B.C coal mine's temporary workers from China will be here for years, maybe decades

This is idiotic, we have tons of unemployed.


We need some Soviet Russia to sort this out.

But our unemployed don't have the training to do this work. These projects have only been planned for 5 years, that's just not enough time to train anybody. Also, Canadians just aren't interested in $30/hr (and up) jobs, they all want to work at Starbucks.

I'm surprised that people in BC aren't willing to move north to work in those mines - at least that what the article seems to suggest. Here in Alberta, thousands of young bucks go north to work in the oil patch every year and make a killing doing so.

Sad state of affairs when we have to import people to make $80-100k per year...

Damn, that's twice today I agreed with you! (you were being sarcastic, right?)

5 years isn't enough to train anybody?

I doubt they're making $80-$100K. Probably more like $10 - 20K--which is the real reason they need the temporary workers.

Well there you have it - if Canadians don't want to do this work for a lower price, then of course we have to import people to do it. It's what we do for other industries, why not mining?

That's what the article quotes, but it all depends on the company I guess - I had a roommate who was a temporary worker for Bantrel Construction and he earned $125k a year while he was here.

If these staffing companies are unscrupulous, then, you're right, they probably will be paid less (with those staffing companies pocketing the difference).

Though there is a lot of truth to what you say, there is absolutly a case to be made that Canadians aren't interested in the kind of hard physical work or lifestyle sacrifices demanded by these kinds of jobs.

Though there is a lot of truth to what you say, there is absolutely a case to be made that Canadians aren't interested in the kind of hard physical work or lifestyle sacrifices demanded by these kinds of jobs.

Really? They'd rather work at McJobs? I think if you made training available to Canadians with a good chance of employment afterward, and some financial help during the training, (which they can repay if they get a good job) people would be lining up around the block for these jobs. Canadians used to do them, I knew a family who made a good life for themselves in Kimberley before the mine there shut down. I don't believe Canadians as a whole are that much different now.

Though there is a lot of truth to what you say, there is absolutely a case to be made that Canadians aren't interested in the kind of hard physical work or lifestyle sacrifices demanded by these kinds of jobs.

Really? They'd rather work at McJobs? I think if you made training available to Canadians with a good chance of employment afterward, and some financial help during the training, (which they can repay if they get a good job) people would be lining up around the block for these jobs. Canadians used to do them, I knew a family who made a good life for themselves in Kimberley before the mine there shut down. I don't believe Canadians as a whole are that much different now.

From what my brother tells me, an awful lot of people in central/northern BC grow 'special' crops (usually on Crown Land no less), so for it'd mean actually working instead of eating Cheetos and playing videogames, as well as a pay cut!

Why don't they do it like they do in Northern Saskatchewan. Workers in both the construction phase and in production live in Saskatoon, LaRonge, wherever they are from, fly in for a shift, live in a dorm and fly out 7, 10, 14 or whatever days later. Lots of northern people and people in Saskatoon do it and like it. You can buy a home in the city, raise a family there and when the mine shuts down move on to another with the same schedule.

Welllllllllllllllllllll, you just let the cat out of the bag now, didn't you?

I fully expect the next post of Curtmans to have an IP address direct from Pouce Coupe.

Welllllllllllllllllllll, you just let the cat out of the bag now, didn't you?

I fully expect the next post of Curtmans to have an IP address direct from Pouce Coupe.

Yer on a roll today buddy. I'm giggling over here.