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Are you
thinking about moving to Alberta to work in the oil
industry but have no idea which city would make a
great home? Alberta Oil Careers brings you the Guide
to Oil Patch Cities in Alberta which will help you
find a new place to call home.
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Oil Patch Cities in Alberta |
1.
Fort McMurray Alberta
Fort McMurray (or as it is commonly referred to,
“Fort McMoney”) is located in northern Alberta along
the Saskatchewan border in the Regional Municipality
of Wood Buffalo. Now technically Fort McMurray is no
longer incorporated so it is not listed as a city,
but it has a population large enough to make
several. The population of Fort McMurray in 2006 was
tallied at almost 65,000 people and the “city” has a
projected population of about 100,000 before 2012.
Albertans make up about 50% of the Fort McMurray
population followed by almost 40% of migrants from
the Atlantic Provinces that for the most part were
in search of work.
Being in heart of the Athabasca Oil Sands makes Fort
McMurray one of North America’s major oil producers,
but Fort McMurray’s economy also relies on the
traditional oil sector, natural gas, and forestry.
Known as a “boomtown” Fort McMurray’s economy is
growing at an exponential rate opening the doors for
people in search of work. Right now there is an
endless supply of job openings in Fort McMurray for
anyone willing to relocate there.
There are several things you should consider before
moving to Fort McMurray; living costs are far higher
then one would expect from a comparably small
northern Alberta area, and you are in a remote
location. Aside from those two small factors Fort
McMurray is an excellent place to live and find
work.
2. Grande Prairie Alberta
Grande Prairie in the main city in Northwestern
Alberta and is one of Canada’s fastest growing
cities with a population of just over 47,000 with a
growth rate of 23%. Grande Prairie is Alberta’s
seventh largest city, and the biggest city between
Edmonton and Alaska. Grande Prairie is surrounded by
farmland and vast boreal forests.
The major industries in Grande Prairie are oil,
natural gas, forestry, and agriculture. Although
Grande Prairie is not known to be a “boomtown” there
are still plenty of high paying jobs to be had by
hard workers in the oil, gas, and forestry
industries.
3. Edmonton Alberta
Edmonton is the Capital city of Alberta and boasts
the provinces second largest population with over
730,000 permanent residents. Edmonton is the staging
point for the large scale oil sands projects in
northern Alberta as well as the Northwest
Territories large diamond operations. Edmonton is
one of two oil headquarters in Alberta where many
oil companies base their operations from.
There are plenty of jobs to be had in Edmonton with
oil and gas companies as well as in the oilfield
service sector. If you are looking for a corporate
job in the oil sector then Edmonton is a perfect
place to start looking.
4. Red Deer Alberta
Red Deer Alberta’s third largest city behind Calgary
and Edmonton with a population of 83,000 and is
located almost directly between the two on the
Calgary-Edmonton corridor. Red Deer’s economy is
primarily focused on the oil and gas industry but
also includes cattle production and grain.
Red Deer has a booming oil sector with lots of job
opportunities available in the exploration,
production, service, and maintenance sub sectors.
Red Deer is an exceptional place to live with lots
of employment opportunities, reasonable living
costs, as well as great neighborhoods and schools
for families.
5. Calgary Alberta
Calgary is Alberta’s largest city (by population)
with a population count of just over 988,000 and is
the third largest city in Canada. Calgary is located
in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in Southern
Alberta
Calgary’s economy is dominated by the oil and gas
industry and is home to the behemoths of the oil
industry such as: British Petroleum, EnCana,
Imperial, Shell, Petro Canada, Suncor, and
TransCanada, as well as thousands of smaller oil and
gas companies which lead to many job possibilities.
Calgary is an expensive city to live in and there
isn’t very much affordable housing which makes it
hard for someone moving to Calgary on a fixed
budget. If you do not have a tight budget then
Calgary is a great place to live but for those of
you that do then you may want to look into a smaller
city that is more affordable.
6. Brooks Alberta
Brooks is one of Alberta’s newest cities (2005) with
a population of 12,000 and is located southeast of
Calgary in Southern Alberta in what is commonly
referred to as the “Canadian Badlands.”
Brooks’ economy is solely driven by the oil and gas
industry which is why it is often called an “oil
patch town.” There are many companies in Brooks in
need of skilled/unskilled employees, in Brooks many
people find a new job the same day they begin
looking for one.
On top of the excellent job market Brooks has a very
reasonable cost of living, with plenty of affordable
apartments and houses.
Recommended Links
City of Fort McMurray Official Website
City of Grande Prairie Official Website
City of Edmonton Official Website
City of Red Deer Official Website
City of Calgary Official Website
City
of Brooks Official Website
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