dbd33

And who does he know?

marcwales

Thanks for the reply Mustang88. I'll reply with a better message soon, only just seen your message and wanted to acknowledge that I've read it. You seem to be on the same wavelength as me, mentioning places etc. Maybe you could give me some more info if that would be ok. I do know someone in OPG, but I'm trying to find out as much info as possible.
thanks for your reply, I'll message again hopefully later today. Cheers!!

marcwales

Hi Mustang. Sorry for late reply, been a bit hectic. I was wondering what the mood is like over there regarding Public Sector workers (like OPG), as I understand the Government is slashing budgets/jobs etc. just like here.
We thought about the Bruce, but feel it may be too quiet for us. Don't really fancy a long commute everyday either (especially during winter).
I haven't been able to find out much about Hydro1 really. When you say everywhere, is that in Southern Ontario or wider afield?
On the subject of layoffs from OPG, is this a regular occurrence? Could you possibly ask your brother or stepfather what the history is with layoffs (casual factors, how many people affected, voluntary or compulsory redundancies, etc.).
I used this website as it seemed to have the most people on it. I wasn't looking for a brits point of view really.
Do you know much about Oshawa or Kirby? Bowmanville looks nice as it seems rural but near to a city too (similar to our setup here). This area seems more suited to us than around the Bruce (as nice as it is there though).
We are hopefully going to do a recce trip early next year and focus on that area.
Once again, thanks for your reply. Look forward to hearing from you!!!

mustang88

I don't know what to say about the "mood". The Government here right now is focusing on freezing healthcare salaries in Ontario. It is mainly doctors, nurses, etc. being affected right now, but I could be wrong. I don't get too involved with politics but I haven't heard any complaints from anyone I know at OPG. The job outlook is good right now from what I hear. OPG is building mulitple new reactors at the Darlington location, and will have to hire a lot of people in the next couple of years. They plan on closing down the Pickering location in 2020 from what I hear, which might result in some lay offs at that point, but again, people who work there usually retire there, and I imagine they will focus on the people who are ready to retire first (buying them out). My stepfather just retired last week after 26 years. He was never laid off, but he was in security so it's probably a different atmosphere. My brother was laid off from OPG shortly after working there, but he never got laid off from The Bruce. I don't really know much about their lay off process but I don't think its something that happens a lot.

Honestly, I am not sure where Kirby is. Oshawa is okay. It is more expensive than Bowmanville or Newcastle. Oshawa is not as "crowded" as Bowmanville, but you have to be careful where in Oshawa you go. South Oshawa is much cheaper, but it is considered the "slums" and there is a lot of crime, drugs, etc. North Oshawa is nice. You don't really need anyone to tell you that though. When you goto Oshawa and drive down Simcoe Street, the difference is pretty visible. There are several little cities/larger towns all around the same area, basically going along the 401. Bowmanville, Newcastle, Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering, Ajax. The closer you get to Toronto, the more "city" they become. You could look into Brooklyn as well. It is a newer town, though I can't comment on prices or anything as I have never lived there. Seems like a nice place driving through though.

amherstburgmac

TX or DX planning. Who do you currently work for? What software and other tools have you used?