Just read a detailed article in the Toronto Star about working at Fort MacMurray in Alberta in the oil sands.
I understand as follows :
1.Lot of temporary workers are being brought there esp. philipinoes and East Europeans.
2. Tim Hortons provide $ 14-$18 as weekly wage.
3. Many Philipinoes transfer their job as nannies (though they were brought as laboueres)
as daycare for each child is not les than $ 2000 per child.
4. Canadian Govt. has made it difficult for these people to get PR.
5. Many oil sand companies employ people to work in the oil sands. Work is 12 hour shifts for 14 days and 14 days off. Base is Edmonton and they fly you there for free after your work fortnight. They will give you single room accomodation at site with wifi and free food. Porn is extensively used via. internet. For the 14 days that you will be there no opposite sex visit and you canot move out of the camp a vehicles will not be there.
6. Salary is typically $ 169,000 a year. Many come to retire after a couple of years.
7. Not much education is needed. Hair stylists are working as safety officers. Warm bodies are needed.

My comments -

This looks like a good preposition for single / divorced people. 14 days work and for 14 days at Edmonton. You can either hire a car and enjoy for 2 weeks at Edmonton or Calgary or Vancouver (you fly or drive at your cost).

One thing that needed to be verified is about the job oppertunities now. They say that since billions of $ invetments have been made, work will continue at the same space.

AT- Your thought please.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

This article is a recent article in G & M about living in Fort McMurray

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/meet-the-real-fort-mcmurray/article24915022/

My understanding is there is a huge gap in the income and living conditions for new comers and the people who are already there . Plus rent is ridiculously high and lot of slum lord type of apartments.

Long hours, Shift work, Brutal Winters, Lack of sunlight etc all takes its toll on you. Plus jealousy between the new comers, who are NOT really making as much as the old timers , but have to pay the same high prices due to the high salaries of the old timers.

The Filipinos and East Europeans are mostly brought in as TFW -Temporary Foreign Workers, but they are NOT necessarily brought in just due to the shortage of workers ( which BTW is true ), they are also brought in to LOWER the salaries of the locals.

They are willing to do anything and for lower salaries , so basically the whole wage comes down because of them. Why hire a Gora for $ 100,000 in Fort Mc , when the Filipino -TFW is willing to work for much less and longer hours, without complaining and without knowing what his/her rights are ?

There are LOT of other unemployed people in Canada, why none of them are bought into Fort Mc ? Why these foreigners ? Bcoz they will have to pay the unemployed locals from various parts of Canada more than these Filipinos, East Europeans

Now there are refugees from Syria who will work for free (or just food)

My understanding is there is a huge gap in the income and living conditions for new comers and the people who are already there . Plus rent is ridiculously high and lot of slum lord type of apartments.

Long hours, Shift work, Brutal Winters, Lack of sunlight etc all takes its toll on you. Plus jealousy between the new comers, who are NOT really making as much as the old timers , but have to pay the same high prices due to the high salaries of the old timers.

AT- I am not talking about people who have families and who are strugging to make it work in the GTA.

I am talking of people who have been divorced or single who donot have much commitments or need. Instead of working in the GTA for $ 12 and $ 13, you just go to the Fort and get a job at one of the oil sands workers.

Yes. Winters are brutal and working hours long but accomodation is good (free heated room with a good range of free food and wifi). Males and Females are kept in separate hostels. Females can visit men in their dorms but the reverse is not allowed. Immediate termination. Drugs are not allowed. When you land at the airport (say you work for Canadian National resources) sniffer dogs run through your luggage to sniff out drugs.

Every 2 weeks they drop you off at edmonton (flight and free) and you can do what you want for the next 2 weeks. This is how majority of oil workers work in the Gulf and in Libya and Iraq.

As said, this will apply only to a very selected set of Desi people. When in the GTA I had found some single men who were working in BPO for $ 12 and living in Punjabi ghettos for $ 400 rent (Single stinking room with a common toilet and kitchen). This seems more decent enough.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

Getting a job in the oil sands is NOT easy. They mostly need skilled tradesperson and people who can drive those huge oil trucks and operate oil rigs etc. Not everyone has the skill or desire to do those type of jobs. They are not easy and proper training, licensing, apprenticeship is required for those jobs. Those are the HIGH paying jobs in Fort Mac and pay $ 100,000 +.

Desis, Filipinos who don't have these skills are wanted for Tim Hortons, low level service jobs, which might pay more than GTA, but its NOT enough for Fort Mac. Tim Hortons paying $ 18 in Fort Mac is the same as Tim's paying $ 11 in GTA, as cost of living is higher so are groceries in Fort Mac

If you have technical skills go there, otherwise don't bother. Lot of people think, they just need a warm body there and you will make $ 100,000 + just bcoz its the oil sands. Its NOT like that

Same thing with GUlf, where lot of Bangladeshis, Pakis, Desis, Sri Lankans and Filipinos with no skilss are stuck doing menial jobs

AT,
your point well taken.
I agree that the physically intensive jobs such as Dump Truck Driving, Oil extraction, furnance etc.. are very hard to do but from the Toronto Star report and my review of Redflagdeals gave the following information :

1. HAir stylist turns into a security officer (Salary $ 169,000). Of course, she has to inspect the people who inspect the deep drums (risk of fumes is there which can cause death).

2. Managing people's dorm, arranging for food etc.. (Salary $ 120,000)

3. Inspection of Dump truck delivery schedules - more of office jobs ($ 120,000)

4. Preparting on site drawings ($ 120,000)

I agree that some of these jobs (easier) is reserved for white skins butI bet that when the price of oil goes northwards of $ 60, again the craze will start.

I am keeping this in reserve to try it in th enext 2 years when the price of oil goes up. Plan to spend a year or 2 here before going to Vancouver and getting married.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.