rights reserved. Standards can vary, but many companies provide top class facilities for their workers.

Special thanks to Colin Smyth and Ian Munro for making the Fort McMurray section of Moving2Canada possible. Read our in-depth city guides, and learn about driver’s licences, taxes, cell phones and more!

On top of that, the volatile nature of the industry and low job security can take a toll on the employees’ mental health.

Shelley Meakin-Chamzuk, whose husband Ron works in the oil and gas industry, said her husband’s wage was cut in half when the pandemic struck.

And you can’t get back into the industry because it’s just so broken.”. Productivity is often slower than usual, but safety is considered paramount. Coming to Canada as a Permanent Resident?

Dinners vary from day to day but there is always a very large variety.

Generally speaking, the oil is extracted in one of two ways: open pit mining of oil sands ore or SAG-D extraction. He’s very strong and very supportive … he never admitted it, but I know it was hard on him.”. ● About Fort McMurray ● Fort McMurray Economy ● Camp life in Fort McMurray ● Fort McMurray Weather ● Cost of Living.

Revenue from trusted advertisers helps support this work. Fort McMurray services the nearby oil sands industry, and as such has expanded rapidly in recent years due to increased development of the oil sands. Vincent Agyapong, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Alberta who works for the addiction and mental health unit for Alberta Health Services, worked in Fort McMurray treating patients and studying the demographic of people who are seeking help. “Most employers will pay for workers’ transportation to and from the site. As long as you don’t get caught and you’re not stupid about it, they pretty much let it pass,” she said. With a population of approximately 60,000, Fort McMurray is considered a city.

As money gets tighter, she is trying not to think about the state of her mental health. Republication or distribution of this content is I think that was probably the biggest thing with the industry, is some women just couldn’t cope with raising their families on their own.”.

Watching him deal with that hurt her own mental health, as did caring for six children while Ron had to work out of town through much of his career. Get practical information to plan your arrival in Canada. After chores, her youngest son, 15, would be homeschooled at a shack on the worksite.

Due to the scarcity of accommodation in Fort McMurray, house prices and rents are comparable to expensive cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. People have a lot of money to spend and some choose to spend it in bars while others make the most of their adventure. Where is Fort McMurray?

Provincial healthcare may not cover you for your first few months in Canada. Get information about how COVID-19 is impacting Canada. Facilities in the city can be limited and, with Edmonton being the closest urban area, some people find the city has an isolated feel to it. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. In 2017, Alberta Health Services found workers in the oil and gas industry use alcohol at significantly higher rates (81.7 per cent) than the average for all other industries (71.5 per cent). Thanks to Colin Smyth for providing this insight into camp life in Fort McMurray.

Most camps are equipped with a cafeteria offering hot meals, snacks and to-go options any time of the day.

permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. “My camp is the Canadian Natural (CNRL) camp. “With my husband being away, and knowing his wife was sick, that was not easy on him. And with (jobs) being so tight to get in and be kept around these days, you obviously don’t want to rock the boat, right?”. For those who can handle such an intensive work-focused environment, there is the benefit of saving large amounts of money within short spans of time.

She knows what it feels like to be so depressed it’s hard to get out of bed, and she said she is determined not to get to that place again. To order Meakin-Chamzuk said the idea that life is easy for an oilfield wife and that there is always a lot of money is far from the truth. “I think there should be more to help people through (substance abuse) and kind of recognize that it does happen. How does the cost of living in Fort McMurray compare with other cities? expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto

More info. In my wing there are 50 people. We each have a room which has a single bed, a TV, and a desk. “It gets to the point where you feel like you don’t want to say anything, because you’re scared that it’s gonna be the one thing that gets you booted out the door.

What is it like living in Fort McMurray? The nature of the mining industry is such that it takes a certain hardiness of personality to survive in camps. Click here for a full 2014 events calendar for the area. Housing prices and rents are far higher in Fort McMurray than one would expect in such a remote area.

“We’re just trying to survive, and it’s not the privileged life that I think a lot of people think it is,” Meakin-Chamzuk said. Workers often live in camps on one of the many mine sites in the area.

There are approximately 2,000 people in this camp. There are approximately 2,000 people in this camp. Physical safety takes top priority, but mental health slips under the radar. We use cookies to give you the best experience, by browsing - you agree to our use of cookies. “It’s been taxing.

Your patience and assistance is truly appreciated. The bigger sites have their own aerodromes for transporting workers in and out of the site. Click here for a full 2014 events calendar for the area. It was almost like we were part of something bigger than ourselves … I guess we probably felt proud that we were able to help Ron and help this company,” Meakin-Chamzuk said.

Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Jennifer Henderson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about

Rooms typically come equipped with TV and internet, while workers are provided meals and facilities such as gyms. “I don’t know how young people are making it,” she said. There are some interesting facts about the soil in the Fort McMurray area. A lot of people know it’s happening. In 2006, Fort McMurray had the highest prices in Alberta. Generally speaking, most major urban centres in Canada offer a more favourable work-life balance.

I think a lot of (camps) are scared of getting shut down, to be quite honest.”. Most camps are of a high standard. Miller, who has been a chef for almost 30 years, has spent the last five years working long hours in camp kitchens, in remote areas spending time away from her family.

The areas to the north are very scenic and beautiful. Jennifer Henderson is the Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Great West Newspapers, covering rural Alberta issues. Besides the oil sands, the economy relies on natural gas and oil pipelines, forestry and tourism.

“Typically, workers in Fort McMurray receive up 50 per cent higher salaries for working out of town. The camp life in fort mcmurray - Oil Sands Alberta - YouTube
Thanks to Colin Smyth for providing this insight into camp life in Fort McMurray. And though the majority of those who drank were considered to be at low risk for harmful drinking, industry workers were nearly twice as likely to be at medium risk and three times as likely to be at high risk than other workers. Workers are well paid here, and having Fort McMurray work experience is rated very highly by many companies. In my wing there are 50 people. “People have to stay in the camps for two weeks at a time without any family – there is much more to (these mental health challenges) than just the economy,” Agyapong said. Daylight hours in the summer can be up to 16 hours.

Miller said because the job is so tough and workers are so far away from their support networks, they quickly forge strong bonds with each other to get through the long hours, long days and difficult working conditions. ‘Everyone gets home safe’ is a motto used here.”.

Some experts have concluded the lifestyle that goes along with oil and gas work contributes to higher divorce rates, with Alberta often leading the divorce rates across the country. i hope this will guide and answers lots of your questions.

Fort McMurray’s growth is characteristic of a boomtown. Fort McMurray is located in the heart of the Athabasca oilsands.


Fort McMurray is part of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, located in Northern Alberta.

Miller said camps have plenty of safety measures in place, but some look the other way if staff members are impaired on the job. When workers finish their shift they often speed to get home quicker, which has led to a significant amount of casualties on the road in recent years.

Agyapong said many people who seek help are from other areas of the country, such as the east coast, and are on a three weeks on, one week off schedule. We each have a room which has a single bed, a TV, and a desk. ● Where is Fort McMurray? presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Shifts vary between four days on and three days off, ten days on and four days off, 14 days on and seven days off, or even 20 days on and eight days off. She has watched other families split up because the distance proved too burdensome. “They don’t really have a life, they don’t have family … so they get into cocaine use because it doesn’t stay in your system for a long time and they know they will pass a drug screening when they return to their shift,” Agyapong said. “Breakfast is between 5 and 8 a.m. and is served in a canteen that includes cereal, and all ‘fry’ food. Being separated from her husband proved a big challenge for her and her family. On-site safety is ever present.

It is situated 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of the Saskatchewan border. Each day cleaning staff clean the room and make your bed. All sorts of recreation and entertainment is available, including golf, hiking, camping, biking and watching junior hockey.

The Oil Sands Discovery Centre is a compelling place to learn how oil is made. Each worker takes up to two bags of lunch for the day, typically sandwiches, soup, fruit, veg, noodles, cookies and croissants. “We have seen where people are destitute.

“It has a significant impact on families, because you are away from your family in an oilsands camp and there is really nothing there – you will be in a small room with one small TV.”.

Suncor and Syncrude are close to Fort McMurray, whereas CNRL, Shell, and Esso are approximately one hour north of Fort McMurray in a hamlet called Fort Mackay. “Dinner is between 4 and 8 p.m. We help you address some of the questions about Fort McMurray before you research your adopted city further. One thing to note: Highway 63, which runs between Edmonton and Fort McMurray, is one of the most dangerous highways in Canada.

Shift work is common.

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