This is one of those places that most people probably won’t get the chance to fully experience. However, if you’re ever in a situation where you have the opportunity to visit or if work sends you, take the trip. Earlier in my career, I travelled around Canada and the USA opening restaurants. Twice, that took me north of Fort McMurray to the oil sands. I went to Fort MacKay the first time, and Firebag the second.

In both cases, I was there to train the staff at the Tim Hortons, for both storefront and baking. It meant that for those weeks that I was there, I lived in the corporate section of the camp. That did mean I got a bit more of a cushy situation in that I had private bathrooms both times. Both rooms were extremely similar to a dorm, and the experience in general definitely reminded me of school. During my time at Firebag, I was taking some university courses on top of my job and I was spending a lot of my time studying, that definitely reinforced the feeling.

One thing that surprised me was that the best wifi I’ve ever had was when I was here. The other most surprising thing was the quality of the food. So many of the chefs on the camp come from reputable restaurants. That means you’re getting actual chefs in these kitchens and it reflects in the food you get. The other nice part was the ability to take away sandwiches and other snacks for the time between breakfast & dinner. This means that it’s always worth going to the kitchen because it was a real treat.

There are some downsides, of course. It can absolutely get a little lonely, given how much people are working. As well, it can be far too easy to end up staying inside for long stretches of time without even realizing that you haven’t gone outside in a while. When I was in Firebag, I’m pretty sure that I went a full week without heading outside. That’s largely because there was nowhere to go and no reason to be outside since our rooms connected to the main area. In Fort Mackay, I had to walk outside to get to work, but that meant fresh air.

There’s plenty of entertainment to be had, though. Given the remote aspect, there’s a higher focus on social events. At Firebag, there was a movie theatre, organized sports leagues and a weight room. The organized sports league did leave a little to be desired. Volleyball night only had about five people show up; however, badminton was a much more popular sport. There’s also entertainment that’s brought in on a more irregular basis. While I was at Firebag, they brought in a rodeo bull, a golf simulator, and even an inflatable obstacle course. This is all in an attempt to make sure that there’s something to do. It’s also to combat some of the other hobbies picked up by those on site, where using drinks and drugs (whether recreational or performance) can become a problem.

If you’re working here, it can certainly be a stressful experience, despite the pay being a good incentive. Many of the people I was training worked three full weeks on, every single day, before having a full week off. It’s definitely something to become accustomed to.

If you have access to a car, you can drive back to Fort McMurray for dinner at a chain restaurant or to go to more shops. However, it’s a fairly long drive and once you’re out of the city, the landscape truly is a little otherworldly. That can feel a bit odd at night. On the oil sands sites, there are a lot of bear warnings when you’re on the camps, so there won’t be too much gallivanting out in the wilderness. You can still walk around, but there are bear deterrents in play that can help, like bear spray.

As I mentioned at the top — this is a rare opportunity, but it’s one that I’m so glad I got to experience. From the strange feeling that you’ve landed on another planet as you head North to the totally unique culture and work situation, the oil sands in northern Alberta are a truly once in a lifetime destination.

And if you have the chance to go to Fort McMurray and the nearby oil sands? You absolutely should.

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