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Thread: working up north? mining/exploration?

  1. #1
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    working up north? mining/exploration?

    anyone have any experience working up north (yukon/nwt/nunavut/etc) in mining and/or exploration? i'm looking to find temporary work this spring/summer. want to work a lot of hours, for good money, doesn't matter where (i'll live out of my tent pretty much anywhere on this continent).

    thoughts?

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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Schemeboat View Post

    i've heard of that outfit before...you ever work for them personally?

  4. #4
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    I have worked with them on many projects, but not for them. Solid crews.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by jeffro83 View Post
    anyone have any experience working up north (yukon/nwt/nunavut/etc) in mining and/or exploration? i'm looking to find temporary work this spring/summer. want to work a lot of hours, for good money, doesn't matter where (i'll live out of my tent pretty much anywhere on this continent).

    thoughts?

    can you survey? I got a ski bud with a company who could probably use someone right now

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    can you survey? I got a ski bud with a company who could probably use someone right now
    only ever assisted in survey work, apart from personal property surveying w/ friends/family in northern ontario. would need a refresher if there were any specific requirements. also...i'm not available for work right now. after the ski season, i've got time galore (instructing at the hill for my pass this season).

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    www.ranex.ca

    Pretty badass little company. Will send you to the boonies. Based out of Smithers, BC.

  8. #8
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    Any more companies like these in america? I'm assuming that you probably need to be canadian to work for either of the other companies

  9. #9
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    I have never worked with these guys but was thinking of it this summer. They have Juneau, Whitehorse and Yellowknife offices. Lots of work in AK and across all of canada. I kind of want to get back into the work because every job is an authentic adventure. It's EXPLORATION, bro!


    http://www.aurorageosciences.com/ser...g_exploration/

  10. #10
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    I know Smithers is big in drilling so just for yucks I looked in the local yellow pages

    apex drilling ,Bearcreek contracting, Black hawk drilling, Double D, driftwood,Edvan, geotech,Hytech,Lyncorp and thats just whats listed

    My buddies project shut down SO ...more time to ski

  11. #11
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    I've worked the last 3 field seasons in exploration in BC. If you wanted work, you should have been at roundup in Vancouver last week. I got two job offers even though I made it clear I wasn't looking for work.

    Samthaman, there should be plenty going on in AK. Not sure about temporary work in Canada for Americans. Seems like they'd rather give visa to those assholes from the penal colony than to our biggest trading partner.

    Be aware that most exploration work up north won't be starting until at least May when the snow melts. Exception might be at very large camps or operating mines (I hear that Pretivm resources is getting Brucejack lake going very early this year)

    For AK, I'd be willing to get that someone on this list would know someone who is hiring:
    http://www.alaskaminers.org/links.html

    For Canada, each province has it's own chamber of mines that can provide lists of companies that worked in that province / territory last year. That's always a good place to start.

    Good luck! If you find something, you'll have a shit ton of fun, make lots of $$ (assuming you don't waste it while on break) and meet some amazing people.
    Quote Originally Posted by Smoke
    Cell phones are great in the backcountry. If you're injured, you can use them to play Tetris, which helps pass the time while waiting for cold embrace of Death to envelop you.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    I know Smithers is big in drilling so just for yucks I looked in the local yellow pages

    apex drilling ,Bearcreek contracting, Black hawk drilling, Double D, driftwood,Edvan, geotech,Hytech,Lyncorp and thats just whats listed

    My buddies project shut down SO ...more time to ski

    Driftwood drilled for me on a couple of projects in the Yukon. Real good guys IMO.

  13. #13
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    I should mention that last thursday Hytech sponsored prizes/free appys in the ski-hill bar aka "Thrilling Thursdays" (remember that Jake?) and they were also talking about running a Driller's Helper course which would give you all the necessary tickets & 1st aid along with some time on a drill which would likely just about guarrantee you a job

    I seem to remember hearing they are definatley the largest drilling company in town and really big in the grand scheme of things elsewhere, I am kind of new in town but looking at the management team I certainly recognize some faces

    http://www.hy-techdrilling.com/corporate/employment/#

    the community college also has a school of mining & exploration

    http://sem.nwcc.bc.ca/

  14. #14
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    This is really interesting... I'm still looking at schools, but this could be a sweet summer job to get money for the school year/ski season... I've also been looking into tree planting, I had a friend that did that over a summer.

  15. #15
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    Treeplanting or fire fighting are the time honored drudgeries to make the coin for uni up here

    A lot of hiring is/was already done during reading break for fire fighting ... Tree planting is probably the easiest work to get into

  16. #16
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    Read into the fire fighting, that looks really interesting.

    Anyone here have any experience with it? Or know anyone who has done it?

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tupp- View Post
    Read into the fire fighting, that looks really interesting.

    Anyone here have any experience with it? Or know anyone who has done it?
    have a lot of friends in ontario who've been firefighting for years. they usually get shipped out to BC, AB, WA, MT, etc if it's a wet/slow season back east. they make buttloads of money, eat like kings, the work doesn't seem to be too horrendous (all things considered), but it's true...if you value ANY time off during the late spring/summer/early fall, it might not be the line of work to get into. guitarist and good buddy from my last band kept working his way up the ranks for ontario fires. we jammed twice in 5 months. that part sucked.

  18. #18
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    Gf's kids are both into the FF to make big coin for uni, apparently the stress test/ interview was at reading break which was in FEB(?) and then you would have found out today if you got invited to boot camp in Chilliwack which still doesn't mean you got the job

    it sounds like it might be a good idea to apply in the town where you grew up because the interviewers might know you from sports ...they want tough atheletic people

    if it's a really good season you might get on with a private contracter doing fire mop up but that's not a sure thing, I think you missed the boat ... look at tree planting

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    Gf's kids are both into the FF to make big coin for uni, apparently the stress test/ interview was at reading break which was in FEB(?) and then you would have found out today if you got invited to boot camp in Chilliwack which still doesn't mean you got the job

    it sounds like it might be a good idea to apply in the town where you grew up because the interviewers might know you from sports ...they want tough atheletic people

    if it's a really good season you might get on with a private contracter doing fire mop up but that's not a sure thing, I think you missed the boat ... look at tree planting
    An update for anybody ever contemplating FF for next time, rookie boot camp was last weekend, we found out sunday night that the rookie passed BUT all that means is the rookie is considered hireable ... still no job offer

  20. #20
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    AME roundup is coming up again. Anyone going to be in attendance?

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by BeardedClam View Post
    AME roundup is coming up again. Anyone going to be in attendance?
    You bet.

  22. #22
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    I'm hoping to. It depends if / when we hire someone, if I can get out of the office that week.

    Sounds like there isn't going to be much work this summer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Smoke
    Cell phones are great in the backcountry. If you're injured, you can use them to play Tetris, which helps pass the time while waiting for cold embrace of Death to envelop you.

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