Alberta

[King of Clones]

I am seriously looking at moving to Alberta after the holidays. Plan on heading to Grande Prairie as I heard there are good jobs there and the housing costs are lower than places like Fort McMurray.

Anybody on here with stories of what it is like out there? I found a Grande Prairie 1 bedroom apartment on Kijijij, which is close to a Walmart. For around $625 a month, most utilities included. Is this a good deal? I went close to a Walmart as I will have no car when I first get there and figure the cost of living should be lowest at Walmart.

I have a few bucks saved up for move, along with EI until March to start me off until I find a job. Around $1,600 a month clear coming in on EI. That should keep me alive until I find a job

[Kaz]

Fort St John and Dawson Creek in northern BC are also good.
Lot's of work right now.

A couple of guys from where I work quit and went up to Fort Mac a couple months ago and got jobs right away. They had to do some training, but they didn't have any special skills. I think they stayed with relatives or friends at first. Newfies, so they had a few options.
I've heard they quit their first jobs and have camp jobs now so no rental worries. I was told they're making 11k a month right now, but ....

Also Saskatchewan is humming along.

I'm probably heading up there come spring.

Any special types of work you're looking for?

[Thalo]

Work on your panhandling techniques, as you'll have a lot of competition from other easterners who come over without securing a job ahead of time.

[TrevorK]

Alberta is currently having a very rough time, our unemployment is very high and some companies are pulling back their investment in the oil/gas field. You may want to look at job prospects before coming out here, because they may not be as plentiful as you think.

[Kaz]

Alberta is currently having a very rough time, our unemployment is very high and some companies are pulling back their investment in the oil/gas field. You may want to look at job prospects before coming out here, because they may not be as plentiful as you think.

Some of the big names have pushed there projects back up.
If you're willing to make the rounds in places like Grande Prairie or Fort Mac, you will find work.
Don't be too picky at first.
Get on at A, work until you find something better at B, etc.

Northern BC is very hot, as is Saskatchewan.

Be willing to take your H2S, WHIMIS, TDG and anything else that will help you get on. If the op is on EI, there are also training possibilities there.

[pitz]

Saskatchewan's a disaster apparently.

Potash mines shutting down. Only jobs that exist are relatively low-paid 'service' industry stuff, ie: waiting tables in restaurants, fast food, working in nursing homes.

Saskatchewan is a place where people go to retire and die. Not a place where there's jobs, or a vibrant economy.

[Donomight25]

Jobs?

Southern Ontario.

[blainehamilton]

Yeah, it's service industry jobs that are open right now. Every business has been short staffed over the last 3 years and just now we are starting to see more applicants than jobs.

Bear in mind retail and service industries are hiring right now for the holidays. Unless things make a major turnaround next spring, expect high unemployment numbers thru the end of next year...

My advice is to not hit the road until you have something lined up and confirmed with an employer. Camp jobs are easy to come by - IF you have the certs, tickets, and skills. There are thousands of uncertified and unskilled laborers who are on EI right now, with no employment in sight, save for Wal Mart or McDonalds!

(Ironic you are looking for a place by Wal Mart)

It's going to get worse before it gets better...

[evoviii]

A friend of mine used to do employment placement in Alberta, he's being inundated with unskilled labour applicants. Are you living rent free now? If so better off staying until confirming employment.

Jobs are the last thing to recover in the economy.

[ghostryder]

Saskatchewan's a disaster apparently.

Not a place where there's jobs, or a vibrant economy.

Really? That's news to me.

[BadDrafter]

Work on your panhandling techniques, as you'll have a lot of competition from other easterners who come over without securing a job ahead of time.

:lol::lol::lol:

[King of Clones]

Jobs like this is what I would be trying for...

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/dispjb_eng.aspx?OrderNum=4722651&Source=JobPosting&CommGrouping=GAB007&OfferpPage=50&Student=No

Is this realistic or will they be flooded with applicants?

[speedyforme]

Sounds like Alberta is very sensitive to the economy. Moreso than other provinces?

[BobW]

Jobs like this is what I would be trying for...

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/dispjb_eng.aspx?OrderNum=4722651&Source=JobPosting&CommGrouping=GAB007&OfferpPage=50&Student=No

Is this realistic or will they be flooded with applicants?

They will receive hundreds of applications.


Every year I post an ad for some seasonal help for my business. Every other year, I've received 1 or 2 applications. This year I had 120 before I pulled the ad down 2 days after posting. I didn't realize how tight the job market had become.

[TrevorK]

Sounds like Alberta is very sensitive to the economy. Moreso than other provinces?

Alberta is sensitive in the fact that their economy relies solely on natural resources. When demand/prices go down, their economy crumbles. Until Alberta builds up alternative forms of income generation they will forever be stuck in a boom/bust cycle (until the resources go away that is).

I'm sure people in Ontario that work in the manufacturing centres would disagree about Alberta being more sensitive than them; I think the people it affects most are those that come to Alberta for jobs (overseas, the maritimes, etc..). Those are the first to leave.

[pitz]

Alberta is sensitive in the fact that their economy relies solely on natural resources.


And real estate. Don't forget that. IMHO, most of the "Calgary boom" was real estate-driven, not oil and gas driven, over the past few years. Just a classic, California-like, bidding up of houses without regards to the fundamentals, creating a 'prosperous' economy.


When demand/prices go down, their economy crumbles. Until Alberta builds up alternative forms of income generation they will forever be stuck in a boom/bust cycle (until the resources go away that is).


Unfortunately, Alberta has slipped backwards in economic diversification over the past few years. Many firms were forced to leave in the past few years simply because the cheapest workers they could find demanded $20/hour. And rents were ridiculous.

An outfit I've dealt with extensively in Calgary just decided, a few years ago, to pack up its stuff, ship half (the manufacturing side of things) to China, and the other half (the support and design side of things) to Atlanta. Where you can hire very competent people for $12/hour, and they're happy.

[blainehamilton]

Jobs like this is what I would be trying for...

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/dispjb_eng....=50&Student=No

Is this realistic or will they be flooded with applicants?


They will get hundreds of applicants. If you have your own tools, have the certs they require already, and have previous (2-5 years) of industrial construction/trades/install experience, you would have a chance at the job.

Unskilled, without certs already, no tools yet, and no experience? Doubtful.


My employer (NCR) had a posting up for a field service tech (customer engineer 2) back in august here in edmonton. In a span of 2 weeks we had over 1000 applicants. We were able to pick from the cream of the crop, since there were hundreds of skilled people unemployed and looking for work.

3 years ago the employees had the power and would leave for a higher paying job at the drop of a hat. Now that all those positions have dried up and laid people off, they are unemployed and desperate for work...

[King of Clones]

Thanks for the comebacks...maybe best if I put Alberta on back burner

[brunes]

What kind of job are you looking for?' Why do you think you have to leave the maritimes for it?

It's hard to go anywhere in Fredericton or Saint John without seeing a help wanted sign. We're sitting at 4.3% unemployment right now. (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/850049). The biggest problem our area is is not lack of work, it's lack of finding good people to do it.

Meanwhile Alberta is shedding jobs at the fastest rate in the country. (http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Alberta+shedding+jobs+fastest+rate+Canada/2196657/story.html)

[King of Clones]

Yeah, I know there are those help wanted signs in quite a few windows around here. Subway, Sobeys, McDonalds...but those jobs pay basically minimum wage.

I was looking to better myself...in January I have hopes oil patch in Alberta may be turning around. In not maybe look at B.C.

Many have left here over last few years and done well in Alberta. I was hoping to do same....but I realize that was then this is now

[brunes]

Yeah, I know there are those help wanted signs in quite a few windows around here. Subway, Sobeys, McDonalds...but those jobs pay basically minimum wage.

I was looking to better myself...in January I have hopes oil patch in Alberta may be turning around. In not maybe look at B.C.

Many have left here over last few years and done well in Alberta. I was hoping to do same....but I realize that was then this is now

You never answered what kind of job you are looking for?

It's not like you can just drop off in AB and get hired as a pipe fitter. You need training.

Besides, there is HUGE demand for all skilled trades around here, due to the massive construction boom, and huge infrastructure projects going on.

[colezy9]

Saskatchewan's a disaster apparently.

Potash mines shutting down. Only jobs that exist are relatively low-paid 'service' industry stuff, ie: waiting tables in restaurants, fast food, working in nursing homes.

Saskatchewan is a place where people go to retire and die. Not a place where there's jobs, or a vibrant economy.

I don't agree with this statement. Sure Potash companies did lay off some employees but other than that Saskatchewan is still booming in a variety of ways. Oilfileld, Agriculture, restaurants are all very busy. Try finding a place to rent in Regina, it is not easy.

Loblaws is constructing a major distribution centre here as well which will employee up to 1500 people by 2017. Here is a link for more details on this:
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Construction+started+Loblaw+distribution+centre+Re gina+global+transportation/1952272/story.html

[mork]

SK still seems to be a good new story. I know my current and previous employer are both struggling to fill positions of all sorts. In some cases, getting very few applicants for open positions. A friend in commercial construction is also always commenting on how all of the new laborers and trades people are coming from the East.

The slow-down in potash does have wider implications that have yet to be realized. Slowing production means less work for the supporting sectors (local machine shops, engineering firms, etc). The government budget will also take a big hit as it is dependent on revenues from potash sales. Even with rising inventories and slowing production, there are still companies looking to make big investments in potash here with talks of multiple new mining projects from various players. Fingers crossed on a strong future for potash in the province.

All of that said, everyone I know here is still happily employed. Any friends or family out east seem to be enduring some sort of hardship (lay offs, stress of pending lay offs, unemployment, etc). I realize that my anecdotal data set may not be representative of the general population, but from my own personal perspective - things seem okay here.

[bigEfromGP]

I am from Grande Prairie, and still living here, and I work for CNRL, the second largest Canadian oil and gas producer, so I hope I can give some useful input here.

Firstly, yes, that job posting you posted will probably receive 100 or maybe more applicants. Two years ago, that ad would have ran for months while only getting a handful of replies. The bulk of people who came to GP looking for money would find work with service companies (companies that supply the oil/gas producers with drilling wells, servicing wells, building pipelines, moving heavy equipment, etc) but the oil/gas economy here has taken a real double whammy in the last year and a bit. Gas prices dropped drastically, and in the Grande Prairie area, it is mostly gas activity and not oil activity by a very wide margin. Compounded with this is that the Alberta gov't increased royalties that the oil/gas companies would have to the province, which made our 2 neighbours, BC and Sask, more attractive for new developments and projects. AS well, oil/gas companies in Canada (specifically Calgary) don't like being told what they can and cannot do, so even if there was a project that might have been economical to do in Grande Prairie, it wouldn't be above some companies to halt/hold off on the project in an effort to keep activity low and hopefully convince the gov't to reverse the royalty decision. But that's probably more than what you wanted to know....

In a nutshell, it's slow here. Real estate is still unrealistically high (in my opinion anyways), and the cost of living is high in my opinion too. The tough winters are tough on vehicles, fuel and tires for said vehicle are expensive, goods and services are pricey, and when you add all this up, I really feel that most people that move out here (without having specialized training of some type prior) are making, at best, a lateral move.

Fort Mac has been mentioned here as well in this thread, but I would again stress to think twice about moving there. Mobile homes cost $400,000 or more, everything costs a lot of money, and it is a very transient population (GP is bad for that too).

Northern BC and Saskatchewan are both better options in my opinion, as long as you are comfortable in living in a province with no NHL team. ;)

Any other questions, feel free to ask away. Not too often I get to answer questions on RFD instead of asking them. :)

[AllWheelDrift]

I don't agree with this statement. Sure Potash companies did lay off some employees but other than that Saskatchewan is still booming in a variety of ways. Oilfileld, Agriculture, restaurants are all very busy. Try finding a place to rent in Regina, it is not easy.

Loblaws is constructing a major distribution centre here as well which will employee up to 1500 people by 2017. Here is a link for more details on this:
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Construction+started+Loblaw+distribution+centre+Re gina+global+transportation/1952272/story.html
Apparently SK is expected to be in a recession by the end of the fiscal year.

http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Saskatchewan+likely+facing+recession+fiscal+year+f inance+minister/2207142/story.html

[pitz]

Apparently SK is expected to be in a recession by the end of the fiscal year.


Most people in Saskatchewan who aren't involved with housing construction, or health care/government, would tell you, IMHO, that recession started last year. The governing Saskatchewan Party campaigned in the election a few years ago to reduce the size of government, already a disproportionate size of the economy. Instead, they've increased government spending by over 33% since they've been in office!

And people just aren't moving from Alberta like they had been. Used to be able to sell a house in Calgary for $400k, and buy an equivilant one in Regina for $200k, which, to a near-retiree, is a huge amount of money that can go into savings. Now, Calgary and Regina/Saskatoon prices are very similar so people are staying put.

[King of Clones]

I am from Grande Prairie, and still living here, and I work for CNRL, the second largest Canadian oil and gas producer, so I hope I can give some useful input here.

Firstly, yes, that job posting you posted will probably receive 100 or maybe more applicants. Two years ago, that ad would have ran for months while only getting a handful of replies. The bulk of people who came to GP looking for money would find work with service companies (companies that supply the oil/gas producers with drilling wells, servicing wells, building pipelines, moving heavy equipment, etc) but the oil/gas economy here has taken a real double whammy in the last year and a bit. Gas prices dropped drastically, and in the Grande Prairie area, it is mostly gas activity and not oil activity by a very wide margin. Compounded with this is that the Alberta gov't increased royalties that the oil/gas companies would have to the province, which made our 2 neighbours, BC and Sask, more attractive for new developments and projects. AS well, oil/gas companies in Canada (specifically Calgary) don't like being told what they can and cannot do, so even if there was a project that might have been economical to do in Grande Prairie, it wouldn't be above some companies to halt/hold off on the project in an effort to keep activity low and hopefully convince the gov't to reverse the royalty decision. But that's probably more than what you wanted to know....

In a nutshell, it's slow here. Real estate is still unrealistically high (in my opinion anyways), and the cost of living is high in my opinion too. The tough winters are tough on vehicles, fuel and tires for said vehicle are expensive, goods and services are pricey, and when you add all this up, I really feel that most people that move out here (without having specialized training of some type prior) are making, at best, a lateral move.

Fort Mac has been mentioned here as well in this thread, but I would again stress to think twice about moving there. Mobile homes cost $400,000 or more, everything costs a lot of money, and it is a very transient population (GP is bad for that too).

Northern BC and Saskatchewan are both better options in my opinion, as long as you are comfortable in living in a province with no NHL team. ;)

Any other questions, feel free to ask away. Not too often I get to answer questions on RFD instead of asking them. :)

Great post....I am certainly re-thinking my plans. Chances are I would have made a mistake if not for this board. Just spent more money moving and ended up with no job and into a mess.

[M-e-X-x]

What kind of job are you looking for?' Why do you think you have to leave the maritimes for it?

It's hard to go anywhere in Fredericton or Saint John without seeing a help wanted sign. We're sitting at 4.3% unemployment right now. (http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/850049). The biggest problem our area is is not lack of work, it's lack of finding good people to do it.

Meanwhile Alberta is shedding jobs at the fastest rate in the country. (http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Alberta+shedding+jobs+fastest+rate+Canada/2196657/story.html)

Yeah, I became a part of the job shedding, although I wasn't in the industries they mentioned in the article (was working at an institution). I've since moved back home to the East. If recovery is going to happen, it'll happen in bigger cities first.