Possibly moving to Alberta

[Veronemilie]

So we have decided that we need to increase our income and jobs around here are hard to get & good paying ones even harder. We have been talking about possibly moving to Alberta as there are lots of jobs out there. We just e-mailed a company for some more info, it's a job offer for the oil & gas industry, My DP is a hard worker and doesn't mind the weather (he wants to work for his money) currently he works as a butcher.

Here is the add

http://renfrew.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-construction-trades-Alberta-Bound-labourers-equipment-operators-Oil-and-Gas-Ind-W0QQAdIdZ349519307

So if we do move I would like some info (the good, the bad & the ugly) cost of living, schools (DS is 3 and will be going to school soon), playgroups, activities for kids, doctors, do you have to pay for water, etc...

Also what are the jobs like in the oil & gas industry (what do they do), do they supply housing or do you have to rent, etc...

[craigwick]

I am in Saskatchewan, and I would have to think it is similar to here in that it depends where you are living...rural vs. city. Definitely less cost of living going rural but less access to playgroups, services and limited school choices (we don't have a choice, our town has 1 elementary and 1 high school!) Otherwise I don't know much about the oil & gas industry specifically!

[DillyDay]

alllright so. usually men are out at camps for several weeks, then get a chance to come back. if it is in fort mac, there is next to no place to live, and rent is STUPID high. (also combined with even less places to live, due to an apt fire) depending on the company, they might be willing to move you out here, but you will need a place to live. rent in edmonton is not too bad, nor is it not too bad in grande prairie either.

edmonton you have a crazy ton access to lots of stuff. there is good medicenters around here, some of those docs even take on regular patients. lots of things to do here, lots of schools to choose from. bus routes sometimes leave a little to the imagination as to how to get around, unless you drive, then your good. there is a huge amount of parks in this city, and lots of trails to take int he river valley if that is your thing.

Grande prairie there is lots of things to do, a few schools to choose from. getting a pediatrician is impossible. general doc is almost as difficult. there are a few that take walk ins though. bus routes are slowly getting better. but if you drive, not a issue there. muskoseepi park is a wonderful place to go any time of year (nature walk around the reservoir is awesome and i miss it)

if your going to be living in a small apartment, sometimes your water and heat are included in your rent. if not, it can get pricing in winter, but averages out in the summer. i'll have to find our paper bills to see exactly what we pay. but we are in a 4 bdrm townhouse and have 3 adults and 2 children who all take daily showers.

those are the places i have lived. smaller towns have some better healthcare and less wait times then bigger cities. so i would inquire with the company if he gets it as to where they need him and inquire with cities from there.

[canadianangel]

I would say as We have moved from One end of Ontario to the other twice! You should stay where you are and let him go out and see whats out there and how it is before moving the whole family. That way if it doesn't work out for him out there you will not be out a whole lot of money.

[sahmofthree]

Originally Posted by Veronemilie So we have decided that we need to increase our income and jobs around here are hard to get & good paying ones even harder. We have been talking about possibly moving to Alberta as there are lots of jobs out there. We just e-mailed a company for some more info, it's a job offer for the oil & gas industry, My DP is a hard worker and doesn't mind the weather (he wants to work for his money) currently he works as a butcher. Here is the add http://renfrew.kijiji.ca/c-jobs-construction-trades-Alberta-Bound-labourers-equipment-operators-Oil-and-Gas-Ind-W0QQAdIdZ349519307 So if we do move I would like some info (the good, the bad & the ugly) cost of living, schools (DS is 3 and will be going to school soon), playgroups, activities for kids, doctors, do you have to pay for water, etc... Also what are the jobs like in the oil & gas industry (what do they do), do they supply housing or do you have to rent, etc...

Just saw your post now, so not sure if you're still looking for info or not but figured I'd reply anyways. My hubby works in the industry, he actually is the field manager and is in charge of hiring/training/overseeing the field department at his company. For a long time now they've been steadily hiring as it's so busy. We live in a town of about 7000 people, so I'm not sure if that's something you're interested in or if you'd prefer to be in a larger city. So take what I say with a grain of salt, as prices get more expensive the closer you live to the big cities. As far as work for your hubby, I can only speak on what my husband's company is like. Guys generally drive up to Fort Mcmurray and work for around 11 days away, then have 3 days off. Sometimes more, sometimes less all depending on the project. They drive up together in company trucks. They stay in camps close to job-sites. Their meals are all provided for them. Most people that work up there in the oil and gas industry travel to work from another town/city and stay working away for awhile, as it's an absurd amount to rent anything up there! The work is all outdoors, their guys do anything from being a swamper (grunt-work, where most guys start out) to operating (my husband's company provides all the training) to supervising. Pay is pretty good, I would say most guys make anywhere from 80-140K a year depending on their position and experience. Employees must have a high school diploma, drivers license, plus safety tickets are an asset to getting hired as well but if they don't have them the company will arrange for them to take the courses. (first aid, WHMIS, etc.)

As far as cost of living goes, I'm not sure if you're looking at renting or buying. For renting; in the paper this week there's a few; 4 bdrm 2 back on an acreage 4 miles east of town. $1400/month includes utilities. In town, 5 bdrm house with single car garage- $995. 3 bdrm, 1.5 bath condo, 5 appliances, rent $950. 2 bdrm apartment for $700/month plus power. For buying, houses are as low as $160K for an older 2 bdrm, 1 bath home to 400+K for an executive style home, so depends on your price range. School system is good (IMO, and I have 4 kids, 3 of which are in school). There's a public elementary, middle and high school. There's a Christian school, as well as a Catholic school that goes from preschool to Gr.12. 2 preschools in town for your 3 year old. There's a few playgroups, but I don't partake so can't tell you much about those. If you live in town and are buying, you'll be paying a town bill (water/sewer/garbage), power and gas bill. We had a newer home (1300 sq ft main floor) with 6 people, with me and the younger kids being home all day. Our town bill was $100/month, power avg 150, and gas avg 100-150 depending on time of year. Most likely your bills would be a lot lower with a smaller family. Doctors are pretty good, we only have one clinic now as the 2nd one just closed due to 2 docs moving away, but we still have enough that if I call I can usually get in to see someone within a day or two. There's 2 grocery stores here, 2 hardware stores, lots of restaurants, swimming pool, big skating rink, lots of extracurricular activities for kids. Gymnastics, ball, soccer, swimming, karate, dance, scouts/brownies, plus tons other I'm forgetting.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help.

[Veronemilie]

Thanks! We've been able to figure out a way that we should be able to stay where we are but who knows we may still end up needing to move depending on if anything drastic happens (job or family wise) so all this info is nice to have.

[CAaddict]

Originally Posted by sahmofthree Just saw your post now, so not sure if you're still looking for info or not but figured I'd reply anyways. My hubby works in the industry, he actually is the field manager and is in charge of hiring/training/overseeing the field department at his company. For a long time now they've been steadily hiring as it's so busy. We live in a town of about 7000 people, so I'm not sure if that's something you're interested in or if you'd prefer to be in a larger city. So take what I say with a grain of salt, as prices get more expensive the closer you live to the big cities. As far as work for your hubby, I can only speak on what my husband's company is like. Guys generally drive up to Fort Mcmurray and work for around 11 days away, then have 3 days off. Sometimes more, sometimes less all depending on the project. They drive up together in company trucks. They stay in camps close to job-sites. Their meals are all provided for them. Most people that work up there in the oil and gas industry travel to work from another town/city and stay working away for awhile, as it's an absurd amount to rent anything up there! The work is all outdoors, their guys do anything from being a swamper (grunt-work, where most guys start out) to operating (my husband's company provides all the training) to supervising. Pay is pretty good, I would say most guys make anywhere from 80-140K a year depending on their position and experience. Employees must have a high school diploma, drivers license, plus safety tickets are an asset to getting hired as well but if they don't have them the company will arrange for them to take the courses. (first aid, WHMIS, etc.) As far as cost of living goes, I'm not sure if you're looking at renting or buying. For renting; in the paper this week there's a few; 4 bdrm 2 back on an acreage 4 miles east of town. $1400/month includes utilities. In town, 5 bdrm house with single car garage- $995. 3 bdrm, 1.5 bath condo, 5 appliances, rent $950. 2 bdrm apartment for $700/month plus power. For buying, houses are as low as $160K for an older 2 bdrm, 1 bath home to 400+K for an executive style home, so depends on your price range. School system is good (IMO, and I have 4 kids, 3 of which are in school). There's a public elementary, middle and high school. There's a Christian school, as well as a Catholic school that goes from preschool to Gr.12. 2 preschools in town for your 3 year old. There's a few playgroups, but I don't partake so can't tell you much about those. If you live in town and are buying, you'll be paying a town bill (water/sewer/garbage), power and gas bill. We had a newer home (1300 sq ft main floor) with 6 people, with me and the younger kids being home all day. Our town bill was $100/month, power avg 150, and gas avg 100-150 depending on time of year. Most likely your bills would be a lot lower with a smaller family. Doctors are pretty good, we only have one clinic now as the 2nd one just closed due to 2 docs moving away, but we still have enough that if I call I can usually get in to see someone within a day or two. There's 2 grocery stores here, 2 hardware stores, lots of restaurants, swimming pool, big skating rink, lots of extracurricular activities for kids. Gymnastics, ball, soccer, swimming, karate, dance, scouts/brownies, plus tons other I'm forgetting. Let me know if you have any other questions, I'm happy to help.

Thank you for this post! Can I ask where you live?

We are in BC (Vancouver area) now and considering a move to AB as well. My husband is a glazier here and it seems could make nearly 50% more working around Fort McMurray, but we've never even visited AB and are really unsure about cost of living, lifestyle, etc. So thanks again for your informative post!

[alexaE]

Were in Grande Prairie. We moved from Vancouver Island. I miss the water, but the jobs here are great. Parent Link Center is awwesome for the littles, and its free!