There are unskilled jobs - night watchman, etc. But they don't pay any better than working retail in an oil town (working at Tim Horton's in Fort Mac pays $18/h

There are unskilled jobs - night watchman, etc. But they don't pay any better than working retail in an oil town (working at Tim Horton's in Fort Mac pays $18/hr). Cost of living is high in these places (because there is such demand for labour and property). A person working unskilled labour in an oil town isn't living any better than someone doing the same in NYC or SF. The jobs that do pay much better in the O&G industry than elsewhere are skilled jobs - heavy equipment operator, millwright, pipefitter, etc. You'll generally need a Red Seal or equivalent certification for these.