward, I don't think that has anything to do with location. If people change when they move to another City within Canada, they were probably just weak people to begin with and very impressionable.


Now to the good or factual.

- If you are planning to rent a place on your own, expect to pay anywhere from 1800-2400 a month for something decent in a 1 bedroom configuration.
- Being a general manager I would imagine would be very difficult in this city. Simply because turnover is very high here with the average income sits around $90k a year and people are always jumping ship from job to job. Especially those who work in town and know people or get jobs on one of the sites close by.
- Not sure who you are working with, but I would try to negotiate them renting you a small SUV or something to drive while you are up here. Put company decals or some shit on it. This year we had a 6 month winter and having AWD or 4x4 in my opinion is almost a necessity.
- Food at grocery stores is very competitive as the big stores like Walmart keep it that way. The food cost increase comes at Restaurants and fast food joints.
- Expect to wait in line when going to restaurants too. They are always packed, and it is only going to get busier up here.
- I can see this place getting back to how it was before where you'd walk into a grocery store or Walmart and the aisles would just have pallets of products plunked down and not put out due to staffing being so low. I literally had to dig through boxes to find deodorant one day. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
- If the living allowance they are paying is less than $1000 a month, ask for it increased.
- You will probably be surprised by the amount of good looking women up here too.
- You might not see it at first, but this town is very generous and has a good sense of community (Provided you get involved too). There are lots of good people out here who are trying to make this place home.
- The theater here sucks.
- You will probably do a lot more online shopping with the selection here being pretty minimal.




If you can afford to, I would suggest buying a place right away. I 100% think you can't go wrong buying in this town right now if you plan to leave in 3 years.

OP. If you want, you can feel free to shoot me a pm if you have any questions or anything.


This place is a lot better than most people think.

[subordinate]

I feel as if OP has already made his decision. He's career driven and is motivated by the jump/potential.

I say he's over-thinking it, maybe wants the finer details worked out (wage/accommodation/travel,etc), so he get's a good deal on this relocation.

All the best OP.

[El Bastardo]

The following is a reply from the anonymous original poster

Honestly, you ask us if we would do it, most of us say no but, you're still telling us about how it will give your career a big boost. So, if I were in your position, I'd do it. You seem like you're willing to make sacrifices for it, so why not? Also, most of the problems people would have, seem to be covered for you if you make the jump (living and eating mainly). It will be cold when its cold, and you seem like a smart man, you will know who the bad apples are and who aren't. You have years to go and you seem like you're doing well, what's life without experiences, eh?

Thanks, I honestly have been trying hard to justify it to myself.
due to the nature of the offer I couldn't talk to many co-workers about it, out of the friend's i've talked to, its split 50/50, but seems like all the reasons for me not to go is social aspect.

bloodmack has it right on the dot. you keep favoring career advancement, and money is not a biggy for you, so i say you should just do it. if you think you'll miss the city life, remember, its only 3 years. it seems long, but it isn't really that long. how many 3 year contracts have you gone through for cellphones? how many years of renting have you gone through already? and if you can negotiate vacation and paid flights back home twice or three times a year, thats just icing on top.

yea, I guess 3 years is not so bad

If you are making $80k a year now, 2.3x would be $185k a year approximately. If they are going to pay you that plus some flights home and then you are going to be able to come back to Vancouver and still make most of that, that's a no brainer. You are relocating to another city for 3 years, not spending 3 years in a dungeon doing data entry, people in this thread need to HTFU a bit. Life is not just where you live, it's also how you live - you can be sure there are people who are loving life in Fort Mac and also people who are miserable in Vancouver!

Mark

The hard part will be controlling my spending and actually bank some of the money.

pretty much. Really take a look at your social life, most people don't realize it, but if you are meeting a friend once or twice a week than it isn't that big of a deal.

If your co-workers are cool people then it wont be so bad. I will admit that I'm easily introverted, and I spend alot of time travelling by myself. I know girls that work in camps at fort mac at the front desk only make 70k a year, but they get their housing + food paid for, and then spend their 7-10 days off travelling.

seriously, our parents are all immigrants to this country. They left their lives for a better life no matter what it took.

Thanks, this really puts it into perspective....

I live up here in Fort McMurray.

A lot of what some people are saying isn't true:
- The ratio of men to women is more like 55/45 or 60/40 at the worst. The ratio does get skewed when you go to the 'poorer' areas of town though. Then it is nothing but dudes (Waterways & Downtown. Women generally don't like those areas)
- "nothing to do except work and meth" is borderline retarded. If you want drugs, you can find it in any town you want in the country. It's all about the company you keep. My friends and I never touch drugs and are never exposed to it.
- People don't shun you for not doing drugs. To the guy that said they did probably had a sketchy group of friends.
- As for people coming back more introverted and awkward, I don't think that has anything to do with location. If people change when they move to another City within Canada, they were probably just weak people to begin with and very impressionable.


Now to the good or factual.

- If you are planning to rent a place on your own, expect to pay anywhere from 1800-2400 a month for something decent in a 1 bedroom configuration.
- Being a general manager I would imagine would be very difficult in this city. Simply because turnover is very high here with the average income sits around $90k a year and people are always jumping ship from job to job. Especially those who work in town and know people or get jobs on one of the sites close by.
- Not sure who you are working with, but I would try to negotiate them renting you a small SUV or something to drive while you are up here. Put company decals or some shit on it. This year we had a 6 month winter and having AWD or 4x4 in my opinion is almost a necessity.
- Food at grocery stores is very competitive as the big stores like Walmart keep it that way. The food cost increase comes at Restaurants and fast food joints.
- Expect to wait in line when going to restaurants too. They are always packed, and it is only going to get busier up here.
- I can see this place getting back to how it was before where you'd walk into a grocery store or Walmart and the aisles would just have pallets of products plunked down and not put out due to staffing being so low. I literally had to dig through boxes to find deodorant one day. This doesn't happen often, but it does happen.
- If the living allowance they are paying is less than $1000 a month, ask for it increased.
- You will probably be surprised by the amount of good looking women up here too.
- You might not see it at first, but this town is very generous and has a good sense of community (Provided you get involved too). There are lots of good people out here who are trying to make this place home.
- The theater here sucks.
- You will probably do a lot more online shopping with the selection here being pretty minimal.




If you can afford to, I would suggest buying a place right away. I 100% think you can't go wrong buying in this town right now if you plan to leave in 3 years.

OP. If you want, you can feel free to shoot me a pm if you have any questions or anything.


This place is a lot better than most people think.


Would thank you 100X if I could, yes I realize it will be VERY difficult from a work standpoint, the average tenure of part time staff at the store that I will be taking over is 4 weeks. So turn over is extremely high.

Most of the part time staff go there to work in retail until a better opportunity comes up w/ one of the oil companies that pays a lot more $.

I will definitely look into buying a place, will PM you once everything is solidified.


I feel as if OP has already made his decision. He's career driven and is motivated by the jump/potential.

I say he's over-thinking it, maybe wants the finer details worked out (wage/accommodation/travel,etc), so he get's a good deal on this relocation.

All the best OP.

Thank you, most likely will sign the contract, but you are right, I am concerned about the fine details. Not sure if I forgot to negotiate anything into the contract, never had an offer negotiation like this before.

I know Money isn't the main factor, but I do not want to get "ripped off" at the same time, but by the sounds of everyone in this thread, their offer to me is very reasonable and I really shouldn't expect much more.


Overall, I want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread, RS has once again come through and helped me A LOT in making this decision.

I will update everyone after I visit Fort Mac. And hopefully by then I can do it no through an anonymous post.

Yea 95%+ I will sign the contract after seeing the place....

[sdubfid]

I moved here recently and agree 110% with everything scizzmoney said. I'm here for 2 years at least.

-I live in the worst part of town and haven't had any issues. I give the homeless my milk jugs as I drink a lot of milk and they are worth 25cents. Lots of them just sit on a milk crate and drink all day by the river and wave as you drive by.
-I notice no major difference in food prices/gas etc
-Rent for 1bd is approx. $2000
-If you want a roommate usually around $800 for a room
-I miss princess auto
-Everywhere you go it's busy like Christmas holidays in Vancouver
-First day I arrived here I filled up with gas and there was a girl in her 20's in spandex suit filling up and every guy in the parking lot was whistling like a pack of hyenas haha
-There are drugs in any city but it all depends who you hang out with

[koukimonst3r]

^ pretty much what it is really, there's some really good looking girls when you get groceries too :D
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[Iceman-19]

I have worked up here for a few years, but I have never lived in town. That being said, I would never, ever want to live here. I hate the incredibly cold winters though. This will probably be my last year up here if I can help it.

[koukimonst3r]

^ I'm leaving CNRL soon lol
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[meowjinboo]

Question to all the oil guys. How much experience do you think I would need, if for example I start off as a leasehand/roughneck and wanted to travel to another country to continue this line of work.

I'm considering working there for 6 months then moving down to AUS on a year work visa.

Spending my last summer here in Vancouver before I move in with a friend in Calgary this September. He's letting me stay at his place for free since he has $$$.

[ScizzMoney]

Shouldn't really need any experience. Just apply online to a bunch of drilling contractors and follow up by phoning and looking for their recruiters or coordinators and ask what rigs are looking for Leasehands or Roughnecks. I personally would recommend starting at a Roughneck. 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire' is the best way in my opinion.

I would also recommend either Edmonton or Grande Prairie though if you're looking to work on drilling or service rigs. There is activity near Fort McMurray but more closer to the other locations.

Drilling companies I'd look into:
- Home (http://www.nabors.com)
- www.ensignenergy.com
- Precision Drilling Corporation - Welcome (http://www.precisiondrilling.com)
- Akita Drilling Ltd. (http://www.akita-drilling.com)
- Jomax Drilling Ltd. (http://www.jomax.ca)
- Treo Drilling Services - Welcome to Team Treo (http://www.treodrilling.com)
- Trinidad Drilling Ltd. - Oil and Natural Gas drilling rigs (http://www.trinidaddrilling.com)

As far as I know, most of these companies run a two week in, one week out schedule. When I worked for Ensign, they let the Rig Manager dictate the schedule.

The starting wage now I think is $30/hr as a Roughneck. Which seems fucked because I started at $16.50 and that wasn't that long ago, haha. I know $30/hr doesn't seem like much, so I'll break down the way the pay structure generally works. You will usually start on a Wednesday (They do this so you start halfway through a week to pay you less overtime)

(8 regular time x $30) + (4 OT hours x $45) + $140 LOA/Day = $560
Since you would start mid-week, the first 3 or 4 days that is what you would get paid. Starting Sunday, you will get paid:
(40 regular time x $30) + (44 OT hours x $45) + $980 LOA/week = $4160
Then, the Sunday - Tuesday you'd get the $560/day again.
You'd get roughly 8000 bucks before taxes for the two weeks you work. Out of this you usually have to find your own accommodations, that is what the LOA is for (Hotel, open camp, etc.). If you happen to get to a rig where they are in camp the LOA is cut down to $50/day, but your camp is covered by the company. Rig camps are usually very very good. Small 10-20 man camps are usually way way better than the 5000 man camps (food sitting in warming trays, less attention paid to the rooms, etc.)

I would look into which of these companies have Rigs down in Aussie Land. I think Ensign and Precision both do, I could be wrong though.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[meowjinboo]

Thanks man.

Just trying to gather all the info I can before I head out this september.

Pretty excited to move on.

[El Bastardo]

The following is a reply from the original anonymous poster

So guys, I just got back from a 2 day trip to Fort McMurray
Ended up going to Calgary on my way back to finalize the contract details
So I have signed the contract with me starting on Sept 2nd.

Now I will probably head back up in August to find a place to live.
After checking out the area, it seems like the Timberlea, Thickwood and Eagle Ridge areas on the North side of the bridge are quite nice.

So I will try to find a place to live on that part of town.

Thank you everyone for your help in helping me make this decision.

[Renxo]

good read, thanks for all the input guys.

[meowjinboo]

See you there, have an interview lined up ;)

[meowjinboo]

Shit this is getting close. I got my moving details down. First time I'll be leaving Vancouver. Got a job too! Can't wait to start and finally be able to make some money without living paycheck to paycheck. 3 weeks away :o

[nabs]

Great thread, for information purposes as well!!

Sticky worthy?

[koukimonst3r]

Glad to see more people giving Fort Mac a shot, it's worth it especially if there are free flights involved. Otherwise, it'll take some time to get used to to live here.
Posted via RS Mobile

[jaggermouth]

Very informative. Always been to "sketched" out to give it a shot my self but am really tired of letting my welding ticket and safety tickets go to waste...that, and I really could use 100k a year.

[sdubfid]

Very informative. Always been to "sketched" out to give it a shot my self but am really tired of letting my welding ticket and safety tickets go to waste...that, and I really could use 100k a year.

What ticket do you have?

[jaggermouth]

Was going for my B Level but decided to spend the money on CWB SMAW All position. Had a few on and off jobs around town, nothing concrete, though.

[meowjinboo]

For those that want to come out here, make sure you get these minimum. OSSA fall protection, h2s, Standard first aid + CPR and the cats -09

You can also do ground disturbance and confined spaces but I recommend the ones above.

There are jobs everywhere. I haven't found one yet but I have interviews lined up.
Posted via RS Mobile

[LC21]

For those that want to come out here, make sure you get these minimum. OSSA fall protection, h2s, Standard first aid + CPR and the cats -09

You can also do ground disturbance and confined spaces but I recommend the ones above.

There are jobs everywhere. I haven't found one yet but I have interviews lined up.
Posted via RS Mobile

So you moved there without landing any jobs?
Posted via RS Mobile

[meowjinboo]

So you moved there without landing any jobs?
Posted via RS Mobile

Yep. Better economy younger boom city.

Fuck BC.

EVERYWHERE IS hiring. It's not just drilling rigs, you have construction, rig assembly, coil tubing, then you have safety companies, and any entry level trade you can think of.

Remember Alberta is 5% GST, and there are less income type taxes here.

People here complain about cost of living, but Its still cheaper than Vancouver.

[DragonChi]

^how long have you been in ft mc?
Posted via RS Mobile

[meowjinboo]

^how long have you been in ft mc?
Posted via RS Mobile

I moved to Calgary. I don't think it matters if you are in edmonton/hinton/airdrie /ft mac tbh. There are recruiters EVERYWHERE. The company I just got an interview for is in Airdrie (about 20 minutes out of the NW) and they fly you out.

My friend at talisman is helping a bit too. I got a couple of calls from recruiters. Also reddit is a good source too ;)

[LC21]

I might just move out there in 3-4 years when i get my ticket.
Posted via RS Mobile

[sdubfid]

I might just move out there in 3-4 years when i get my ticket.
Posted via RS Mobile

come here now if you don't have a wife/kids

My salary has more than doubled and I work 2 weeks on/2 weeks off. You can live in BC and work in AB with the right trade/company.

[LC21]

^
If you dont mind me asking, what kinda job are doing up north?
Posted via RS Mobile

[Gucci Mane]

i've also strongly been considering moving up to fort mac as well. i dont give a shit about my social life because well, i dont really have one... lol. i've cut down on the amount of friends i have, dont have a gf or anythhing else tying me down. just my truck and my dog and both i can take anywhere with me. currently im 27 and being EI, i keep getting that marriage stick being poked at me all the time and its not really a path i want to take at this point in my life. i seriously need to come and check out the city.

[LC21]

Rs meet in fort mac!
Posted via RS Mobile

[subordinate]

Hmm, I'm In.

There's no time like now.

[thegentleman]

Over the past month I've been doing my research and I plan to go up with a buddy first week of October.

Got my tickets hs2, first aid, csts-09/whimis.

I've got a buddy up in Edmonton giving me a place to stay for a while and I just bought an SUV to drive up there. Funny story, the girl I bought the SUV from her boyfriend actually works up in Fort Mac. When he came back I was able to have coffee with him and ask him all the questions my mind was wondering. He was also kind enough to give a good word on a company he worked for (Horizon Drilling) he just told me when I go up to give him a call. My buddy also asked around for me where people go to get hired and it just so happens a lot of them go to this union office just a couple of blocks away from him.

So I'm pretty excited to go up. I'm embracing myself for coldness and long work hours.

But I want something that gives the rotational with fly in/out benefits. What are the chances of getting that?

[koukimonst3r]

What trade are you trying to get into? The tickets you have are the basic stuff to get into a oil mine which is good. There are labor jobs up here where they offer free housing and flights.
Posted via RS Mobile

[belka]

What trade are you trying to get into? The tickets you have are the basic stuff to get into a oil mine which is good. There are labor jobs up here where they offer free housing and flights.
Posted via RS Mobile

Which companies?

[meowjinboo]

Which companies?

Clearwater.

I have an interview for a safety monitoring company in airdrie this week. Wish me luck.

If anyone needs an idea of what a resume should look like PM me, my friend did it for me who works for talisman.

[subordinate]

Good stuff. The biggest hurdle is probably finding appropriate accommodations, it's tough as hell to find a legit decent, not shit hole of a place, that the landlord would rent out via online.

In person :(

Edmonton wise.

Found this out last time I went to Edmonton briefly, the guy I had spoken with had pictures of the place. It was clean and fairly decent for the price. It ended up being one of those, pile a shitload of people in, couch, living room, etc, run down & B.O, it pissed me off pretty good.

He looks at me, trying to sell the shit hole of a place. "trust worthy people", yeah, I'd have to be sleeping with one eye open scenario.

[skiiipi]

Good stuff. The biggest hurdle is probably finding appropriate accommodations, it's tough as hell to find a legit decent, not shit hole of a place, that the landlord would rent out via online.

In person :(

Edmonton wise.

Found this out last time I went to Edmonton briefly, the guy I had spoken with had pictures of the place. It was clean and fairly decent for the price. It ended up being one of those, pile a shitload of people in, couch, living room, etc, run down & B.O, it pissed me off pretty good.

He looks at me, trying to sell the shit hole of a place. "trust worthy people", yeah, I'd have to be sleeping with one eye open scenario.

Yea i tried getting a place online....didnt happen
I had to fly up here to find a place, pretty much with cash in hand for both deposit (which up here is usually 1 full month rent) and the 1st month rent.
I ended up getting my place over some girl who didnt have 5g cash on hand....but offered to give the landlord a post dated cheque for the next payday....
but in this market...cash is king, and its super competitive...

o yes..i'm paying $2500/month for a small basement suite uptown...includes utilities, cable, and internet....
and i thought vancouver was expensive......

[meme405]

I have done it, continue to do it, and will continue to do it as long as I see feasible. I not only do fort mac, but other parts of BC, AB, newfoundland, and even NWT.

You will always make far more money, up north, it is due to the OT and conditions.

One down side to fort mac is that the cost of living is very high, food, accomodations etc. are all expensive as shit. If you can go elsewhere like northern BC you will probably save more money...

[skiiipi]

I have done it, continue to do it, and will continue to do it as long as I see feasible. I not only do fort mac, but other parts of BC, AB, newfoundland, and even NWT.

You will always make far more money, up north, it is due to the OT and conditions.

One down side to fort mac is that the cost of living is very high, food, accomodations etc. are all expensive as shit. If you can go elsewhere like northern BC you will probably save more money...

food isnt that much more unless you are talking about fast food and restaurants...groceries are marginally higher.....but your wage more than makes up for it.
as for housing...rent is stupid expensive...but cost of buying a house is about the same as Vancouver proper (yes which is over priced)....but the difference is, your basement suite can be rented out as a HUGE mortgage helper.
Think...a $650K house, your basement will easily rent for 2300-2500/month....good luck getting that kind of rent money in vancouver.

[belka]

2300-2500/month for a basement? Damn, I only charged my guy $600/month for a bedroom, shared bathroom/kitchen and internet. I should raise my rent for the next person. :dizzy:

[skiiipi]

2300-2500/month for a basement? Damn, I only charged my guy $600/month for a bedroom, shared bathroom/kitchen and internet. I should raise my rent for the next person. :dizzy:

are you in Fort Mac? cause if so $600 is dirt cheap....
most rooms here go for $1000 from what I see

[meowjinboo]

Weird turn of events, but if you guys need to find a job just be vocal about it, and let girls you know at bars why you moved to calgary/edmonton and if they want to fuck you they will help you.

[bong890]

I currently work in northern alberta as a field/battery operator. What I do basically is after they drill oil wells, the wells pump for a number of years after. I look after about 40 wells and visit them each day making sure that they keep consistent production. If a well stops pumping I call well servicing (rig crew) and have them work on the well.

So for those of you who are looking to work on a service rig be prepared to work hard. From what I understand the guys around here do 2 weeks on and 1 week off. 12 hour shifts. It usually takes them about 2 days around the clock to pull the pump out of a well and replace it. So they generally move from site to site. Now starting off on a rig crew you get treated like shit. I've seen guys get bitched at to the point where they look like they are going to cry. I've seen guys throw wrenches at the "green" guys because they were working too "slow" but in my opinion they just felt like it. I've seen guys constantly threatened to get fired or sent home.
So for anyone looking to do that kind of work be prepared. The work is shitty and dirty, and you are at the very bottom. The money is good though.
Also, safety is a major concern for me working in this area. People care about maximizing profit and only do the minimal in terms of safety and following regulations. So if you get stuck working for an asshole who gets you to do something you feel risks your own life refuse to work. I've been with this company for one year and we already had one death, and that is too many.
I do not work near ft. mac so the government regulators are not out here scrutinizing as much. The attitude here is very "backyard mechanic" get everything to run no matter what and how.

Trades people are better, a lot of pipe fitters and electricians and instrumentation guys work for my company as third party contractors. They are normal people just like us, no drug users or anything. Most of the people are from the cities like Edmonton or Grand Prairie looking for money. Trades people usually do 8 days on 6 days off.

My qualifications: I have my Fourth Class Power Engineering ticket and have worked in the oil field for one year now. My goal is to work in Ft. Mac as a Plant operator in a refinery. People have been saying that getting a job as a Power Engineer should be easy but personally I am finding it to be quite difficult. Job postings usually require 3-5 years oilfield experience and it is quite competitive. Companies like to hire out of 2 year programs from NAIT or SAIT.

That being said if anyone knows any refineries or plants in ft. mac that are hiring it would be much appreciated.
The hardest part is getting a call back for an interview. I've applied to many places and have yet to get a call back for an interview.

[meowjinboo]

I *may* have got a job with chinook. I hope to god I don't need a car.

[thegentleman]

I just arrived here in Edmonton. Gonna head to the union office nearby and see what they have to offer.

IIRC, Savannah Energy seems to be hiring. I'll probably check out Leduc/Nisku before this weekend as well.

Anybody else have any tips?

[meowjinboo]

I got an interview with united safety.

Easy job, great pay, own truck. 24 days on 8 days off. training starts ont he 21st.


they dont pay for training though, so I have to be in airdrie 5 days unpaid if i get the job.

Also got an interview with the union (ironworkers), and 3 drilling companies and a seismec company.

I really wanted that united safety job though, and from what it seems like, I definetly have a great chance.

[nsmb]

imajin check out http://www.local488.ca/ plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters union

[meowjinboo]

^i'll check it out.

I think I got this united job. Have a really really good feeling about it.

[MoBettah]

Flint URS is about to launch 3 pipeline projects East of Edmonton. They're looking for pipefitters, welders, laborers, safety ect.

[meowjinboo]

Flint URS is about to launch 3 pipeline projects East of Edmonton. They're looking for pipefitters, welders, laborers, safety ect.

^already applied. No callback.

[qtipz]

my buddy just moved to fort mac and he's making around 50 an hour doing desktop support. it's insane how much $$$ you can make up there

[meowjinboo]

my buddy just moved to fort mac and he's making around 50 an hour doing desktop support. it's insane how much $$$ you can make up there

sample of one.

I need proof. Alot of people lie in this industry. It's believable. My friend is doing IT for an oil company and he manages an army of filipinos in Calgary.

[skiiipi]

problem is 50/hr in fort mac isnt a lot...
basement suite run between 2000-2500/month
eating out cost a lot more and groceries run about 20-30% more and grocery stores are always out of stock....

if you make $30 an hr in van....you need your wage to at least double for it to be worth your while up here...or else at $50...you are breaking even..perhaps a little less cause chances are you will either be living in the sketchy part of town downtown in a run down apartment for $1700/month, or a basement suite uptown for $2000-2500 a month.

Want a rent a nicer condo...prepare for about 2700-3000 a month for a decent apartment uptown....

[punkwax]

I was born in the Mac, lived there until I was 7. My parents sold their house for $104,000 half furnished. From what I've been told, that same place is worth over 1M today... crazy how much its blown up over there. What is even crazier is, it was blowing up in the early 80's when my dad moved there to work at Syncrude..

I have good memories as a kid, but from what I've learned about Ft Mac since, I'll never go back..

[skiiipi]

I was born in the Mac, lived there until I was 7. My parents sold their house for $104,000 half furnished. From what I've been told, that same place is worth over 1M today... crazy how much its blown up over there. What is even crazier is, it was blowing up in the early 80's when my dad moved there to work at Syncrude..

I have good memories as a kid, but from what I've learned about Ft Mac since, I'll never go back..

Yea the housing price in Fort Mac can rival certain parts of Vancouver.....a small detached house in a subdivision (so basically detached townhouses) will go for 1.2-1.5 million.....
but on a positive note, you can get 2300-2700/month for ur basement suite depending on size of the suite etc.

[Slifer]

A little off topic :rofl:
Ft McMurray Steve gets a hooker - YouTube

[meowjinboo]

problem is 50/hr in fort mac isnt a lot...
basement suite run between 2000-2500/month
eating out cost a lot more and groceries run about 20-30% more and grocery stores are always out of stock....

if you make $30 an hr in van....you need your wage to at least double for it to be worth your while up here...or else at $50...you are breaking even..perhaps a little less cause chances are you will either be living in the sketchy part of town downtown in a run down apartment for $1700/month, or a basement suite uptown for $2000-2500 a month.

Want a rent a nicer condo...prepare for about 2700-3000 a month for a decent apartment uptown....

Most people get a living allowance and ontop of that they share the place with 8 newfies.

50 dollars just doing desktop support isn't that believable unless its a 9-5. Then it is.

I'm glad if I get this job. I'm trying to avoid ft mac at all costs.

Also like I said above. A lot of people lie that work in the patch. They exaggerate their numbers alot.

[sdubfid]

You could rent a room in fort Mac and apt in van and fly back to van on your days off and it would be cheaper than a basement suite.

No point getting your own place here. I get picked up at 530 and get home 15 hours later then I go to sleep and repeat. Just get the cheapest place u can find. The junkies piss by my front door and crawl in my garbage like raccoons but I don't care.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Iceman-19]

Or just get a camp job and not have to live like a rat. You can live like a gerbil.

[DragonChi]

I want a camp job so bad.

[Iceman-19]

No you dont.

[DragonChi]

Why not? I've been to one of the camps in fort mac on site. It didn't seem that bad.

The only thing that I don't like is the shared bathrooms. But there are some positions on site where they give you your own bathroom, or at least, shared with only one other person.

[Iceman-19]

You must not have stayed long.

[DragonChi]

LOL nope. I strolled through, maybe 30 mins tops.

[Iceman-19]

Try staying for 14-35 days.

[DragonChi]

That's what I'm hoping for!

Maybe on the 21st day, or 30th I might hate it. Well, who wants to work for 30 days straight. Until then, I'm going to giv'er a shot.

[skiiipi]

You could rent a room in fort Mac and apt in van and fly back to van on your days off and it would be cheaper than a basement suite.

No point getting your own place here. I get picked up at 530 and get home 15 hours later then I go to sleep and repeat. Just get the cheapest place u can find. The junkies piss by my front door and crawl in my garbage like raccoons but I don't care.
Posted via RS Mobile

yea well I cant fly out as often as I'd like, so I'd like a decent pad to call home
My basement suite is actually quite decent, full kitchen 1 bed room and a den
brand new, and rent includes all utilities, cable and internet
nothing like the pad I had in Vernon for $1100/month (3 bedroom waterfront condo w/ 2 heated parking stall)....but its doable and I don't feel completely miserable when I'm at home haha

[meowjinboo]

got the job ^_^

not bad. 300 a day. so 7 grand am onth.

[DragonChi]

Congrats man!

[HKS PWR]

Or just get a camp job and not have to live like a rat. You can live like a gerbil.

Living on camp isn't terrible, even when I was working a 21 days on, 7 days off rotation. It really depends on your personality and how well the camp is set up.

[Iceman-19]

got the job ^_^

not bad. 300 a day. so 7 grand am onth.

Before tax, so closer to 4300 take home.

[Iceman-19]

Living on camp isn't terrible, even when I was working a 21 days on, 7 days off rotation. It really depends on your personality and how well the camp is set up.

Depends on the camp.

[meowjinboo]

Before tax, so closer to 4300 take home.

thats a little high for the tax rate. it's probably more like 5k take home.

[thegentleman]

First office that me and buddy had on our list to go apply today and we left with jobs. I think..?

She told us to come to the orientation on Thursday, to bring in all certificates and a void cheque.

[Iceman-19]

thats a little high for the tax rate. it's probably more like 5k take home.

o ok

[meowjinboo]

First office that me and buddy had on our list to go apply today and we left with jobs. I think..?

She told us to come to the orientation on Thursday, to bring in all certificates and a void cheque.

Which company?

[Iceman-19]

First office that me and buddy had on our list to go apply today and we left with jobs. I think..?

She told us to come to the orientation on Thursday, to bring in all certificates and a void cheque.

That would be called being hired.

[thegentleman]

Which company?

Horizon Drilling.

[thegentleman]

That would be called being hired.

It just all seemed too easy. Which is why I'm still in a state of wtf really..

Although I'm sure the work won't be easy. But sacrifices must be made.

[meowjinboo]

Horizon Drilling.

Nice. Probably start at 20-27 an hour. Probably after your first rotation you wont even be a leasehand/roughneck.

See you on the field.

You probably got hired because you had a clean drivers abstract and all your certs. Probably didn't look like a dumbass either.

I got a call from demon drilling and precision, i'll still go for the interview, but I might need to stick with united cause I don't have a vehicle and they provide one.

Thinking after the season of either trying out instrumentation or pipefitting.

[meowjinboo]

Being sent to ft st john. My dayrate is ~300 a day. living on camp for progress energy.

I'm not stoked about the pay but I do nothing but sit in a truck all day.

[Iceman-19]

Seems slow in Ft Mac right now. Been checking my union job board every day. Not many jobs being posted. Sucks, cause I would love to make some cash!

[meowjinboo]

Stationed on horizon 5. We are busy as fuck. I just sit in a shack all day. By the end of this month I'll be working for a rigging company instead. gonna buy a pos truck.

Don't like sitting in my trailer watching TV all day. Consultant is just as bored as me.
Posted via RS Mobile

[meowjinboo]

Also not saying rigging is an easy job or anything but its pretty exaggerated....
Posted via RS Mobile

[Iceman-19]

Depends on the job you do on the rig...

[subordinate]

Stationed on horizon 5. We are busy as fuck. I just sit in a shack all day. By the end of this month I'll be working for a rigging company instead. gonna buy a pos truck.

Don't like sitting in my trailer watching TV all day. Consultant is just as bored as me.
Posted via RS Mobile

300 bucks for 14 hrs of sitting? Boring but definitely better than being out in the freezing cold.

[meowjinboo]

My trailer has sat TV and I played Pokemon for most of my shift and did 1 hour of real work.

Uh if you have a laptop and can make money in front of a computer this is probably the best job on a rig.
Posted via RS Mobile

[thegentleman]

Yeah, I think the rigs are still slow and will pick up mid-November ish? I'm still waiting on a call from my coordinator. But I've tried numerous times calling my recruiter/ a coordinator and they never answer their calls. Left messages and no call backs.

[Iceman-19]

Ive resorted to bidding on pipelining jobs. Shits hard out here for a pimp.

[koukimonst3r]

I'm thinking of quitting Fort Mac but can't give up only working 26 weeks out of the whole year 😭
Posted via RS Mobile

[subordinate]

Yeah, I think the rigs are still slow and will pick up mid-November ish? I'm still waiting on a call from my coordinator. But I've tried numerous times calling my recruiter/ a coordinator and they never answer their calls. Left messages and no call backs.

Keep reading that they'd hire anyone with a pulse. Curious why Majin got a gig and you're still on hold. Hope you aren't banking on this recruiter.

[Iceman-19]

I'm thinking of quitting Fort Mac but can't give up only working 26 weeks out of the whole year 😭
Posted via RS Mobile

You can never quit the mac, the mac quits you.

[sevewone]

If you have a ticket or are in a apprenticeship I would say to come to Calgary and work 7 days a week and live in a shit hole and bank huge money. Esso is building a head office that wont be done for 4 years and downtown is crazy busy. Tons of opportunity's & you can still have a normal social life (that can be difficult in Fort Mac).

[sevewone]

Yeah, I think the rigs are still slow and will pick up mid-November ish? I'm still waiting on a call from my coordinator. But I've tried numerous times calling my recruiter/ a coordinator and they never answer their calls. Left messages and no call backs.

Dude how can you not get a job up North? If you really want to go up, try every company, and get as many contacts as possible. That's how I have gotten where I am. I also heard us Albertans get first dibs then B.C-ers are second? Maybe its just a rumor.

[subordinate]

What if he doesn't have a ticket/apprenticeship.

[quasi]

If you have a ticket or are in a apprenticeship I would say to come to Calgary and work 7 days a week and live in a shit hole and bank huge money. Esso is building a head office that wont be done for 4 years and downtown is crazy busy. Tons of opportunity's & you can still have a normal social life (that can be difficult in Fort Mac).

My friends a plumber and moved there a few months ago, he had his pick of jobs. He has no desire to work out of the city because of a young family but he's getting top dollar and got to make all kinds of demands when he started. He's not making the kind of money there making on the rigs but he's making substantially more then he was here with better hours (home every night for dinner) and benefits. He and his wife are both loving it there, I went a few weeks ago with my wife to check it out but that city just isn't for me. I can see why many people like it there though.

[thegentleman]

Dude how can you not get a job up North? If you really want to go up, try every company, and get as many contacts as possible. That's how I have gotten where I am. I also heard us Albertans get first dibs then B.C-ers are second? Maybe its just a rumor.

Well, with this company (Horizon Drilling) I went through orientation filling out forms signing papers and what not and then through the fitness/alcohol/drug test. Last thing I heard was through a text (Oct 21) that the coordinators have my paperwork and will contact me as soon as they have something.

I've handed in applications at Nabors Ensign and Akita. And they all said the same thing that the rigs right now are slow and will pick up Mid-November. I'm gonna try for Precision Beaver and Savanna next.

[sevewone]

What if he doesn't have a ticket/apprenticeship.

He can still get a job as a laborer making easy mid 20's. When I was working at the Calgary Hospital earlier this year there were Ellis Don laborers making 25$ an hour sweeping floors! If he wants to go that route I would apply with one of the big General Contractors that is possibly union so he is locked in & he will get paid a bit more than non-union.

My friends a plumber and moved there a few months ago, he had his pick of jobs. He has no desire to work out of the city because of a young family but he's getting top dollar and got to make all kinds of demands when he started. He's not making the kind of money there making on the rigs but he's making substantially more then he was here with better hours (home every night for dinner) and benefits. He and his wife are both loving it there, I went a few weeks ago with my wife to check it out but that city just isn't for me. I can see why many people like it there though.

Yeah we are crazy busy right now and with the new Telus building starting to take shape soon there will definitely be a shortage of workers.

Well, with this company (Horizon Drilling) I went through orientation filling out forms signing papers and what not and then through the fitness/alcohol/drug test. Last thing I heard was through a text (Oct 21) that the coordinators have my paperwork and will contact me as soon as they have something.

I've handed in applications at Nabors Ensign and Akita. And they all said the same thing that the rigs right now are slow and will pick up Mid-November. I'm gonna try for Precision Beaver and Savanna next.

Yeah if the last word from the guy was Oct 21st, I would still continue to apply elsewhere. Or even keep phoning/emailing him asking for updates. Managers love it when a person is eager and wants a job. To many people just email a resume and don't follow up.

[meowjinboo]

Got a hired by a toolpush from precision and going for orientation and piss test this week. Precision is hella busy and its a plus that the best toolpush for precision got me the job. Drilling is slow in alberta but FSJ is insane.
Posted via RS Mobile

Plus now I have rig experience and I did kinda save the lives of the whole rig..

The hr lady told me the company gets 100 resumes a day, so they hire farmers and construction dudes first. And you need to getrecruited.

They will only pick up the phone if its a call like this

"Hey its so and so from PDxxx".

They get bonuses for new hires (500 for employees 1000 for toolpush) and these people will always get the job first.

[meowjinboo]

Serious question. Are you white?
Posted via RS Mobile

[Iceman-19]

Serious question. Are you white?
Posted via RS Mobile

Are you?

[meowjinboo]

Yes.
Posted via RS Mobile

I have yet to see one coloured person at my camp.

[sevewone]

Serious question. Are you white?
Posted via RS Mobile

Hes actually right. I worked for a communication company and they only hired only white people. They tried a few Pakistani workers but they found they were very stubborn and were very hard to teach anything, not to mention they treated the women staff very poorly.

Im not saying they are all like this!! Maybe we had a bad batch, but since then I know they only hire whites.

[meowjinboo]

This whole industry is racist. These guys are all small town uneducated farmers.

I really can't be myself around here. Make pussy jokes and be nice then people will love you.
Posted via RS Mobile

Get into hunting, toys, and say you are from a small town.

[meowjinboo]

And to answer subordinates question my company will hire anyone. Because the pay is shit!

I was making 250 a day +40 sub and I was billing out the consultant 45 grand for 21 days of work. Congrats, you traded in your social life to be with dudes for 30+ days straight.


I know a wirelining company that needs workers and will pay for a class 3 up here in fsj.
Posted via RS Mobile

To put into perspective I was on the field after my 2nd day on the job. Guys who have been with the company for 6 months haven't been on the field yet.

There is a fit for this industry.i

[Purely]

And to answer subordinates question my company will hire anyone. Because the pay is shit!

I was making 250 a day +40 sub and I was billing out the consultant 45 grand for 21 days of work. Congrats, you traded in your social life to be with dudes for 30+ days straight.


I know a wirelining company that needs workers and will pay for a class 3 up here in fsj.
Posted via RS Mobile

To put into perspective I was on the field after my 2nd day on the job. Guys who have been with the company for 6 months haven't been on the field yet.

There is a fit for this industry.i

Even non-white people?

[Iceman-19]

And to answer subordinates question my company will hire anyone. Because the pay is shit!

I was making 250 a day +40 sub and I was billing out the consultant 45 grand for 21 days of work. Congrats, you traded in your social life to be with dudes for 30+ days straight.


I know a wirelining company that needs workers and will pay for a class 3 up here in fsj.
Posted via RS Mobile

To put into perspective I was on the field after my 2nd day on the job. Guys who have been with the company for 6 months haven't been on the field yet.

There is a fit for this industry.i

I have my class 1, what experience do you need for wirelining? Whats the shifts, do they pay for travel? Camp? Etc? Wage?

[Everymans]

Keith Biggins (http://keithbiggins.com/)
Not fort mac but similar lifestyle. My buddy's doing a one year stint on a rig and doing an extensive photography mission to show the life up north. The rig life. Great pictures in my opinion. I lived in grande prairie for 10 years, my mom still lives out there. Always consider going back. I worked for a summer working construction and it really dawned on me that I shouldn't be wasting my youth doing this type of crap just for the money. I wouldn't be able to last another winter up there. It's so boring and unlivable. I'll take the rain over -40 any day. If you wanna do the fort mac/oilrig life I highly recommend you make it short term, and have a good reason for doing it. Get your money, pay off your debts then get the hell outta there! Unless alberta life is your thing, but I have yet to meet a vancouverite who strives to be an albertan. Besides the money, the desirability is low. And if money is all you want in life then give your head a shake. More to life then working 12 hours a day 6 days a week to buy a fancy ass house or a new tv.

Just my two cents. I'll probably be back there next summer though. Pay off debt and live on ei for the winter and travel. I have a job lined up with a potential free class 3 license involved.

[meowjinboo]

I have my class 1, what experience do you need for wirelining? Whats the shifts, do they pay for travel? Camp? Etc? Wage?

Probably 300 a day and camp yeah.

There are about 40 rigs in fsj area alone. Even more past fort nelson.
Posted via RS Mobile

[meowjinboo]

Also I'm heading home today. Company found out I was looking for new jobs to see what was out there. Was gonna wait till it was confirmed with the hr of precision before I head home. So I hope to god she calls me tomorrow. Woke up to a panic attack today. Granted for what I was getting paid I can do construction OE something in calgary.
Posted via RS Mobile

[subordinate]

Damn, that's not good. Hope the trip up there was overall positive ($-wise)

[Iceman-19]

Probably 300 a day and camp yeah.

There are about 40 rigs in fsj area alone. Even more past fort nelson.
Posted via RS Mobile

What company?

[meowjinboo]

I'll call the dude tomorrow and find out more info. There is also a well testing job oi know of too.
Posted via RS Mobile

[meowjinboo]

Good to be home.

I hope I hope precision calls me tomorrow. PLEASE GOD PLEASE.

Some people thought my job was sweet. You really don't do anything all day for 12 hours but you get paid 225 a day. It just wasn't worth it. Seriously you will die of boredom. Even if I did tether my phone to my laptop and played Dota all day I'd get fucking fat and ugly fast.

[Iceman-19]

Good to be home.

I hope I hope precision calls me tomorrow. PLEASE GOD PLEASE.

Some people thought my job was sweet. You really don't do anything all day for 12 hours but you get paid 225 a day. It just wasn't worth it. Seriously you will die of boredom. Even if I did tether my phone to my laptop and played Dota all day I'd get fucking fat and ugly fast.

Yeah its tough when you have to keep yourself occupied for that long. You can only hit F5 on the new posts page here for so long. 225 a day for that is god awful too.

[JordanLee]

I've been following this thread for a while now and its been super helpful. As some of you may know (Meowjin) I'm taking Forestry Operations at UBC, currently in my 3rd year. I know theres a lot of rigging jobs up there but are there opportunities for summer student positions in my field? Currently in Co-op as well but having a hard time finding a job that I can just grind at and make connections.

Cheers

[meowjinboo]

they wont hire asians.

seriously.

This industry is racist.

Only the oil companies will hire minorities because there is alot of scrutiny on them to be diverse and eco friendly.

and my previous company. Read above why.

But for reforestation I believe the will hire you.

Again this is just my experience in northern BC.

My friend is a red seal chef and dealt with racism when working for PTI (camp company) and had to quit. Thick skin only goes so long when they keep calling you a fucking chink.

Granted all the people in the camp are really really friendly to the filipino workers, so im just assuming its a select few and hiring managers.

[meowjinboo]

nothing yet ;(

[Iceman-19]

they wont hire asians.

seriously.

This industry is racist.

Only the oil companies will hire minorities because there is alot of scrutiny on them to be diverse and eco friendly.

and my previous company. Read above why.

But for reforestation I believe the will hire you.

Again this is just my experience in northern BC.

My friend is a red seal chef and dealt with racism when working for PTI (camp company) and had to quit. Thick skin only goes so long when they keep calling you a fucking chink.

Granted all the people in the camp are really really friendly to the filipino workers, so im just assuming its a select few and hiring managers.

Yeah I was gonna say, PTI is full of immigrants, thats wild.

[ScizzMoney]

When I was still working drilling rigs new guys got razzed hard for the first couple of weeks. Whether that guy was Asian, Native, Black, White, it didn't matter. We (Yes I partook) would ride new guys as hard as we could to try and get them to quit. If they didn't quit, we knew they weren't flakes and would treat them well after that (provided they had a good work ethic). I would never bring race into it myself as I am Scottish, Irish, Native, Japanese. I actually had to fight a couple of times because I look more Native than anything else and a white guy that was on this crew didn't particularly like that. But, I would give new guys shitty jobs to do. One of the best workers we had when I was on Ensign 6 was an Ethiopian who barely spoke english. I'm surprised he didn't kill our Driller or Motorhand at the time with all the racial slurs that would go at him. When he came back for his second hitch, we treated him like one of the family and the guy could outwork all of us, he just couldn't understand what we were saying most of the time so he was stuck as a Leasehand.

I am by no means saying treating people like shit is right. We found that if you treat people the way you would treat them in the real world they never work out and are always looking to take breaks and use the buddy system when not needed etc. I've seen a few handfuls of grown men cry due to getting teased and demeaned on the job.

Keep in mind also that not all rigs are like that. It does seem that these types of practices are less common than before but it still happens.

[Iceman-19]

Survival of the fittest.

[nsmb]

try sanjel, cascade Services, big eagle. well servicing / vac trucks

go to fsj. get a job as a swamper, get your class 1 or 3

[hud 91gt]

edit

[Mining]

I will be working in fort Mac starting in January for at least 8 monthes. I'm Asian. I know a few other Asians coming up here as well. We are all mining engineers however working for Shell albian oil sands.
Posted via RS Mobile

[sdubfid]

How much do people make on drilling rigs? I just don't see the appeal of rigs when you can work on a trade and have steady work and be able to use it in BC too. I work for a producer and it's an excellent work environment, good pay, lots of time off.

[Iceman-19]

You can make 10k a month, for 2-6 months, generally.

[meowjinboo]

Some drills are year round. Especially in FSJ. Progress has 330 days of work appraently from my well testing friends.

Interview with the competitor. Better pay, but this time ill keep my fucking mouth shut. Not sure If I'll be in FSJ doe. I really did like working in that area and I'd love to go back.

[skiiipi]

I will be working in fort Mac starting in January for at least 8 monthes. I'm Asian. I know a few other Asians coming up here as well. We are all mining engineers however working for Shell albian oil sands.
Posted via RS Mobile

Shell Albian is far from the city....and they have a pretty large on site airport..so you can likely fly directly into site...hope you are not staying in the city cause thats a pretty long commute/bus ride compared to suncor and syncrude

[skiiipi]

Also being asian in fort mac, so far I havent experience any extreme racism....though everyone asks where I am from...and when i say Vancouver...they give me a dumbfounded look and go "no i mean where in asia are you from?"

[meowjinboo]

I hate being unemployed again.

[thegentleman]

I'm gonna go and give it another shot on Monday and apply around Nisku again. I've been here for about a month and had to get a warehouse job to pay the bills. I shouldn't have relied on Horizon. Shoulda kept applying and calling. Wasted time/money.

How would I find employment for the oil sands? Any specific websites to check out? So far I've checked fortmcmurrayjobshop and fortmcmurray online.

Anyone experience employment agencies into getting into the field?

[skiiipi]

I'm gonna go and give it another shot on Monday and apply around Nisku again. I've been here for about a month and had to get a warehouse job to pay the bills. I shouldn't have relied on Horizon. Shoulda kept applying and calling. Wasted time/money.

How would I find employment for the oil sands? Any specific websites to check out? So far I've checked fortmcmurrayjobshop and fortmcmurray online.

Anyone experience employment agencies into getting into the field?

LoL, find a city job first and wait for recruiters?
I work in retail and I have fuckin recruiters coming to steal my staff on a weekly basis...

[thegentleman]

LoL, find a city job first and wait for recruiters?
I work in retail and I have fuckin recruiters coming to steal my staff on a weekly basis...

Who are these recruiters and how are they finding them!

Luckily, my company is busy this whole month so I've been putting in 12 hour shifts and working Saturdays this past week trying to get used to long hours.

[skiiipi]

Who are these recruiters and how are they finding them!

Luckily, my company is busy this whole month so I've been putting in 12 hour shifts and working Saturdays this past week trying to get used to long hours.

I am not sure, I have staff at least once a week come tell me that one of the "customers" offered them a job, and they are giving me their letter of resignation with like a 1 day notice.

But it annoys the hell out of me

[meowjinboo]

still unemployed haha.

[koukimonst3r]

Also being asian in fort mac, so far I havent experience any extreme racism....though everyone asks where I am from...and when i say Vancouver...they give me a dumbfounded look and go "no i mean where in asia are you from?"

I'm pretty well known in the mine as the only asian guy as well HAHA
Posted via RS Mobile

[Iceman-19]

I saw lots of AZNs up there.

[sdubfid]

You can make 10k a month, for 2-6 months, generally.

after tax?

[meowjinboo]

450 a day after tax usually as a floorhand/leasehand.

Any leads today?

[Mining]

Shell Albian is far from the city....and they have a pretty large on site airport..so you can likely fly directly into site...hope you are not staying in the city cause thats a pretty long commute/bus ride compared to suncor and syncrude

We will be living in Timberlea. Guess that isn't a surprise as most students live there.

The pick-up service bus rides will be an hour long each way.

[skiiipi]

We will be living in Timberlea. Guess that isn't a surprise as most students live there.

The pick-up service bus rides will be an hour long each way.

ah icic, thats where I live, its actually a half decent neighbourhood
just cant wait till we get our own starbucks....cant stand driving to work without a coffee in hand.

[subordinate]

ah icic, thats where I live, its actually a half decent neighbourhood
just cant wait till we get our own starbucks....cant stand driving to work without a coffee in hand.


Get a tassimo or nepresso?

[Iceman-19]

Bid on a few pipelining jobs, but I have no experience pipelining, so not getting any call backs.

[thegentleman]

I applied at Precision and Savanna. Both told me rigs are still slow. Call back to follow up on applications. Trinidad needed an extra ticket that neither me or my buddy had. (EGSO?)

I followed up on Ensign, Akita, and Nabors. Same response. Still slow will pick up soon (hopefully). Left another message to the recruiter for Horizon. Still haven't heard anything back.

Currently working in a warehouse for a decent wage. Close to double double/hr. Way better than what I got back in Van.

[skiiipi]

Get a tassimo or nepresso?

Then i'd have to wash my reusable mug when I get to work haha #firstworldproblems

[meowjinboo]

thinking about becoming a vagrant. skiipi you got temp work for me till i find something better?

[Iceman-19]

Just head up to the mac and hang out at the 7-11 downtown.

[meowjinboo]

sarcasm or not I can't tell.

[Iceman-19]

Depends if you enjoy crystal and crack.

[sdubfid]

Don't even bother with the rigs, just take a 4 month course at keyano college and you can make up to $45/hour as a student and they set you up with a job. You also get student housing for under $500. Haul truck, finntech or power engineering.
Posted via RS Mobile

[nsmb]

get ur class 1

[skiiipi]

thinking about becoming a vagrant. skiipi you got temp work for me till i find something better?
Very possible if you are okay with retail money rather than rig money.
Pm me
Posted via RS Mobile

[46_valentinor]

im planning on taking a semester off the following september to get myself into the rig in order to pay off my debt. question is, should i take my semester off in september or january? i want to try and minimize down time as time is money since i only have 3 months to make as much money as possible.

[meowjinboo]

don't take a semester off unless you have a job forsure because odds are you wont get one. especailly without farming/construction experience.

[Autorice]

start getting your tickets now before applying. it can take weeks to get every single ticket or a single straight week if classes are available. costs $500-1000 to get first aid, h2s, tdg, confined space, whmis, etc.

[Iceman-19]

You don't need all those tickets, it definitely depends on your job. You left out 2 main tickets anyways, CSTS and OSSA. TDG is only needed if you have a class 3 or better license.

[Autorice]

No idea about those tickets. haha.

[Gucci Mane]

Don't even bother with the rigs, just take a 4 month course at keyano college and you can make up to $45/hour as a student and they set you up with a job. You also get student housing for under $500. Haul truck, finntech or power engineering.
Posted via RS Mobile

its upwards of $6000 for the haul truck course.. is the work steady year round? im quite interested in this but dont want to spend that much money and only have work for 6 months then get laid off.

[sdubfid]

its upwards of $6000 for the haul truck course.. is the work steady year round? im quite interested in this but dont want to spend that much money and only have work for 6 months then get laid off.

Research research research, it's $6000 to potentially make 200k. Much better than 50k to potentially work at Starbucks.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Mining]

Not sure if this is re-post

Fort McMoney (http://www.fortmcmoney.com/#/fortmcmoney)

[meowjinboo]

still contemplating whether or not I should head up to fort mac, without any intentions of finding a job. The thing is if it's not labour/oil related im 100% sure I can make the same money in Calgary.

[westopher]

Curious. You may have said already, but what are you doing in Calgary for work?

[noclue]

I have a little off-topic question for you guys. What's the situation in Cold Lake? Is there a lot of demand for workers? I know its the smallest oil deposit compared to Fort Mcmurray and Grand Prairie. If oil prices collapse will it be the first to shutdown and turn into a ghost town?

[meowjinboo]

Curious. You may have said already, but what are you doing in Calgary for work?

Labour.
Posted via RS Mobile

[sevewone]

still contemplating whether or not I should head up to fort mac, without any intentions of finding a job. The thing is if it's not labour/oil related im 100% sure I can make the same money in Calgary.

If I REALLY wanted to go to Fort Mac I could probably get a job in a day. Did you start posting wanted ads on Kijiji? Have you dropped by in person to any rigging companies?

Companies get hundreds, if not thousands of resumes if it is a good job. If you want to stand out, show up in person like you own the place and show them you want the job!

[thegentleman]

still contemplating whether or not I should head up to fort mac, without any intentions of finding a job. The thing is if it's not labour/oil related im 100% sure I can make the same money in Calgary.

But what about the living expenses?

[koukimonst3r]

Pretty sure Fort Mac wage > Calgary wage even if it's non labour / oil related. It's one of the reasons they get people working up in Fort Mac.
Posted via RS Mobile

[Mining]

I guess this thread has become the official fort mac thread..
I'm heading up there soon and I want to gear before I go to combat the weather conditions. Any recommendations?

jackets, gloves, pants? which brands?

A lot of people recommend Canada goose. Though expensive, I can see why. After doing some research, I think it is worth the investment as my profession is in the mining industry so I could potentially end up anywhere. Opinions?

[skiiipi]

I guess this thread has become the official fort mac thread..
I'm heading up there soon and I want to gear before I go to combat the weather conditions. Any recommendations?

jackets, gloves, pants? which brands?

A lot of people recommend Canada goose. Though expensive, I can see why. After doing some research, I think it is worth the investment as my profession is in the mining industry so I could potentially end up anywhere. Opinions?
A Northface murcmurdo down jacket, or the himilayan parka will fine with out the canada goose price tag.
I have a Canada Goose and Nobis jacket, but I also don't do any physical labour, it'll be a pain having to keep ur real fur hood clean especially when you are working on the rigs.

Just remember to layer, good baseline, midlayer and a wind proof shell and you will be fine.
A good pair of insulated steel toe boots, some ear warmers etc
Posted via RS Mobile

[sdubfid]

I wear wool boxers and wool shirt>wool long underwear>jeans and shirt>bulwark coveralls

That setup is good to -15 or so and not bulky
From -15 to -30 I add a bulwark jacket
For -35 and below I have a set of bulwark insulated coveralls but it's all employer supplied.

I find adding jackets easier than adding clothing. I alternate between outside and being in buildings that are 40+ so taking off a jacket is easy. Dont wear cotton next to your skin. Lip balm is good too. I've had Dunlop purofort steeltoe boots for 5 years. Very comfy and warm/waterproof and quick to take on and off. In winter I put tungsten carbide studs in them for ice.
Posted via RS Mobile

[ScizzMoney]

My base layer usually consists of:

A sporty type of underwear for wicking away ball sweat. Technical Trunk | Mark's.com | Online Shopping for Casual Clothing, Footwear and More (http://www.marks.com/shop/en/marks-marksdefaultsalescatalog/mens/mens-underwear/driwear-trunk-14211)
A thin sock I use basically like a sock liner. Again, to help sweat wick away. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - Lightweight Boot Sock (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/34-product.cfm)
A thick sock over top. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - Heavyweight Boot Sock (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/29-product.cfm) OR Wigwam Canada (http://shop.wigwam.com/p-2275-wigwam-canada.aspx)
Long underwear. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - Pant (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/6-product.cfm)
Long sleeve undershirt. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - Crewneck (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/3-product.cfm)

It depends on the temperature to see what I wear overtop of that.
(This is assuming coveralls will be worn as well)
Temperature between Zero and -25 I go with:

Standard work jeans. Carhartt - Product - Series 1889® Relaxed Straight Double Front Work Dungaree (http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=172861&langId=-1)
Fire Resistant Tee Shirt. Carhartt - Product - Men's Flame-Resistant Long-Sleeve Henley (http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=124661&langId=-1)
Fire Resistant Toque. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - FR Tuque (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/100-product.cfm)

Below -25 I go with:

Insulated Fire Resistant pants. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - FR Pant (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/70-product.cfm)
Insulated Fire Resistant sweater. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - FR Sweater (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/178-product.cfm)
Fire Resistant neck warmer. Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - FR Neck Gaiter (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/82-product.cfm)
(I still wear the toque)


I always wear leather gloves or insulated rubber gloves. Doesn't usually matter what kind but I will always wear a glove liner as well. This liner: Helly Hansen Canada - Workwear - Glove Liner (http://www.helly.ca/EN/products/20-product.cfm) works surprisingly well and keeps your fingers agile and workable.


For work boots I always have 3 pairs at work ready to swap out if needed:

My primary pair I wear are Redwings. Product Detail (http://www.redwingshoes.com/red-wing-shoe/2412-red-wing-shoes/2412-red-wing-mens-8-inch-boot-brown) . If you buy Redwings make sure you get the ones made in the USA. They are starting to make some of their models in China from the few that I have seen they are not as reliable. Amazing warranty on these boots and whenever you pop into a Redwings store you can get a pair of laces for free. They give that shit out like lollipops. These boots are waterproof and warm by the way. AMAZINGLY comfortable, you may need to break them in a little, which isn't a bad thing. They will form to your feet.

I keep two pairs of rubber boots at work for when I need go dunk myself a little ways or I have gotten my feet wet and need to change out. When I wear rubber boots I ALWAYS wear Bama Socks. Boot Insulator | Mark's.com | Online Shopping for Casual Clothing, Footwear and More (http://www.marks.com/shop/en/marks-marksdefaultsalescatalog/workwear/workwear-accessories/boot-insulator-29541) (These aren't the exact ones I buy, but I couldn't find them online) They keep your feet DRY inside a rubber boot and help for warmth and comfort.
These are the only two types of rubber boots worth buying.
Dunlop Purofort Thermo. Purofort Thermo+ full safety | Dunlop Boots (http://www.dunlopboots.com/en/product/purofort-thermo-full-safety/c662933)
Baffin Icebear. ICE BEAR SAFETY TOE & PLATE (http://www.baffin.com/product-p/51570000.htm)

I prefer the grip you get out of the Dunlop better and I find they are more comfortable on the legs as the Baffin as a little bit of a ring around the top of the boot that rubs on my shins (I don't have hair where that ring rubs now) Both are good boots and are decent at -40. The rubber on them starts to get stiff around -30 to -35 and they become a little awkward to move in but still manageable. They have really good grip in the snow and ice. I will not wear the Wigwam brand sock that I linked while wearing these boots as my feet get too warm. I wear the small Helly Hansen sock with the warmer Helly Hansen sock along with the Bama Sock. Feet stay dry and warm. I usually switch out the Bama Sock at lunch or halfway through the shift to make sure my feet stay dry. Dry/warm feet, warm hands, and warm ears are very important in my books. As soon as one of those get cold it becomes harder to do anything. Seems you can warm the rest up with movement and working.

[ScizzMoney]

On a side note. I have been using this setup for over 10 years now (minus the Baffin boots) and my body is well adjusted to cold temperatures so you may need to wear some of the insulated stuff a little early.

[Mining]

Lots of good responses here. Thank you guys for your inputs.

[Mining]

A Northface murcmurdo down jacket, or the himilayan parka will fine with out the canada goose price tag.
I have a Canada Goose and Nobis jacket, but I also don't do any physical labour, it'll be a pain having to keep ur real fur hood clean especially when you are working on the rigs.

Just remember to layer, good baseline, midlayer and a wind proof shell and you will be fine.
A good pair of insulated steel toe boots, some ear warmers etc
Posted via RS Mobile

I happen to be able to get a Canada goose Chilliwack for relatively cheap from a buddy.
But now I'm deciding if I should get something like Banff/Citadel instead (more coverage)

btw I'm not doing any physical labour up there.

EDIT: Decided on Chilliwack. Buddy was very generous and offered me a price I could not resist lol

[Iceman-19]

Shorts, T-shirt, hard hat. Dont be a pussy. Its just a little wind chill.

[Mining]

Shorts, T-shirt, hard hat. Dont be a pussy. Its just a little wind chill.

No wonder they call you the Iceman

[skiiipi]

I happen to be able to get a Canada goose Chilliwack for relatively cheap from a buddy.
But now I'm deciding if I should get something like Banff/Citadel instead (more coverage)

btw I'm not doing any physical labour up there.

EDIT: Decided on Chilliwack. Buddy was very generous and offered me a price I could not resist lol

Yea the Chilliwack is what I have along with a Nobis Yatsey

[insomniac]

I happen to be able to get a Canada goose Chilliwack for relatively cheap from a buddy.
But now I'm deciding if I should get something like Banff/Citadel instead (more coverage)

btw I'm not doing any physical labour up there.

EDIT: Decided on Chilliwack. Buddy was very generous and offered me a price I could not resist lol

i like the look of the banff more but chilliwack is super warm too ! cant find the banff anywhere locally either so you cant find your perfect size.

[Mining]

i like the look of the banff more but chilliwack is super warm too ! cant find the banff anywhere locally either so you cant find your perfect size.

I visited Harry Rosen at Pacific Centre the other day and for some reason you're right. Only the Banff is out of stock but the Citadel is there. The sales rep says they can order the size and colour of any style if you wish however.

Back on topic:

Buddy of mine posted this haha. Feel like -41 :badpokerface:

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1472793_10153583264940710_1275189571_n.jpg

[thegentleman]

Got a call back New Eve from Horizon.

I'm currently around Grande Prairie, tomorrow is my 5th day. This shit is hard work. Can't wait til that paycheque at the end of the tunnel though.

[DC5-S]

Anyone here work at any company looking for third or fourth class power engineers? I'm looking to work in Alberta, and would greatly appreciate if anyone had a hook up
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[Iceman-19]

check on jobbank.gc.ca or fortmcmurrayjobshop.ca. Always see jobs posted. Also apply to the major mine companies as well. Syncrude, Suncor, Canadian Natural, Imperial Oil, Shell, etc.

[Jmac]

Fuck man, we had 3 companies trying to recruit while we were in class.

Suncor, Shell, and I forget the other one (Canada Pipeline?)

I didn't want to work in Alberta, but a bunch of my classmates hopped on the first flight out after graduation. Making good money. Buddy said he started at $34/hour and it's all the OT you want, which is pretty good for a 4th class. I'd assume you can clear $100k/year if you want to.

Everything I see for Vancouver Island/Lower Mainland is $25-$30/hour as a 4th and not really enough work to get a lot of OT, so $50-$60k/year. Not bad, but not great either. Don't blame you for wanting to go to AB.

Where are you working now and how do you like it?

[DC5-S]

I don't like where I work, ain't got the firing time to finish my third. One test away from completion. I've been constantly looking on indeed, and applying like crazy. but any hook ups would obviously help a lot more.
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[Jmac]

No hookups, but I know the aforementioned companies were desperate for power engineers just a few months ago when I was finishing up my 4th. They moved a handful of guys out there to work for them straight out of school with their 4ths and no experience. We also did gas processing in the course as well, so that may have had some influence (all oil-related companies).

Sucks about firing time. I'm only getting about half an hour a day of firing time where I'm at, so it'll take a while to accumulate enough hours.

[meowjinboo]

Heading back to bc and attending bcit for a trade. Fuck alberta. My instructors were right. Dont go in the oil industry without a trade.
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[meowjinboo]

Unless I get a job at pason doing it work. I get so much tail in calgary too ;(
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[DC5-S]

No hookups, but I know the aforementioned companies were desperate for power engineers just a few months ago when I was finishing up my 4th. They moved a handful of guys out there to work for them straight out of school with their 4ths and no experience. We also did gas processing in the course as well, so that may have had some influence (all oil-related companies).

Sucks about firing time. I'm only getting about half an hour a day of firing time where I'm at, so it'll take a while to accumulate enough hours.

Do you know Virgillio? Think he was in last years program, now doing the power and process. I so wanna get a job there, ugh

[meowjinboo]

Ok, I just got 2 interviews today for apprenticeships.

[sdubfid]

Dc5 how much longer until your 3rd is done?
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[DC5-S]

Dc5 how much longer until your 3rd is done?
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I just need my firing time then im done (1 yr), which is ridiculous. For some reason only the chief eligable to get 3rd class firing time in a 4th class plant, which I wasn't aware of (we were all shocked to find that out when a cpl guys didn't pass the firing time evaluation) Ive been at this place for seven years. I do everything the chief does and so on, the regs just dont make any sense. Only a chief is eligible for firing time in a 4th class plant, yet in a heating plant everyone is allowed :/

[sdubfid]

Check the following thread out, it changed my life:
Power Engineering (http://forums.780tuners.com/showthread.php?122142-Power-Engineering)

[Jmac]

Do you know Virgillio? Think he was in last years program, now doing the power and process. I so wanna get a job there, ugh
I don't. I did mine at VIU in Nanaimo; no Virgillios in our class.

[shenmecar]

Check the following thread out, it changed my life:
Power Engineering (http://forums.780tuners.com/showthread.php?122142-Power-Engineering)

Are there power engineering jobs in Van, or is it all in Alberta?

[sdubfid]

Are there power engineering jobs in Van, or is it all in Alberta?

Yes there are lots but nowhere near as high paying. Mills, breweries, refineries, hospitals, gm place, office towers, hotels, refineries, power plants, ice rinks, schools, food plants etc.
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[ScizzMoney]

A friend of mine works at Syncrude with his 4th Class and I think he's at $59/hr. His shift is:
3 dayshifts of 12 hours
3 nightshifts of 12 hours
6 days off.
He is paid straight time on all 72 hours because of being a 'compressed work week'. Although, if he works on his days off, it is all double time, and he says he can go almost any time he wants.
So his overtime days he is at $118/hr for all he works.

[illwdt]

<<--- Looking for "firing time" for his 4th class, any suggestions?

[Jmac]

Good luck. I was in your boat before I got in at VIU.

It's one of those vicious cycles:

Can't get 4th class certificate without firing time
Can't get firing time without 4th class certificate (because no one will hire you without it).

[DC5-S]

I'm pissed off about this firing time bullshit. I'm going to move to Edmonton in March if I don't hear back from chevron or canexus. I hope I get a job there. The boiler I worked on for seven years was only 3m^2 short of being considered a third class boiler.
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[meowjinboo]

what a fucking roller coaster.

I just moved back to Vancouver, and Pason called me for a job/interview.

4 on 4 off in Calgary 60k a year.

I can't even handle myself right now that I actually have to refuse this job.

[Iceman-19]

what a fucking roller coaster.

I just moved back to Vancouver, and Pason called me for a job/interview.

4 on 4 off in Calgary 60k a year.

I can't even handle myself right now that I actually have to refuse this job.

60k a year in Alberta is like minimum wage in Vancouver. Ill be heading back to the mac once im home from New York. 14/14 shift, with flights paid to Calgary. If they give me time off for school, I might work more then 14 days, kekekeke.

[LC21]

what a fucking roller coaster.

I just moved back to Vancouver, and Pason called me for a job/interview.

4 on 4 off in Calgary 60k a year.

I can't even handle myself right now that I actually have to refuse this job.

While you were in alberta what were you doing?
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[meowjinboo]

Working for an airline company on oil rigs.

[meowjinboo]

60k a year in Alberta is like minimum wage in Vancouver. Ill be heading back to the mac once im home from New York. 14/14 shift, with flights paid to Calgary. If they give me time off for school, I might work more then 14 days, kekekeke.

true, I got a plumbing apprenticeship lined up here, but 60k in Calgary is pretty good (starting) with room for advancement.

[Iceman-19]

true, I got a plumbing apprenticeship lined up here, but 60k in Calgary is pretty good (starting) with room for advancement.

Yeah you are hard pressed to find a job in calgary that starts you at a lower wage.

[Ronin]

I might have to go to Fort Mac on occasion for work.

Have to say I wouldn't move there for any long period of time. I think I'd go insane. One of the big factors for me in looking for a job in aviation was that I could stay in Vancouver.

[subordinate]

true, I got a plumbing apprenticeship lined up here, but 60k in Calgary is pretty good (starting) with room for advancement.

That was fast majin, had friends in the plumbing business?

[nsmb]

union?

[DC5-S]

I got a job with Cenovus now, im in the pelican lake camp.

[Iceman-19]

I think Ill be moving to Calgary once my lease is up in PoMo. No more paying for flights to work.

[OrangeJuice]

To those who work in Fort Mac, or are considering it, what do you think of this article? It's old, but I stumbled upon it recently.


Six-figure salaries no draw as young workers shun Canada’s oil and gas sector for ‘sexier’ industries

The Canadian oil and gas industry’s faltering reputation is hurting its ability to attract the country’s youth despite the promise of six-figure salaries.

Canadian oil and gas professionals typically receive the fifth-most generous pay packages in the world behind their counterparts in Norway, Australia, Netherlands and New Zealand, according to a report published Tuesday by Hays Oil & Gas and Oil and Gas Job Search. 
Average salaries in the Canadian oil and gas sector were about US$123,000 last year, significantly higher than the average Canadian salary of US$43,600. A third of the Canadian workforce can also expect bonuses, while 80% of employers expect to raise salaries by at least 5%, Hays data show.

That may sound like a sweet deal in an era of 7.2% unemployment in the country, but the oil and gas industry suffers from a perception problem as young people appear to be shunning the industry in favour of technology companies focused on social media and apps.

“If you look at the generation coming out of school these days, there is a lot of interest in industries perceived as being sexier. That’s where a lot of technology-minded individuals are moving,” said Jim Fearon, regional director at Hays Canada. “Also, Canada is very environmentally-focused and I do think it plays a part in peoples’ career choices.”

Canada energy labour shortage: Young workers shun oil and gas sector | Financial Post (http://business.financialpost.com/2013/05/14/young-workers-shun-oil-and-gas-sector/?__lsa=8870-e057)

[sdubfid]

To those who work in Fort Mac, or are considering it, what do you think of this article? It's old, but I stumbled upon it recently.



Canada energy labour shortage: Young workers shun oil and gas sector | Financial Post (http://business.financialpost.com/2013/05/14/young-workers-shun-oil-and-gas-sector/?__lsa=8870-e057)

I don't think they shun oil and gas for something "sexier"

I think the current generation coming out of school doesn't know which end of a screwdriver to use

[OrangeJuice]

I don't think they shun oil and gas for something "sexier"

I think the current generation coming out of school doesn't know which end of a screwdriver to use

There are other intangibles to consider, including:


Oil companies don't recruit much outside of northern Alberta

You need a car and a full license, and many young people can't afford gas or insurance

A lot of immigrant families are vehemently against their kid getting into the trades, they want them to get a degree in law/finance/medicine/engineering so they can brag to their friends

Many of the less dangerous jobs require years of experience

And so on. Though, I don't know many people who work in the oilfields, so I'm just conjecturing.

[Iceman-19]

Just a shout out to all the cowtown and fort crack revsceners. Im looking for an HD mechanic apprentice position. Just finishing my 3rd year schooling and moving to Calgary end of April. If you know of anything shoot me some contact info so I can ship off some resumes.

[jasonturbo]

Just a shout out to all the cowtown and fort crack revsceners. Im looking for an HD mechanic apprentice position. Just finishing my 3rd year schooling and moving to Calgary end of April. If you know of anything shoot me some contact info so I can ship off some resumes.

My advice is don't move to Calgary lol Much lower emloyment prospects if you are looking for local work.

Have you considered Red Deer area? Tons of work, lower housing costs, tons of slooots at RDC.

[Iceman-19]

Already have some jobs lined up, see what happens. Im not moving to the dump that Edmonton is. Red Deer is the middle of no where. Going to be a 4th year HD mech in 2 weeks, lots of work around.

[Hondaracer]

There are other intangibles to consider, including:


Oil companies don't recruit much outside of northern Alberta

You need a car and a full license, and many young people can't afford gas or insurance

A lot of immigrant families are vehemently against their kid getting into the trades, they want them to get a degree in law/finance/medicine/engineering so they can brag to their friends

Many of the less dangerous jobs require years of experience

And so on. Though, I don't know many people who work in the oilfields, so I'm just conjecturing.

No offense but I have 5 good friends working in cold lake for Esso and I'd say almost all of those assumptions besides the cultural things aren't really correct.
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[SpuGen]

How the Fuck do I get into a Ft Mac job?
Welder.

Been cold calling and emailing a bunch of places, but I'm not getting a SINGLE reply.

C Ticketed, Just did my B last summer.
Van Local places want to pay me $16., so I'm kindly telling them to fuck right off.

Worked on the Fresh Water tunnel in NVan, and was the only one to get laid off because I wasn't "producing" I'm calling BS, because I was doing 30lbs of wire in 3 hours, and was sent to fit pipes for the rest of it. Other guys were only doing 40lbs in 12 hours. Only found out recently that I was the only one getting paid hourly(35)+OT. While other guys were getting the same + $ Per Pound.

Fuck Dean's Welding.

Also noticing alot of dogshit lazy as fuck welders getting hired + Paid well, while I bust my ass off and still get laid off.
Starting to think its a race thing...

[sdubfid]

Start as a helper, tons of places besides fort Mac. Lots of shop jobs in edmonton too. There are a bunch of Facebook groups you can join to find jobs.
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[skiiipi]

How the Fuck do I get into a Ft Mac job?
Welder.

Been cold calling and emailing a bunch of places, but I'm not getting a SINGLE reply.

C Ticketed, Just did my B last summer.
Van Local places want to pay me $16., so I'm kindly telling them to fuck right off.

Worked on the Fresh Water tunnel in NVan, and was the only one to get laid off because I wasn't "producing" I'm calling BS, because I was doing 30lbs of wire in 3 hours, and was sent to fit pipes for the rest of it. Other guys were only doing 40lbs in 12 hours. Only found out recently that I was the only one getting paid hourly(35)+OT. While other guys were getting the same + $ Per Pound.

Fuck Dean's Welding.

Also noticing alot of dogshit lazy as fuck welders getting hired + Paid well, while I bust my ass off and still get laid off.
Starting to think its a race thing...
A lot of people say that you need to be up here first.
So maybe plan a trip up, and hand out some resume face to face. Also be prepared to start the next day. Companies here usually wants you to start right away. You may need to work a different job to tie you over until smth better comes up, but shouldn't be hard for you to find something up here.
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[Iceman-19]

How the Fuck do I get into a Ft Mac job?
Welder.

Been cold calling and emailing a bunch of places, but I'm not getting a SINGLE reply.

C Ticketed, Just did my B last summer.
Van Local places want to pay me $16., so I'm kindly telling them to fuck right off.

Worked on the Fresh Water tunnel in NVan, and was the only one to get laid off because I wasn't "producing" I'm calling BS, because I was doing 30lbs of wire in 3 hours, and was sent to fit pipes for the rest of it. Other guys were only doing 40lbs in 12 hours. Only found out recently that I was the only one getting paid hourly(35)+OT. While other guys were getting the same + $ Per Pound.

Fuck Dean's Welding.

Also noticing alot of dogshit lazy as fuck welders getting hired + Paid well, while I bust my ass off and still get laid off.
Starting to think its a race thing...

View The Job Board (http://Www.oe955.com/jobboard)

You can bid on jobs after 4 days being posted I believe. Also can use jobbank.gc.ca. kijiji is good if looking in Calgary/Edmonton. Fortmcmurrayjobshop.ca is another. I find it hard to believe that an experienced welder is having trouble finding work. You arent looking hard enough or in the right places.

[meowjinboo]

union?

sorry didnt come back to this thread for a while.

non-union small company (literally a 2 man operation) that wants to grow into a 5-10.

[meowjinboo]

Already have some jobs lined up, see what happens. Im not moving to the dump that Edmonton is. Red Deer is the middle of no where. Going to be a 4th year HD mech in 2 weeks, lots of work around.

drive to airdrie and apply in person. lots of oil companies in the industrial area.

[meowjinboo]

I don't think they shun oil and gas for something "sexier"

I think the current generation coming out of school doesn't know which end of a screwdriver to use

It's not that easy to get a job unless you actually have a mode of transport for the harsh winter + the ability to actually drive out to areas like ft.mac, fsj etc or have a skill.

Buddy is a paramedic and up in GP working for a first aid company . They flew him up for interview/training and job. But if he had no skills good luck getting an arrangement like that.

[Port Man]

There is no mention of Fort St John, BC here? There is all of these jobs and more here in BC, and it is way cheaper than Fort Mac.

Housing over there is 6x more than here..... ridiculous. There is lots of places hiring all kinds of positions... pipe fitters, welders, electricians, laborers, mechanics, truck drivers, medic/first aid work. Get working as a general helper/laborer and you will be used all over the place. Try a few trades and go with one you like...

Clear over 6k/mo (after tax) too just being a helper/laborer, and way less money to start up than in Alberta.

[meowjinboo]

i worked in FSJ, look earlier in the thread. Beautiful area.

http://instagram.com/p/gi8dpHGBt6/