Initiative produces the next generation of site-ready insulators in Wood Buffalo
July 17, 2025
Lindsay Carter grew up in a family of skilled trades. In March, she joined those ranks as an apprentice insulator.
“I come from a long line of trades, mostly men, and I’m super excited to be the first trades woman in my family,” says Carter. “I love challenging myself, whether it be new skills, physical fitness, reading, learning, traveling, I love new experiences.”
Lindsay was one of 12 graduates from the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region of an eight-week pre-trades program organized by Stuart Olson Industrial, a major contractor in the oil sands.
“Insulators are the top camp users for us in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region. We wanted to provide an opportunity for local residents who were interested in the opportunity by putting on a training program to prepare them to work at oil sands sites,” says Steve Jardine, Stuart Olson’s director of operations for northern Alberta. “We’ve worked with the Pathways Alliance, which represents some of the biggest oil sands producers in Canada, and received a lot of support for this idea. We want local people involved in the industry.”
Stuart Olson received support to hold the pre-trades program from Local 110 of the Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers Union, apprentice training programs and communities throughout the region.
“We reached out to Careers: The Next Generation, which works with high school students on apprenticeship training, as well as Women Building Futures, which works to provide apprenticeships to females. We also reached out to Indigenous communities in the region so people outside Fort McMurray knew about this opportunity,” says Jardine. “We wound up with more than 200 applicants and narrowed it down to a shortlist of 28, which we interviewed. We would have actually taken all 28 if we had the spots for them. But it shows the potential that exists to bring on talented local workers right here in the region.”
After completing the course, the 12 graduates started working as apprentice insulators at Suncor’s Base Mine and Syncrude’s Mildred Lake operation, both about a 30-minute commute from Fort McMurray.
“Most contractors have tried to do something like this multiple times rather than bring in people from outside the region and put them up in camps,” says Jardine. “Suncor, which is a Pathways member company, was really aligned with this initiative. We believe we can repeat these pre-trades courses in the future to bring on more local residents. We already have 16 candidates that we would have liked to take on from the first intake but didn’t have the room to do so.”
Ashley Paul, one of the 12 graduates, appreciated the opportunity to become involved in the industry.
“I was extremely interested in joining the trades industry, and when I saw that Stuart Olson was offering this free eight-week program, I thought that was the perfect opportunity for me to actually get into the industry,” Paul says. “I didn’t know much about the trade, but due to my instructors being very supportive and engaging, I feel confident that I will now be able to step into the field.”
Fellow graduate Ryan Chapman also feels ready to work at site.
“I’ve enjoyed the hands-on learning; it’s a whole new experience,” he says. “I’ve worked in the field; I’ve done many things through my working career. What I’ve loved most about this is the atmosphere, the people, and the journey it’s taking me on.”
A proud Cape Bretoner who has lived in Fort McMurray for 22 years, Jardine sees the merits in providing opportunities for young people whose families live in the region.
“This is now home for me and especially for my children, who were born and raised here. Like any parent, I want them to have opportunities to work where they grow up,” says Jardine. “Stuart Olson operates in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region in a joint venture with McMurray Métis Local 1935, who also want to prioritize opportunities in industry for local people. Building a local workforce has been a real passion of mine so it’s been great to see this come to fruition.”
