WATCH ABOVE: A contract with the Navy has a Halifax-based company trying to lure Atlantic Canadians back home from northern Alberta. Fletcher Kent explains.
FORT MCMURRAY – For decades, Atlantic Canadians have gone to Fort McMurray to seek their fortunes. Now, fortune may be calling them home.
Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is holding a job fair in the northern Alberta community.
The Halifax-based company won a $25-billion contract to build ships for the Canadian Navy. The work will begin in September and is expected to last for the next 30 years.
To do the job, Irving says it needs to find 200 skilled tradespeople.
“We knew there were a lot of Atlantic Canadians who came to Fort McMurray for work so it was an obvious place to come,” said Brian McCarthy of Irving Shipbuilding.
The targeted approach seems to have worked. Tyler Doucette said when he heard about the job fair he decided, “I’m calling in sick for work and I’m coming.”
The Nova Scotia native has been working in Fort McMurray for seven years now but every two weeks he flies home.
“The money’s good,” said Doucette of life in Fort McMurray but he’s ready to go east.
“Living two different lives really takes a toll on you.”
Stephanie Swain also took in the job fair. The Pictou County, N.S. native has been in Fort McMurray with her husband for a decade.
“I expect to meet a lot of people from back home here today,” said Swain. “Pretty much everybody from Nova Scotia is here today. This is the first time it has been, ‘go east young man.'”
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This job fair has as much to do with Alberta’s economy as it does the Irving contract.
Since oil prices collapsed last year, Fort McMurray’s unemployment rate has doubled. It now sits at 8.6 per cent.
Many experienced, skilled tradespeople still have work but they say there’s little overtime and bonuses and incentives have disappeared.
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These new economic realities make moving east more attractive.
The mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo says it is strange to see companies like Irving come to Fort McMurray looking for workers. But she adds she isn’t upset with it.
“This is an interesting economic time,” said Melissa Blake. “We’ve had layoffs in the community and what I want is what’s best for people.”
She hopes Fort McMurray doesn’t lose too many people, though. A lot of work remains.
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