Calgarian Workers Speak Their Minds
On the way back from a delicious complimentary lunch, courtesy of Community Natural Foods, I passed by a labor placement service and decided to interview the workers milling around the entrance. One gentleman agreed to talk with me, giving his name as Joe. When asked how the development of the Tar Sands had affected his life, he denied any direct encounters with the northern operations, but was eager to share his opinions.
Joe, a stocky, talkative 58 year old, said that he’d never had to venture north for work since business was booming in Calgary, a city currently experiencing record residential, commercial and industrial growth due to an influx of revenues from Tar Sands development. For Joe, this growth primarily translated into a steady supply of employment from the renovations and new construction projects associated with it. “I’m way better off because of the Tar Sands, I renovate houses, I’m a painter by trade,” he said.
To explain his presence at a work placement service, he admitted that he’d hurt his shoulder recently and was forced to seek temporary work–readily available in Calgary’s burgeoning economy–but that he would soon return to this regular job.
Although satisfied with Calgary’s economy, Joe’s optimism turned to animosity when I asked him how he felt about Canadian trade with America. “I can’t stand it, I can’t stand [President] Bush, I can’t stand his policies. To me he’s the biggest bully on the block right now. We have to kiss [America’s] ass, because we might be their next victim, I mean, they’ve fucked us out of our cattle, they’ve stolen our lumber, they take our water, I mean, I don’t know, maybe someday [they're] going to take all our women.” From there our conversation drifted to the Iraq war, America’s role as a world superpower, and nuclear arms. Joe said that he’d long ago lost faith in the power of his vote, and felt helpless against the overwhelming forces of wealth at play in the government. To be honest, the guy looked pretty happy despite this profession of dire helplessness.
Later, Joe introduced me to his friend, Phil, who likewise denied any experience at the Tar Sands itself. However, he’d seen plenty of its side effects. The get-rich-quick allure of Ft. McMurray draws a certain type—usually its young, single males, often restless, willing to suffer the sordid living conditions of industrial cities, who flock to the region. Such tar sands workers are often stereotyped by the public, myself included, as a disreputable lot, perhaps due to the more visible behavior of a few roudy individuals. Certainly, the industrial setting of prison-like work camps and barren workplaces, where it has been told that the snow, a usually purifying transformer of landscapes, is here blackened with ash as it falls. Without family close at hand, or even substantial communities to condone or reprimand behaviors, illicit activities have become the preferred recreational outlet. “I have [seen] guys who come back from that patch and they have money and they just blow it in a week [on] hotel rooms, babes, and booze, living high on the hog,†Phil said. Joe agreed, saying that he’d seen plenty of similar scenarios. Neither man condemned these habits outright, jestingly implying that they’d behave the same if presented with the opportunity. However, an undertone of tiredness lurked in their joking, as if they were more settled down in their ways, not ones to fall for the promise of quick and easy riches.
Here our conversation came to a close as the labor services proprietor shoed us away for “drowning out his TV†with our talking and we split on our separate ways.
As a resident in Fort McMurray who happens to fit the demographic of young single male, I take offence to this perpetuation of the unpleasant stereotyping so often used to describe men working in Fort McMurray - particularly in this case, since neither you nor the men you interviewed have ever actually been to Fort McMurray. My “disreputable” habits consist of: Biking, skiing, volunteering for Earth Water International, and involvement in professional organizations such as APEGGA and CIM. I am not an anomaly. The fictional characters described by “random Joe who’s never been to Fort McMurray” are the anomaly.
I look forward to meeting you when you arrive in our city.
Regards,
Tim
Tim,
Please except my appologies, I never intended to offend or misportray “young single males” as I myself am one. I was in a bit of a rhetorical high when writing the blog and got carried away with my words. I have amended the offending paragraph, hopefully to your satisfaction, to more concisely articulate my point. Your criticism was refreshing as an indication that people are actually watching us, and in that it cleared up my own flawed views.
However, I do believe that there is a strong tendancy for workers located in Ft. McMurray to seek illicit recreation, a perception not perpetuated by annecdotal evidence alone. Crime rate statistics in the area highlight the growing problems of prostitution and drug abuse. A huge percentage of accidents both on and off the job sites are attributed to driver intoxication.
I greatly look forward to meeting you. If you’d like, you are welcome to join us for some biking, food, or if you have stories to share. We are always on the lookout for people who violate our steriotypes.
Best,
Greg
Tim,
Your criticism is well taken, I am glad to know people are visiting this site, and happy to have a misconception of my own cleared up. My appologies if you were offended. I am new to this blogging business and easily swerve from the truth on rhetorical highs. I never intended to misportray or offend “young single males” as I too am one. I have amended the offending paragraph, hopefully to your satisfaction, to more clearly reflect my view of the situation.
However, I believe that this stereotype is unfortunately close to the truth. Annecdotal evidence aside, crime rate statistics in the region highlight the increasing problems of drug addiction, prostitution, and violence Incidents of intoxication related vehical accidents have increased both on and off the job site.
I hope to discuss these issues further with you, in this forum or in the city. Since we are biking in fairly rural country in the following days, it will be temporarily impossible for me to continue this converstation.
I look forward to meeting you, hopefully to bike, eat, or share stories.
Best,
Greg
Hey Tim.
My name is also Tim.
We would love to meet with you while in Fort McMurray. We will be there on the 5th.
Please get in touch.
780-604-4999
tothetarsands@syc-cjs.org
Just a point of clarification. I chuckled when I read your blogs and references to “The Tar Sands” a name that was replaced many many years ago with “Oil Sands”. I expect your group might gain a bit more credibility if in your references to Fort McMurray and Fort Saskatchewan where “Oil Sands” activity takes place you used the correct name that this activity goes by. It would suggest you are up to speed rather than behind the times which the term Tar Sands suggests.
mp
Hi Margit.
We purposely chose to call our trip “To The Tar Sands” and we are by no means alone in using the term. Just do a quick Google search and you will see that we are in good company.
The term “oil sands” was adopted by industry and government, to make it more interesting for sale as a credible oil product, still the term “tar sands” remains popular amongst ordinary Albertans. We are not behind the times, as you suggest. In fact, we use both “oil sands” and “tar sands” interchangeably in our various writings.
While what comes out of the ground is not really tar, it’s not really oil either. It’s bitumen and it must be upgraded to a synthetic crude before it an be of any real use.
Perhaps we should come up with a new name altogether. Any ideas?
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