Alberta Oilfield worker living in Ontario feeling overwhelmed

Submitted by Teddy Smith from London, Ontario

I just thought I’d share a bit with what’s going on in my life. I’ve worked the service rigs for 20 years+, had some absolutely amazing times, met some truly awesome people, but most importantly I was doing a job I was in love with. The pride that I got from doing a job I knew drove the world was a fantastic feeling.

In October of 2018 my 74 yr old mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and in December my 84 year old father passed away.

Coupled with the 100% debilitating federal and provincial government towards our pristine oil fields I found myself out of work for the first time in my rigging career. I decided to sell almost everything I own and pack up and move myself, my wife and my dogs in with my mother to help look after her. She lives in London, Ontario.

My heart is Albertan. My soul bleeds oil and I am truly feeling overwhelmed by the overall general sense of ‘suck it up’ Alberta that I get from the general population of people here in Ontario. Every person I talk to here in Ontario has absolutely no idea what it’s like to work in the patch, no respect for what we do and all they come back with is you got paid really good money to do what you did, you should have set money aside for a rainy day… well how the hell to you do that with it’s been pouring for the last 5 years???

The people in Ontario don’t care how Albertans feel. They make fun of us on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. They don’t understand and they are unwilling to learn how we have the most ethical, cleanest, safest oil in the world.

There comes a time when one says I’ve had enough!!

I want to see us stop importing oil and using 100% Canadian refined oil and gas.

We need the media outlets to stop twisting Alberta’s story and get the truth out there.

We need to stop the indoctrination of youth in our school system into thinking oil is bad.

We definitely need to stop the equalization payments.

I want our voices to be hear loud and clear and it’s NOT happening here. The word is not getting out!

People need to stop stifling our clean oil!!! I don’t understand at all, it’s truly heart breaking.

This is coming from someone that lives, breathes Alberta but due to tragic circumstances I’m being suffocated here in Ontario and I’m asking for help. Help me help the province that has given me the best times of my life. Help me save ALBERTA!

Canadian energy needs more faces showing the plight of our disgruntled energy workers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

I am by no means a politician just a very humbled righand who chose to make his family’s personal life very public in the Hope’s of providing a better understanding to the uneducated/misinformed masses of the east in regards to the current state of our great western provinces.

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Duane Rolheiser

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Published on January 21, 2025

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Is There Any Canadian Province More Proud of their Premier Today…

Published on January 21, 2025

Todayville

Prior to Trumps inauguration event and announcement was made that Trump would not be imposing the 25% tariffs…

Which means, Canada seriously dodged a bullet here.

And while the Liberals will most likely frame this as, their success in showing, Bad Orange Man, that they’re tough and ready to burn down what is left of our economy, throwing Alberta under the bus, first…through a nuclear option…

Premier Smith rode this challenge out like the true champion we knew that she would be.

It’s hard to say if this was a legality matter in the grander scheme…or if the 25% tariffs would have truly been as big of an impact on the US…

One thing is clear, however…

Smith was ready to go to the tables with the Trump administration and opt for diplomacy over threats…which should be what we expect from our leaders.

And should these 25% tariffs have gone through…I’m more than sure a Plan B would have been brought out in civil conversations, over screeching rhetoric.

“She’s treasonous”, they screeched.

“She’s supporting her friends in Oil and Gas”, they relent.

“She should put Canada first”, they echo…

And let’s just address these…

Is Walmart beholden to Campbells soup? Fruit of the Loom? Kraft?

Or does Walmart sell products that helps keep their doors open?

Walmart is not beholden to any product…just like Premier Smith isn’t. We have 26% of our GDP – the largest portion – owed to Alberta O&G, something that we have a limited trade partner with, due to the Liberal – Anti-Alberta/Anti-O&G/Anti-Pipeline attitude that wants to spend us further in debt with unreliable and expensive “Renewables”.

What does Alberta get from renewables?

A higher cost for energy, in an affordability crisis, created by the same people who continue to push them…sounds like a terrible deal, for Albertans, and something a true leader would Not Favor.

When Walmart sits down to hash out a deal with Heinz, are they committing treason because they haven’t shown their allegiance to their own, ‘Great Value’ brand Ketchup?

No…other provinces have their own industries and resources, which they are free to continue developing independent of the federal government, as is suitable and supportive of their own economies…Alberta isn’t competing with them, nor Canada as a whole.

Alberta through industry and resource, actually supports Canada through a grand imbalance on “Equalization Payments”…

As do we through paying 50% more into the Canada Pension Plan, than we actually get out of the Canada Pension Plan…to the tune of a $334 Billion Dollars.

And as for this “Team Canada”, horseshit…

The title Premier of Alberta, should hold some clues as to who Premier Smith should be advocating for…as she is the Premier of Alberta and Not the Prime Minister, nor leader in the Liberal Party that has created this fiasco, to begin with.

Rail, as they may…other provinces can’t cast a vote in her support, either way…

None of the other provinces, through Members of Parliament, nor through Premiers, came to support Alberta and our economy through a number of Federal Bills that railed on our provincial resources…

Worse yet…these hypocrites cash cheques from our province, while telling us how to diversify our economy…to which I’d state one thing unequivocally…

If we wanted to be a Have Not Province…like you are…we’ll come and ask you for your advice.

Until then…

I’ll hold my Alberta Flag Higher than my Canadian…

And be proud today, of having the only Premier in the country of Canada, worthy of any praise today!