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.   Continue reading →