According to the Grauniad today....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...y.oilandpetrol

Enjoy.

Unfortunately nothing new.

I don't really understand the point of the article.

It's a pretty accurate, though in my opinion somewhat over-emotive, snapshot of what's going on up there, but what exactly is she trying to say?

• Oil companies are bad for raping the environment, or good for providing jobs and stable sources of energy?
• It's good for Canada, or it's bad for Canada?
• It's good for America, or it's bad for America?
• Men are bad for leaving their families behind to earn a living?
• Women are bad for trying to cop a rich fella?
• We should feel sorry for the tired and lonely workers, because the oil companies work them very hard and pay them very well?
• We should feel sorry for the unskilled workers who can simply walk into decent paying jobs? Try that in Newfoundland or Newcastle or New Delhi.
• We should feel sorry for the poor harrassed barmaid, who probably makes more than a freelance journalist in tips alone?

Get off the fence, love, and tell us what you think.

That's the problem with the British media, it leaves the reader to make his or her mind up. The National Post is so much easier.

Readers can always make their own minds up. The trouble is when journalists can't make their mind up!

You confuse reporting with commentary.

I don't really understand the point of the article.

Well my point in linking it here is that if (when) some other victim who's been offered a "job" there searches BE, s/he will be able to read it.

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Sounds great. Where do I sign up?

Thanks for the article.

Still moving to Fort McMurray?

yup

I can honestly say that the article was pretty accurate actually. Having just lived there for 5 years (left in March of this year) it made a lot of good points.

The article did a great job of talking about the negatives, which are pretty much all true by the way. But as usual does not mention hardly anything positive. It is still quite possible to have a relatively quiet family life there. Mind you, your house will cost a fortune, you might never see your husband, and driving downtown to do some shopping could drive you crazy

But.... for a lot of people you're not likely to experience a lot of things in that story unless you: live in a work camp, do drugs, live downtown or get caught up in all the money.

Lots of people get caught up in the money there. I remember the uproar when Santa's Anonymous delivered a bunch of gift baskets at Christmas to one of the richest neighbourhoods. Apparently those people lived in mansions and had brand new vehicles and toys, but regularly used the foodbank and charity to help them get by. I won't even get started on that debate, but it's easy for people there to see all that money coming in and just spend, spend, spend!

So, not all good, but not all bad either. We would have stayed if we could have seen my husband more often and if the town were closer to civilization! Also the traffic, drivers and terrible customer service drove me crazy!

But it is a great place for a few years to get work experience, make a little money and get a start in life. Although you need to make enough to be able to afford housing of course.

Thnx comet for yr valuable input