brucejosh1

I'm moving to Canada in April on a working holiday visa from England and I'm interested in Alberta's Oil Sands. I've heard there is a lot of money to be made there.
I have no experience in this industry but I'm physically fit and could do something involving manual labour.
Can any one help me out with some more info., links to jobs, companies, etc.
Thanks.

Hindsight

Fort McMurry in AB has alot of oil work, theres other areas in other provinces such as Lloydminster on the AB/SK border, Kindersley and Estevan in SK.

You'll need to do some short safety courses like H2S and WHMIS.

I've heard its expensive to live in Fort McMurry and the smart ones that go there try to avoid the whores, booze and drugs. Good luck

scrubbedexpat091

I looked into working in Fort Mac, but the outrageous cost for housing pretty much made the decision not to go.... Way too high a cost to get housing there.

humanist

Good luck, although it may be bad timing because the oil price is on the way down right now thanks to OPEC, so they may not be hiring like they were when it was $100 a barrel.

MarkG

On the other hand, by April, after a bunch of US shale oil companies shut down, it may well be back over $100 a barrel.

Edo

Most oil producers usually provide on site camp accommodation to their labour in Fort Mac.

Edo

Why whats happening in April?

MarkG

Uh, the person who started the thread is arriving in Canada?

Juggernaut1064

there are a lot of safety courses you need to attend to get into that industry, they aren't cheap and not sure its financially viable for you to take those courses for a working holiday Visa ?

cbrown89

Obviously depends what you are trying to get into but April is the worst time to get up there. In April/May they have big week long parties celebrating the end of the drilling season as the ground gets too soft to move the rigs....

scootb

My friends daughter just got laid off from the sands until the beginning of March,petrol prices have dropped to $0.88/ltr in Edmonton now.
Coming at that time of the year you might be better looking for construction work,it pays well,and is more secure than oil sands work.

ookie123

Hi Brucejosh1 you could try this company Pidherney's Trucking Ltd. :: Home I know they have hired people who are on working holiday visas as labours in Fort Mac and they provide accommodation for their worker but be prepared to live to work, long hours and tough work, not much of a holiday!!!! Although money is good so last the season and have a few months off somewhere else in Canada

oilengineer

Its true there is a shortage of labour in the oil field all over the world but the shortage is of technically skilled & experienced labour

Just now the oil price is dropping like a stone so all companies are shedding deadwood and keeping operations lean and mean. This will be with us for a few years until OPEC cut back production and the oil price rises (that will be a slow rise if it ever comes). That means those with the most desirable and strongest skills set, good experience and best qualifications will be the ones who will be needed - they are always in demand and are always paid well.

Don't mean to sound negative by any means but just telling you the true state of the global economic climate in the industry right now and what its expectations really are for anyone trying to get a job.

For any unskilled work (drivers, cabin boys, catering/cooking assistants, roustabouts etc) , there are literally thousands unskilled/unqualified in the queue competing for those jobs and its all down to you putting yourself through the survival/safety certs (expensive) and taking your chances with the rest. Much of these kinds of applicants arrive from overseas too and their pay expectations are a lot lower than what yours sound like.

mandymoochops

Completely agree with the above - the $20k per month paychecks don't come to the unqualified in the current climate

MrHyperPants

$800 a month for a room in a house share I've been told by some of guys I work with. Though they were getting $45 bucks an hour.