Western Mission Complete
Today is Canada Day, I feel it is very appropriate to deliver this post on the Nations birthday, I feel more nationalistic than ever before. Like many of my peers and friends who live and work in the major urban centers of our country like Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Halifax the focus today is all about uniting under one flag, one country, and one land. It is a time when provincial rivirialies and regionalism is set aside and we celebrate the amazing opportunities, freedom and beauty our country has to offer the world, we are an example of how modern civil society should function,where democracy and liberty reign as the core values of who we are as a people, "True North Strong and Free!"
I left Ottawa, Ontario roughly a year ago today. I went to discover and understand the depths of the Canadian Energy sector, a business move that turned extremely personal. My work in the office led me into the field, a strategic and rational decision considering the reality of the economic landscape of Ontario. I wanted to know what was so special about Alberta it was a tremendously powerful learning opportunity and I took advantage with the support of my friends, family and loved ones. Living in the Nation's Capital you really start to feel a sense of Nationalism, and although we are a Civic Nation unlike our American cousins to the south, I wanted to know more about Canada's deep wealth of energy that was stored beneath the ground, I knew that if I was going to truly become an expert on the topic I should have the necessary credentials, experience, and knowledge to truly understand what is going on and that is why I choose the Trade of Pipefitting, a trade that ranked a respectable 23 out of 50 top jobs in Canada according to Canadian Business Magazine 2013 survey.
I had simple questions such as; are the "Oil Sands" developments in Fort McMurray an evil place of greed, deceit and environmental destruction? Or a wonder of human ingenuity, engineering, and scientific discovery? The answer is personal depending on your cultural learned values and or perspective but having been on the ground I feel Canada should be extremely proud of it's responsible energy development. The opportunities that will be available for individuals who take personal responsibility for their own welfare and diversify their labour skill set to enhance their standard of living especially over the next 30 years is incredible. Alberta is expected to grow from a province of 4M today into 7M+ by 2050, that is still less than the population of the Greater Toronto Area alone, however an incredible influx of people nonetheless which will drive further growth and business in many different sectors.
I took a less popular root west that landed me in North West Alberta, Grande Prairie to be exact. In the year that passed I learned a tremendous amount about myself and the hard skilled tradesman of our country. I learned a lot about physical/mental health, pipelines, oil extraction, surveying , health & safety not to mention the income opportunities that are available for the next generation of Canadians who decide to go west and write their own ticket. However with all that being said I am now officially residing back in my home province of Ontario, and back in the Nation's Capital, where I belong, I love being a quick 45 minute flight or VIA train ride to Toronto, and having an international network right at my doorstep. Just like any other educational degree, completing my apprenticeship is something I am very proud of and hold dearly, it required a lot of sacrifice, hard work and dedication and I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends, family and loved ones along the way. However now that the majority of the hard work has been completed, I look forward to continuing to learn and apply the lessons I acquired in the west into my practice and studies moving forward in the field of Management Consulting. Some important research I have discovered along the way is below, It is publications like this that help in continuing the knowledge development and healthy debate of how Canada will approach and develop our resources in the years to come to benefit the people of our country.
To learn more about where things are going in the sector please visit the Energy Policy Institute of Canada.
The 2012 Official Strategy and Publication can be downloaded HERE.
Happy Canada Day!
My best, - Jerome