Post: #326

Scotian, is there any demand for IT people there?

Post: #327

(08-09-2012 07:47 AM)tapanar Wrote:  Scotian, is there any demand for IT people there?

Yes

Post: #328

Scotian, thank you very much for this great thread. I have read through it and the 5000+ posts on that Oil&Gas thread someone here posted and have harvested a great deal of useful info. This is exactly the kind of opportunity/lifestyle I have been looking for and I would have taken a flight the next day after reading this if I wasn't recovering from my leg surgery.

I will likely be fully recovered and head out around Nov/Dec this year, but in the meantime I have a few quick questions that haven't been fully explored here yet:

1. Could you clarify exactly how the fly-in/fly-out system works vs. just living in Ft. Mac. I mean fi/fo sounds great, but can a guy just starting out there at the bottom expect to get that kind of deal or does he have to work his way up to get it (and how long might that take)? Also what are the downsides for fi/fo: ie. maybe 20% less pay vs those living in Ft. Mac, less OT opportunities, etc?

My ideal scenario sounds like it would be a fi/fo deal from Calgary on a 21/7 or 24/4 shift; where I can ski my ass off and party/mack in the city with my little time off (my ideal lifestyle). Is such a position available for a noob like myself? If not then what are some good career paths to this scenario? Also for fi/fo Calgary deals, should I be applying at their office in Calgary or in Ft. Mac?

2. I have bad knees (hence the surgery), and not the best heart. Exactly how strenuous are the basic bottom 'general labour' type jobs out there, say compared to a job moving furniture (the max stress job I can take). Also how icy/muddy does it get out there; are slips/falls very common?

Thanks for your time.

Post: #329

(08-12-2012 09:35 PM)Ferro Wrote:  Scotian, thank you very much for this great thread. I have read through it and the 5000+ posts on that Oil&Gas thread someone here posted and have harvested a great deal of useful info. This is exactly the kind of opportunity/lifestyle I have been looking for and I would have taken a flight the next day after reading this if I wasn't recovering from my leg surgery.

I will likely be fully recovered and head out around Nov/Dec this year, but in the meantime I have a few quick questions that haven't been fully explored here yet:

1. Could you clarify exactly how the fly-in/fly-out system works vs. just living in Ft. Mac. I mean fi/fo sounds great, but can a guy just starting out there at the bottom expect to get that kind of deal or does he have to work his way up to get it (and how long might that take)? Also what are the downsides for fi/fo: ie. maybe 20% less pay vs those living in Ft. Mac, less OT opportunities, etc?

My ideal scenario sounds like it would be a fi/fo deal from Calgary on a 21/7 or 24/4 shift; where I can ski my ass off and party/mack in the city with my little time off (my ideal lifestyle). Is such a position available for a noob like myself? If not then what are some good career paths to this scenario? Also for fi/fo Calgary deals, should I be applying at their office in Calgary or in Ft. Mac?

2. I have bad knees (hence the surgery), and not the best heart. Exactly how strenuous are the basic bottom 'general labour' type jobs out there, say compared to a job moving furniture (the max stress job I can take). Also how icy/muddy does it get out there; are slips/falls very common?

Thanks for your time.

1. Flying in/out means that you'll definitely be staying in camp and probably won't set a foot in the city of Fort McMurray, you'll be at a remote job site. These positions are available for anyone from a labourer to a skilled tradesman and the office/admin people. The pay is generally the same as someone who lives in Fort Mac, although some people who decide to stay in the city get LOA (Living Out Allowance), generally $150-200/day, tax free. They have to find their own apartment and pay for their food out of that LOA money, generally you'll make money off the LOA, unless you have a really expensive place and eat out all the time.

For me, my company pays for a fully furnished 2 bedroom condo in Fort Mac for me and my co-worker, we get $50/day LOA for food and a company truck to use for work and personal use.

Pros of fly in/out jobs are that since you'll be in camp, you won't spend any money there during your 2 weeks on or whatever rotation you work, then you can live in a much cheaper city like Calgary or Edmonton and during your time off do whatever you want, travel, party, ski, etc.

Cons of fly in/out jobs are that you're in a work camp with a 90% male population, no alcohol (at most of them) and probably won't be getting laid.

Whether or not you're living in Fort Mac, you should be working plenty, at least 70 hours per week. I honestly wouldn't live in Fort Mac unless my company pays my rent or provides LOA, its just too damn expensive, my condo rents for $3500/month, a room in a house will set you back about $1000.

2. The unskilled labour jobs can be strenuous, but they also can be pretty damn easy. Some guys shovel snow all day or dig ditches, others drive guys around site in vans, some do janitorial work. If you can move furniture, then you can find a job in the oil sands.

As you can imagine, it gets icy in the winter. Most companies will provide spikes to wear under your work boots to avoid falling and tripping.

If you're unskilled, the most important thing you can do is get to Alberta first because these companies aren't going to give you much time if you're out of province. It may be a wise idea to start out in Calgary or Edmonton with a company that does fly in/out to Fort Mac, get settled first and see if you like it, acquire some skills and safety tickets then head up to the Mac. Of course, you can go directly to Fort Mac and try to do the same there but I'd make sure you have enough money to cover things like rent and food.

Also, for any of you making the move to Alberta; I can't stress how important it is to have a car out here. I lived in both Calgary and Edmonton for 6 months each without one and it sucked, its not impossible to live here without one but it will make your life a lot easier, trust me.

Post: #330

(08-13-2012 12:30 PM)scotian Wrote:  If you're unskilled, the most important thing you can do is get to Alberta first because these companies aren't going to give you much time if you're out of province. It may be a wise idea to start out in Calgary or Edmonton with a company that does fly in/out to Fort Mac, get settled first and see if you like it, acquire some skills and safety tickets then head up to the Mac. Of course, you can go directly to Fort Mac and try to do the same there but I'd make sure you have enough money to cover things like rent and food.

Thanks a lot. I plan on flying over to Calgary, picking up the safety tickets listed here, and then applying at all the Calgary offices of the big corporations and contractors listed here.

Just to clarify; I should be able to get a fi/fo job by applying through the Calgary offices, instead of having to drive all the way up to Ft. Mac to apply right?

I am glad you mentioned having a car. How bad do Alberta winters get for driving? Would something with AWD, traction control, and snow tires be mandatory or could I get away with a basic sedan and all-season tires like in Ontario?

Post: #331

(08-09-2012 03:50 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(08-09-2012 07:47 AM)tapanar Wrote:  Scotian, is there any demand for IT people there?

Yes

Any idea on..
- Kind of roles?
- What they pay?
- Details.. ?

Post: #332

Update:

Decided to pull the trigger and make a move. Quit my job, sold all my shit, heading out west this week.

I got some savings and a car. No links and no connects yet.

This should be interesting.

Post: #333

(08-15-2012 06:08 PM)DjembaDjemba Wrote:  Update:

Decided to pull the trigger and make a move. Quit my job, sold all my shit, heading out west this week.

I got some savings and a car. No links and no connects yet.

This should be interesting.

yeah thats whats up.

I think every canadian man on this forum should be doing the same thing, specially when you are broke.

Post: #334

(08-15-2012 06:31 PM)pitt Wrote:  I think every canadian man on this forum should be doing the same thing, specially when you are broke.

Absolutely. Congrats to Djemba for going for it, many know it exists, but don't make the jump for it. I used to work in sites similar to ft.mac. It was normal for anyone to be making +$2k a week AFTER tax plus having your room and food covered. Put some time in there, make the dough and move on. I wouldn't recommend it as a long-term choice.
What sucks is: you have very little social life or free time, sometimes you may not even see a girl for weeks. You basically dedicate yourself to the job and leave the rest of your life away. When you're working 12 hour days day after day, there are no days off for weeks, it becomes a blur and you forget about the outside world, which makes it easier than it may sound.
Save your money, invest it, have it pay you back. Just because you're raking it in doesn't mean you should be spending big. Yeah, get yourself some nice things, take the opportunity to INVEST in stocks that PAY DIVIDENDS. When you're done you'll continue to get paid from with the money you earned, you'll always have that side income from it.

BIG 13 billion project just announced near Kitimat, BC, they're gonna be screaming for guys... look out for that.

Post: #335

While browsing through the links for employers mentioned on this thread, I noticed there was some job advertisements at the environmental field in the oil fields. I have recently archived bachelor's degree in environmental planning and have a bit less than a year's worth of working experience from planning and cleaning oil-contaminated land areas.

If most of the operational work is done during the winter time, does this mean that the planning is done during the summer? Naturally I do not have much knowledge about the Canadian legislation but I have started to research it a bit and see how if differs from the European one(s). Is there much trouble for the employers to hire people to do planning who are outside the country?

Post: #336

I am just curious. why they don't take foreign labors?
those guys from 3rd countries will be satisfied with $3k a month and they won't complain about lack of social life.....

Post: #337

Scotian - what's up with the pipe from Canada running all the way down here? Is that still going down or was it scratched a long time ago?

Post: #338

(08-18-2012 03:31 AM)Sebastian Wrote:  I am just curious. why they don't take foreign labors?
those guys from 3rd countries will be satisfied with $3k a month and they won't complain about lack of social life.....

They do take in foreign labourers. Ya sure the the big oil companies love taking in Filipinos who don't say a peep about safety and will work for peanuts, doesn't go over so well with unionized tradesmen like myself.

Post: #339

(08-18-2012 05:03 AM)houston Wrote:  Scotian - what's up with the pipe from Canada running all the way down here? Is that still going down or was it scratched a long time ago?

Obama kiboshed it to pander to his base of environmentalist voters, he's using it as a political tool, too bad because it would have created over 20,000 high paying jobs in the states, 2 years ago. Romney already said he'll push it through once he's elected, we'll see what happens.

That's why I'm a fan of building a pipeline to the coast of British Columbia to ship our product to Asian markets, the Chinese are more reliable arent' going to play politics, they just want the oil.

Post: #340

(08-18-2012 03:01 AM)Luomu Wrote:  While browsing through the links for employers mentioned on this thread, I noticed there was some job advertisements at the environmental field in the oil fields. I have recently archived bachelor's degree in environmental planning and have a bit less than a year's worth of working experience from planning and cleaning oil-contaminated land areas.

If most of the operational work is done during the winter time, does this mean that the planning is done during the summer? Naturally I do not have much knowledge about the Canadian legislation but I have started to research it a bit and see how if differs from the European one(s). Is there much trouble for the employers to hire people to do planning who are outside the country?

Oil industry is busy all year, there are busier times for different areas of operations, for example the refinery maintenance shut downs occur mostly in spring and fall, drilling operations are busiest in the winter.

I'm not too familiar with environmental planning, but as you can imagine, environmental concerns in the oil sands and Alberta in general are huge, so I'm sure there's some opportunities there for you, keep searching.

Post: #341

Good stuff DjembaDjemba, keep us updated how it goes.
I'm going to be joining you guys when I return from HKG/Guangzhou and the Phils in late Sept/early Oct. Can't wait!
We can't be thankful enough for Scotian for laying it all out for us and for answering our questions.

Post: #342

(08-18-2012 12:58 PM)scotian Wrote:  

(08-18-2012 05:03 AM)houston Wrote:  Scotian - what's up with the pipe from Canada running all the way down here? Is that still going down or was it scratched a long time ago?

Obama kiboshed it to pander to his base of environmentalist voters, he's using it as a political tool, too bad because it would have created over 20,000 high paying jobs in the states, 2 years ago. Romney already said he'll push it through once he's elected, we'll see what happens.

That's why I'm a fan of building a pipeline to the coast of British Columbia to ship our product to Asian markets, the Chinese are more reliable arent' going to play politics, they just want the oil.

I happened to stumble into a hippie/anarchist meeting about this a while back at some bookstore. I told them I don't see the problem with the pipe if people are going to get jobs all around the country. They just kept saying it's bad for the environment and people need to find other ways to work

Post: #343

Just arrived in Etown. I'll start hustling for jobs on monday morning.

Post: #344

Let us know how it goes. What type of position are you looking for? I may be able to help...

Post: #345

Anybody who moved there and didnt find a job?

Post: #346

I'm currently estimating total amount of money that this venture will consume;-).If i take with me 3k $ instead of 5k $ that Scotian suggested to have for initial period of time to cover living expenses and pay for safety courses will it be enought?I'm asking because i'm struggling to save as much money as possible but since i'm coming from Europe the total sum that i must gather will be pretty high (Passport, plane tickets ,insurance ,visa fee ,document translations and so on ).My question is how high are the living costs in Edmonton, will the amount of 3k $ be enought to let's say do safety courses and look for work for at least 2 months (i'm hoping that i'll find job sooner but better safe than sorry)?


Oh and i'm keen to hear how are other guys doing out there , let us know how is yours progres in Alberta.

Good Luck Guys!!!

Post: #347

I wouldn't want to live off $3k for 2 months here. Sure, it can be done but I doubt you'd have anything for safety courses. Also keep in mind that it gets very cold in 2 months...you don't want to be in the street during winter.

Post: #348

I'm planning to come to Canada in early spring 2013 so it should start to get warmer on the streets;-)Seriously though i'm earning 450 $ per month right now ( This is no joke, and you know why i want to move to Alberta ) i've already saved $2k, when i sell my Motorcycle i'll get aditional $2k and I'm gonna borrow some money from family.I guess if i cannot gather enought doug i'll have to postpone my departure.I will have to have at least $8k total to pay for everything but taking into consideration my monthly Pay it seems almost impossible but quitting is not an option.

Post: #349

(08-23-2012 03:29 AM)Janec Wrote:  I'm planning to come to Canada in early spring 2013 so it should start to get warmer on the streets;-)Seriously though i'm earning 450 $ per month right now ( This is no joke, and you know why i want to move to Alberta ) i've already saved $2k, when i sell my Motorcycle i'll get aditional $2k and I'm gonna borrow some money from family.I guess if i cannot gather enought doug i'll have to postpone my departure.I will have to have at least $8k total to pay for everything but taking into consideration my monthly Pay it seems almost impossible but quitting is not an option.

Looks like you're on the right track, spring of 2013 will be a good time to make the move. You'll have to look into it, but I'm almost certain that in order to get your visa and working papers, the Canadian government requires you to prove that you have a certain amount of money in the bank before you come over, not sure how much.

Like Ecksie says, $3000 isn't a lot and you should try to save more. I moved out back in 06' with $1500 but I stayed with a friends rent free for the first month and landed a decent job paying $18/hour within a week. I know people who took much longer to find work, although their motivation levels were questionable.

So, it is possible with as little as $3000, if you can quickly find a room to rent for $400-600/month and find a job, any job, ASAP to sustain yourself while you take your safety courses and continue to look for a better job. Then again, you may luck out and find a great job right away, who knows, you may have a hard time finding anything (although this is unlikely, you can always do temp work or some low pay $12/hour job).

The more money you have, the less stressed you'll be about finding work right away, and you could take some time, a week or so, to get to know whatever city you end up in and get settled, make friends, etc.

Also, there`s a big Polish community in Canada so maybe you could link up with some of your countrymen here to make some contacts, get leads on work opportunities, etc.

Post: #350

(08-23-2012 11:52 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(08-23-2012 03:29 AM)Janec Wrote:  I'm planning to come to Canada in early spring 2013 so it should start to get warmer on the streets;-)Seriously though i'm earning 450 $ per month right now ( This is no joke, and you know why i want to move to Alberta ) i've already saved $2k, when i sell my Motorcycle i'll get aditional $2k and I'm gonna borrow some money from family.I guess if i cannot gather enought doug i'll have to postpone my departure.I will have to have at least $8k total to pay for everything but taking into consideration my monthly Pay it seems almost impossible but quitting is not an option.

Looks like you're on the right track, spring of 2013 will be a good time to make the move. You'll have to look into it, but I'm almost certain that in order to get your visa and working papers, the Canadian government requires you to prove that you have a certain amount of money in the bank before you come over, not sure how much.

Like Ecksie says, $3000 isn't a lot and you should try to save more. I moved out back in 06' with $1500 but I stayed with a friends rent free for the first month and landed a decent job paying $18/hour within a week. I know people who took much longer to find work, although their motivation levels were questionable.

So, it is possible with as little as $3000, if you can quickly find a room to rent for $400-600/month and find a job, any job, ASAP to sustain yourself while you take your safety courses and continue to look for a better job. Then again, you may luck out and find a great job right away, who knows, you may have a hard time finding anything (although this is unlikely, you can always do temp work or some low pay $12/hour job).

The more money you have, the less stressed you'll be about finding work right away, and you could take some time, a week or so, to get to know whatever city you end up in and get settled, make friends, etc.

Also, there`s a big Polish community in Canada so maybe you could link up with some of your countrymen here to make some contacts, get leads on work opportunities, etc.

Thanks a lot mate.I guess i'll have to figure something out to save more money.The amount of money reguired to get into Canada is
$2,5k.

It will be like one shot and i have to score so there won't be problems with motivation i can't afford any hesitation or whatever.I have to go, get a job any job, and move on step by step, you're absolutely right that more money will help me to become acustomed to new place easier.

There is some kind of orientation meeting in Canadian Embassy in Warsaw on 28th of September about Working in Canada so i'm hoping to get aditional information about the Visa requirements that are not presented on their website and maybe more useful info that i'm not aware of at the moment.

I'm gonna spend a lot of time digging for info on the web so i will check polish community in Canada.

Thanks again