(11-01-2014 04:39 PM)micha Wrote:  Well, I thought we were not talking "an extra 5$" here.

A qualified head-chef (or any chef for that matter) is hard enough to find around attractive places, so I thought freezing cold alberta would shell out some serious dough.

you would think, I dont hear many cooks with red seals making more than 20 an hour here in camps. Their schedule sucks ass also, 3 weeks on 1 week off. That week off includes travel so subtract 2 days unless you want to spend your week off in fort mac or grand praire. Girl from australia that worked in camp kitchens at AUS mines told me the same thing. You can always try, but Atlantics advice should be considered. Running some pizza shop on a backpacker trail can bring you decent coin. Those places have low rent once you deal with mob, pay staff shit, low quality of service, and prices not too far off. I was in Thailand, and you could buy pizza cheaper in downtown new york than from a hole in the street operation on a tourist island.

Edit: You sound like a young guy. I would just travel and work in fun places to chef. If you are talented/passionate at what you do then their are a lot of funner places, albeit less well paid (debatable), to work.

Try NZ, Europe or surf spots like Central America or Indo. Lots of easy, cool chef gigs with GIRLS around.

A lot of the camp kitchen staff are unionized and belong to the United Food Commercial Workers, check in with them: http://www.gounion.ca/

Globe and Mail has been running quite a few articles on Fort McMurray lately, here's one: http://m.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-b...ice=mobile

I like the pic of the guy working on a truck where it says that its not unusual for a guy to buy a truck for $60,000 then put another $50,000 of parts onto it!

Cool photos^^ I can see the guy on the couch at the Brick paying some pretty high spousal support in the future!

(11-01-2014 02:31 PM)oilbreh Wrote:  Temm, nice post but I dont think it kinda misses the point in terms of good advice for people coming out here fresh.

I hear you man and as I was writing it, I was thinking "Oilbreh not included and quite a few others". Your situation was different. You "gave her" and at end of the day came to the conclusion that that wasn't the direction you wanted to go. I respect it man.

My post was mainly directed to the guys looking for that coveted camp job with flights here there and everywhere the stars, moon, and coloured roses. Or guys that want to emulate what Atlantic or Scotian did but cut corners and then want to come on here and complain when things didn't go their way or are skeptical about Alberta and the entire western Canadian economy--basically bandwagon jumpers trying to catch a wave.

When I was pursuing the rigs, I was 36 now I'm 39. I'm glad I never stepped one foot on a drilling rig. From what I've read here and heard from guys in the field, the rigs were no place for me lol. And I did call every few days and visited quite a few contractors. It just wasn't meant to be and looking back, I'm fine with that. Plus, this thread wasn't around yet when I was pursuing the Alberta dream lol.

(11-01-2014 09:43 AM)Atlantic Wrote:  Solid post by Temm +1 from me. Thanks for that advice man. Hit me up sometime if you're around Edmonton.

No problem man your posts have been an inspiration. And I definitely need to make my way to E-town.

Well, thanks for the info. Looks like I will be staying in Switzerland then

Damn the old school guys on the rigs have been breaking out some funny stories tonight:

Rig delivery companies that hire hookers and strippers to suck dick when the visit the rig to get return business

High class hookers and massive coke fests to seal the big contracts down in Calgary

Guys getting sluts to fuck married rig management guys and then later leverage them to keep business lol


DAMN Ive been missing out

(10-26-2014 01:12 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  One major misconception new-ish posters on this board seem to have is that Alberta is the land of milk and honey, and gold will flow directly in your bank account with no effort required.

Just come here, get a job, and you'll be making quarter million a year, with 6 months off in the winter, free to bang hotties in the 3rd world while sipping on mojitos and a toking on a cigar. That's far from the truth.

Coming here with an entitlement mentality is the surest way to guarantee failure.

There is quite a bit of jobs here, however the days when anyone with a pulse could get hired are pretty much over. You will have to put in the time. A trade ticket takes about 4 years to attain. This means for 3 years at least, you will be a apprentice. Essentially, keep your neck down, shut the fuck up and listen. You will be paid for it, and you will learn, however this is time you'll have to put in.

If you fail to listen to instructions, take initiative, work hard, and try to blend in culturally, you'll most likely be packing your bags and heading home even if the economy is still red hot (which it now isn't).

There's a ton of trades out there, and if anyone is bothered reading suggestions I'd recommend hitting up Nisku, and looking at:

Welding, Pipefitting, Plumbing, Equipment Operator, Electrician. I'm essentially laying out trades that are generally easier to get in. They have a generally low barrier of entry (this means you'll have to work even harder as many people are hired, many are fired).

Perhaps take a course at your current place of residence from a local college. NAIT offers programs and quick certs, pre-employment courses that give you a leg up. If you really want to get into the more technical trades you'll need to look at doing major upgrading at a college for your skillset. There's trades out there that require you to go back to school for a set time. They generally offer better long term stability and their skillsets are transferable to outside the oilfied. Again...keep in mind, you have to work hard, keep your neck down, shut the fuck up, and listen.

Edmonton is a blue collar town for the most part. Essentially if you're moving here you'll be looking to work in a trade of some kind. Plant, manufacturing, low level engineering, etc. You can learn skills here to take elsewhere down the line, when the oil is gone, no longer profitable, or something even more enticing comes around.

If you're an Engineer, or have a BSc, you could take a little longer and find a job that will pay you a very good, stable wage without the cyclical ups and downs tradesguys go through. I'm not going to even bother posting any resources and links because I think at this stage of the game guys need to be motivated enough to open the jar by themselves and not be spoonfed their future career directions.

TL;DR - Take initiative. Don't be entitled.

Now thats gold right there DD . On the 29th I was at the oil&gas convention that took place at the Radisson on 76th. I handed out 6 resumes. My best hope for now is a couple of drilling companies , that are looking for floorhands in a month . Im thankful there is a case worker at AW ( Alberta Works ) who is willing to help me get the necessary tickets for any specific company . Ill be contacting 955 and 720 . If I don,t end up in a camp rotation , I,d love to be part of the Stantec Tower project whenever they break ground =) .

(11-03-2014 09:56 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  Damn the old school guys on the rigs have been breaking out some funny stories tonight:

Rig delivery companies that hire hookers and strippers to suck dick when the visit the rig to get return business

High class hookers and massive coke fests to seal the big contracts down in Calgary

Guys getting sluts to fuck married rig management guys and then later leverage them to keep business lol


DAMN Ive been missing out

Coke and Whores, it's the universes way of saying you have too much money

Well lads,

I finished my first rotation a few day's ago and decided it wasn't worth it, I packed my bags and now I'm back in Ireland on the dole, selling ecstasy tabs and trying to become a d.j (it seems as though this is the common path back home for any of my friends lacking direction).

Just taking the piss it wasn't that bad, dare I say I enjoyed it for the most part. I was working with a good crew of lads who taught me a lot. I gave them many reasons to call me a useless potato eating cunt but they were patient with me. And we all got a long good, I think they thought it was a funny novelty having a paddy on the crew.

After a few days in the lads started calling me 'Bono' which if you know Irish people is a terrible insult as most people in Ireland hate U2. It's a serious case of 'crabs in a bucket syndrome' how dare some people make it out of Ireland. Once they seen that this was annoying me they took it a step further and now I'm 'Edge'. It's pretty funny hearing the Driller on the intercom saying 'Edge get up on the floor'.

My last day I got moved up to rough hand as the lad they had doing it wasn't up to scratch. He was a hard worker but his English just simply wasn't good enough which says a lot as my people are known for raping the Queen's English and rightly so.

So overall my first hitch went well except that my truck is for lack of a better word 'banjaxed'. As some of you know the 'roads' if you can call them that leading out to the rigs leave a lot to be desired. And when your driving after a night shift your not exactly firing on all cylinders so I hit more than a few holes, bumps and stones. I ended up cracking my transmission fluid tank, it emptied and unbeknownst to me I was driving around with a dry transmission.

So the morning I was supposed to drive back to Edmonton I packed my shit, fired up my truck, put it in drive, stepped on the gas........and nothing happened. Eventually I found the problem put some transmission fluid in her but it was too late, the tranny was fucked and wouldn't go above third gear. I brought her to a mechanic who confirmed the worst she needs a new tranny and it would cost more than I paid for the truck. So I'm stuck in butt fuck nowhere 500 km from Edmonton, everyone on my rig is all ready gone home, I've got fuck all money, there's no buses and I've no credit card so I can't rent a car.

I was discussing all this with the mechanic who said she might make it but he couldn't guarantee it all he could say was it would make for a good story if I made it............and bring a blanket in case you don't. So I took off, got her up to third brought the bitch to 60 and stuck her on cruise control and drove through the night. I'm not a religious man but I was praying and to my surprise she made it, took about 10 hours but she made it. I never thought I would be so happy to see the sign welcoming me to Edmonton.

I think it may have worked out for the best as I told my Coordinator at the company and she said she'd get me a camp fly in job. Which she did, I'm going out at the end of month so I no longer need a vehicle. It's a bit cliche but when Allah closes a door he opens a window.

Anyway how's everyone else doing? And more importantly where's Winter? I was walking around Whyte today in shorts

^^^Holy shit bud I"m glad to hear that you made it back to Etown alive, that could have been ugly. Some of the stories that you rig guys have are incredible, getting stuck in the middle of nowhere like that and especially the tormenting that your coworkers put you guys through. I think it was Paki Rambo who said that when he showed up on the rig, they asked him where his magic carpet was and if he was going to blow the rig up, fuckin hilarious, I wonder how ol' Paki Rambo is doing these days?

Let's all do shrooms in my place this weekend. It's just up the road from the pint off whyte!

Scotian can have free beers all night

Let's rock

(11-05-2014 11:34 PM)alecks Wrote:  Let's all do shrooms in my place this weekend. It's just up the road from the pint off whyte!

Scotian can have free beers all night

Let's rock

Fuck, I'm in South America at the moment, otherwise I'd be down for beers and tripping on zoomers, I"m sure you'll be able to find some RVF guys to trip out with, haha, you guys know who you are!

(11-05-2014 05:57 PM)scotian Wrote:  ^^^Holy shit bud I"m glad to hear that you made it back to Etown alive, that could have been ugly. Some of the stories that you rig guys have are incredible, getting stuck in the middle of nowhere like that and especially the tormenting that your coworkers put you guys through. I think it was Paki Rambo who said that when he showed up on the rig, they asked him where his magic carpet was and if he was going to blow the rig up, fuckin hilarious, I wonder how ol' Paki Rambo is doing these days?

She's still running, I'm leaving a trail of transmission fluid behind me everywhere I go haha. I have a lot of respect for anyone who isn't white to go out on the rigs. My experience is limited so I'm not sure how bad it can be or whether it's rare to experience racism on the rigs. But when I first met my driller and aed we we're 'fucking the dog' in the doghouse when my driller asked me "so you got any Paki's in Ireland?" to which I responded "Yes" to which my aed chimed in "told ya those fuckers are everywhere". Which lead to a conversation that was somewhat sour and I can say that these were good guys in every other regard, perhaps it's just part of the culture.

Hey Hey Guys,

Since arriving in Etown six days ago I've been neglecting to provide you guys with a play by play. I left BC last week and managed to make it here with all four wheels still on my car. I had to winter the car up quite a bit before heading out and will install a block heater this weekend, a little pre-emptive for the freezing weather. I booked a room to stay in for the first week to settle myself in and get oriented. Upon arriving the first thing I did was registered and enrolled for the three tickets I wanted. I did them all at Spectrum Safety Services. They run a good school which I would recommend if you're looking for tickets:
http://firstaidsafetytraining.ca/

I've met and chatted with a few RvF guys who have provided me with some solid insight and advice. Much appreciated gents, I owe any success I may have to you guys. I was referred to a job fair mid week where I was able to glad hand a few recruiters who seemed to show some interest in myself and my tickets (even though I'm with zero experience) But we'll ultimately see if I manage a phone call for an interview. I'll be saturating the internet with my resume this weekend and will be hitting the offices in Nisku and Leduc after the long weekend is over. I was given the tip not to bother with knocking on doors trying to meet any hiring managers over the long weekend. Apparently the Brass like their long weekends.

Ultimately my goal is to establish employment with a solid company that prefers to promote from within. I've weighed out my options and decided to get myself out of debt and hit some hard work with high pay. I'm currently not in the position to be able to invest the time and income to attempt an apprenticeship. Just want to hit the ground running and grab as many 84+ hour weeks as possible. Here's hoping anyways Kicking myself in the ass for not getting out to AB sooner...

Will update again as things progress...

(11-07-2014 02:14 AM)Maphone Wrote:  Hey Hey Guys,

Since arriving in Etown six days ago I've been neglecting to provide you guys with a play by play. I left BC last week and managed to make it here with all four wheels still on my car. I had to winter the car up quite a bit before heading out and will install a block heater this weekend, a little pre-emptive for the freezing weather. I booked a room to stay in for the first week to settle myself in and get oriented. Upon arriving the first thing I did was registered and enrolled for the three tickets I wanted. I did them all at Spectrum Safety Services. They run a good school which I would recommend if you're looking for tickets:
http://firstaidsafetytraining.ca/

I've met and chatted with a few RvF guys who have provided me with some solid insight and advice. Much appreciated gents, I owe any success I may have to you guys. I was referred to a job fair mid week where I was able to glad hand a few recruiters who seemed to show some interest in myself and my tickets (even though I'm with zero experience) But we'll ultimately see if I manage a phone call for an interview. I'll be saturating the internet with my resume this weekend and will be hitting the offices in Nisku and Leduc after the long weekend is over. I was given the tip not to bother with knocking on doors trying to meet any hiring managers over the long weekend. Apparently the Brass like their long weekends.

Ultimately my goal is to establish employment with a solid company that prefers to promote from within. I've weighed out my options and decided to get myself out of debt and hit some hard work with high pay. I'm currently not in the position to be able to invest the time and income to attempt an apprenticeship. Just want to hit the ground running and grab as many 84+ hour weeks as possible. Here's hoping anyways Kicking myself in the ass for not getting out to AB sooner...

Will update again as things progress...

Thanks for sharing Maphone, would love to hear more about it as I plan to head out around this time last year. Let us know how your keeping on. Are you looking for Rig work or shop work or anything 80 hrs +?

Well.......... 140 pages read through without missing a word, and now skimming back through to make a word document with the info I deem pertinent.

First I would also like to thank everyone who has read and contributed positively to this thread. Scotion, Djemba, kick, temm, vp, Irishman (atlantic), soldier, and everyone else I am forgetting, you know who you are and THANKS AGAIN.

An intro.... Im a 30 year old salesman from around the Toronto region. I own a few houses and do well in the sales game (always have, always will). After reading this thread I have been inspired to head to Alberta...AGAIN... yes that's right I have done this once before but my story is a little different then the usually fort mac story on this thread, albeit very different actually.

Allow me to elaborate.

When I turned 21 (2005) I decided to move out of the house for the first time to chase the oil dream. My best friend and I packed our shvt and booked a one way plane ticket to fort mac. Wouldn't you know that we couldn't find a place to stay after that. Hotels were booked solid, every room we called for rent was taken and vacancy was at a zero. We finally ended up finding a bed and breakfast out of town but it was about a $40 cab ride into the mac every morning to look for work. Not ideal but something non the less. Our plan was to get a job in the oil sands. We knew nothing of the tickets we needed or really what we were doing as this thread was not around. I had been off the green for 4 months (was a daily toker) and finally landed a job at Earls in Fort Mac since I had a lot of restaurant experience in my home town of Windsor Ontario. I made the mistake of getting comfortable in the easy money. I started smoking again and was happy that I was making good money serving and bar backing at Earls so my oil field job hunt was put to the way side. We were only allowed to stay at the bed and breakfast for a short while and then I was staying at hotels for $200 per night. Not recommended, lol. One day I was called into the bar at Earl's because one of my coworkers had been asking people if they new anyone with a room to rent for me and my friend. We got one, with a single bed and it cost $900. Happy to move out of the hotel we moved into this tight cramped place. Lasted about a week until we couldn't take anymore of the loud noises at night from everyone sniffing blow outside of our room till all hours of the morning. So we bounced around from room to room for a bit until I had had enough.

At this point I was now promoted to bartender at Earls and was working all of the busy shifts and making about $300 a night on a Friday and Saturday for a 6 hour shift. I had been in the real estate game since I bought my first house and turned it into a duplex when I was 19. Although the prices were astronomical I knew it was a good move to get back into that game in the MAC. One week later I purchased a half a million dollar home in Abasand district (just left of the top of the hill for those who are familiar). I had unlimited renters because of my job in the industry so this is how it played out:

I bought a 6 bedroom, rented each bedroom out for $900.00 to all my friends I worked with. This house was an absolute blast, partied everynight with bottles of wine and texas mickeys, every hot girl from moxies, the keg, and earls was at my place and my game was on point more than every in my life. Weekly I was with at least a 7/10 and I was clearing 3k on rental income that I didn't claim and was making about 1k a week bartending in tips on top of my measly hourly rate. Everyone in the industry knew who I was and I felt like a king. I worked at the Podollan, Cowboys (the old club NV), the keg, and Earls while I was there. I got into the expensive white habit and slowly day by day I started my decline. Fast forward a couple years and I was calling my parents telling them I was selling the house packing my shit and heading home in a rut of depression. When I left I was making a 100k/year likely after taxes, and an additional 30-40k in poker room winnings from boom town casino (like taking candy from a drunk Native) but I was spending 100k+ a year and had nothing to show for it. No car (had my own personal cab driver), no new clothes, just a house, a $100 day white addiction and would easily spend $500 every night out at the bar (ballin), usually 2-3 times per week. I likely have served Scotian a few brews (keiths IPA) in my time out there. And he probably still gets served by my friends (Wood Buffalo Brewing has a couple bartneders that lived at my house, I have an older good friend at the Blackhorse as well, and still a few peeps at earls and NV) I came back home and quit the white, drank less, and moved in with a girlfriend I had waiting back in London for me. Yeah she was with me long distance the whole time. lol. Since then I have worked many sales jobs and done very well but have never been able to achieve the type of money I was able to out there. I moved from London to Toronto to chase higher paying jobs, met a new girl, bought a house, got engaged, and settled down with our dogs. This brings you up to date.

I know I am rambling but I wanted to show you how easy it is to get trapped in a lifestyle like that and also to show that no matter how shitty the place, there are always fine birds to be found and if you have the confidence that I had at 21 without being overly cocky you will always find a bang. More importantly set some money aside no matter what. You will regret it if you spend everything you make when you come back to reality. Know your limits, and watch who you hang out with.

A week ago I was searching for some other ways to make money and I came across this amazing thread, again, thanks Scotian for starting it. It has re-inspired me to move back out to Alberta and chase the original dream I feel I failed on 9 years ago. My7 only regret in life. This time I will get the hard working long hour high paying jobs I seek.

Things I have to consider: I have 2 dogs, a fiancée (were getting married next October) and 2 houses (2 mortgages, albeit one is covered by renters). So it looks like I wont be able to head out until end of October 2015 (fack, I want to go NOW). We currently share one car since we work close to each other. Im at a new sales job with a large learning curve so I don't have a large income at the moment to be able to save a tonne for my move out west.

The plan: After the wedding I will buy an inexpensive grocery getter for my wife with a CAA membership (roadside assistance). I will cash in my 5k in savings I do have right now, grab my good friend who is from Red Deer AB and drive across the country with him in my AWD car with snow tires (still have to get those). I will stop in Calgary for a day and make some connections with my tickets already booked for the first week I arrive. We will be staying at my friends' parent's house in Red Deer so that will be my home base to start. As others have done I will get my tickets and pound the pavement to find any job to supplement my income right away, as I will still have expenses and mortgages back in Ontario as well as 2 dogs and a wife that will need a portion of my income to maintain their standard of living, so there will be a lot riding on me getting a decent job (minimum 50k annual) to start regardless of the hours I have to work to achieve it. I will then look for a rig job as I want to give it a shot with the intention of building a bankroll. Likely trade my car in for a truck. Once I feel like I can rent my own place and still hold up the additional expenses back home I will look for a job that will lead to a company indenturing me for a trade. No idea which trade yet but definitely something that can be done outside of the oil and gas industry. I have realized that I don't want to work for other people so getting a JM ticket and starting my own business or contracting myself out as Scotioan does is the way to go for me. Once I am settled in, my wife who has a degree ( I do not) will start applying for some jobs with the intent to move out there, bring the dogs, and start a family. She would likely get an office job (white collar) in Calgary. At which time we will decide whether to rent out or sell our house north of Toronto. I wish I didn't have to wait a year to go but it gives me time to try and save alongside saving for a wedding, and more time to research and hopefully enough time to let the price of oil head north to around $100/barrel. I also can't put it off any longer because once kids are in the picture it becomes even more difficult to make the jump.

Still can't decide on the trade, nor am I in a rush to do so. I think seeing and talking to the guys out there will help me narrow it down. I know I do not want to be a welder or scaffolder, and electrician or pipefitter/plumber seems like a decent gig.

No questions, just an intro and I will share or answer any PM's anyone might have about the service industry up there, making bank in real estate. Thanks again to all who have contributed and I can't wait to meet some of you guys when I finally make it out there. Scotian I sent you a PM.....

Low of -20 next week. Prepare your ass holes.

(11-07-2014 09:32 AM)pairofgreenthumbs Wrote:  

(11-07-2014 02:14 AM)Maphone Wrote:  Hey Hey Guys,

Since arriving in Etown six days ago I've been neglecting to provide you guys with a play by play. I left BC last week and managed to make it here with all four wheels still on my car. I had to winter the car up quite a bit before heading out and will install a block heater this weekend, a little pre-emptive for the freezing weather. I booked a room to stay in for the first week to settle myself in and get oriented. Upon arriving the first thing I did was registered and enrolled for the three tickets I wanted. I did them all at Spectrum Safety Services. They run a good school which I would recommend if you're looking for tickets:
http://firstaidsafetytraining.ca/

I've met and chatted with a few RvF guys who have provided me with some solid insight and advice. Much appreciated gents, I owe any success I may have to you guys. I was referred to a job fair mid week where I was able to glad hand a few recruiters who seemed to show some interest in myself and my tickets (even though I'm with zero experience) But we'll ultimately see if I manage a phone call for an interview. I'll be saturating the internet with my resume this weekend and will be hitting the offices in Nisku and Leduc after the long weekend is over. I was given the tip not to bother with knocking on doors trying to meet any hiring managers over the long weekend. Apparently the Brass like their long weekends.

Ultimately my goal is to establish employment with a solid company that prefers to promote from within. I've weighed out my options and decided to get myself out of debt and hit some hard work with high pay. I'm currently not in the position to be able to invest the time and income to attempt an apprenticeship. Just want to hit the ground running and grab as many 84+ hour weeks as possible. Here's hoping anyways Kicking myself in the ass for not getting out to AB sooner...

Will update again as things progress...

Thanks for sharing Maphone, would love to hear more about it as I plan to head out around this time last year. Let us know how your keeping on. Are you looking for Rig work or shop work or anything 80 hrs +?

Hey Pairofgreenthumbs,

I'm looking to get myself as many hours as possible and get some solid income built up. As much as I would have loved to be in a shop, to get the hours and the overtime I want, I'm gunning for a position on a rig. I read your first post which is pretty well the position that I'm in. I want to get my foot in the door, get the experience under my belt, then look for a long term position or trade to settle into. I'm not as young as many of the guys who are hitting up the trades and have too much depending on me to start off with a low income.

Definitely in similar positions it seems. Hope it all works out for you. I know when I have dependants failure is not an option. Look forward to watching your progress, thanks for the reply

(11-07-2014 05:36 PM)Nima Wrote:  Low of -20 next week. Prepare your ass holes.

About time. Last november I was wondering if my toes froze off at the end of the shift. Now im jogging in a t-shirt.

LOL at magic carpet with pakirambo. Where is that guy? if the crew gives you shit its all good, if they dont like you they will just ignore you. As long as you work hard and can take a joke and lip back its all in order. Make sure you have a couple good "fucked" stories to tell.

Woke up to ambulances driving by my house, looked outside and saw snow. That's Edmonton drivers for you.

Heard a lot of companies are planning on firing up next week.
Once it hits -20 there is a lot more access and the drilling season truly starts. Best of luck to guys going for rig positions!