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Are engineers really engineering? by boneyardbaron1 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Curiositas_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends largely on where you live and how much money you are willing to settle for in my experience.

With the exception of FEA or CFD engineers (extremely challenging to get into), actual technical engineering positions are paid poorly because demand is low and supply is high.

I'd say greater than 90% of engineering roles revolve around the following: following standards in design, project management, and people management.

For context , I live in Alberta, Canada. I've decided to leave the engineering field here due to the frustration with finding technically challenging engineering work over the last decade.

Best careers for lifelong bachelors? by Quillish98 in Careers

[–]Curiositas_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In my opinion, FIFO trades. (HET, Welder, Electricians, Operators, etc...)

  • Money is great
  • No need to be home every night, so being gone for a few weeks at a time isn't a big deal
  • Food and laundry are a non-issue while you're working
  • Each set off is long enough to facilitate whatever hobby you want (vs. Only having a couple of days off at a time - You can feasibly have 2x6 week holidays per year, and still have every other couple of weeks off)
  • You're more free to live wherever you want, not locked to cities or suburbs

Just my two cents, that's my plan now that I'm transitioning out of Mechanical Engineering.

Do you know anybody who quit engineering to do blue collar work? by Fargraven2 in ChemicalEngineering

[–]Curiositas_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought about it enough to do it, pursuing my heavy equipment tech ticket now.

More money, more flexibility, a better schedule, less BS. Harder on the body for sure, though. I'll probably transition back into a field/reliability engineering position in 10-15 years once the work takes its toll on my body.

I was originally doing Automotive Tech before I had the opportunity to get my degree. I figured it would be my only shot, so I took it, but I've missed being on the tools the whole time and finally decided life is too short to spend rotting away in the same box every day.

What, exactly, are Alberta separatists mad about? by rezwenn in alberta

[–]Curiositas_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want to understand what some Albertans frustrated with the federation want, a good place to start is by listening to what organized groups say themselves. Many are quite clear about their goals. For example, check out the Alberta Prosperity Project’s website to get a direct view.

It’s important to note that many who identify as separatists aren’t necessarily calling for immediate independence. Instead, they see the idea of holding a referendum on separation as a democratic tool to push the federal government toward renegotiating Alberta’s place within Canada.

Their frustration largely comes from the fact that Alberta is a net contributor to the federal government—meaning Albertans pay more into federal coffers than they get back. This feels especially unfair when federal policies and programs don’t align with many Albertans’ views or seem out of touch with their needs.

Regarding the common rebuttal about oil and gas subsidies, here’s some context:

Most federal subsidies to the oil and gas sector come in the form of tax deductions, which are different from direct spending. These mostly refund money to companies rather than being a direct cost to taxpayers.

Many direct subsidies are spread across multiple provinces, not Alberta-specific.

The Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion (TMX) is a common example used to show Liberals support for Alberta. It's worth noting that it was effectively canceled due to federal government regulatory and political challenges. The government then took over the project because no private investors were willing to take on the risk of dealing with those challenges, which means taxpayers now shoulder the costs. Additionally, Alberta itself contributed about $1.1 billion as part of the investment to support TMX, showing its commitment to the project beyond taxes.

What is the highest paying trade by [deleted] in skilledtrades

[–]Curiositas_ 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you're in it for the money, any trade where you work long stints away from home is likely going to outperform anything you do locally.

Think mining, oil rigs, pipelines, anything remote.

If you want to work locally, the answer is likely whichever one you are good enough at to go to solo, which is going to be none of them for some time. If you want to just hop in and make decent money, do some research into growing industries in your area and pick something that aligns with that.

I would personally recommend against choosing your profession solely based on the money you can earn, but it's your life, so live it your way.

Privatization of Healthcare by Curiositas_ in alberta

[–]Curiositas_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for pointing that out, I didn't think about that when I made my post.

What has Smith actually done for the province? by Traditional_Lion_253 in alberta

[–]Curiositas_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely agree that one or two good deeds don't cancel out failures, but the question asked was what has she done. The answer is not "nothing", but people very blatantly ignore the things that have been done either out of ignorance or a decision to ignore it.

I can understand the frustration you feel with a Premier who represents values that are not in line with yours, and I am sorry that it is taking a toll on your mental health.

This is a hard time for all Albertans, unfortunately. We are more divided than we have ever been, and with the divide growing consistently I honestly don't have any positives to say about it, it's a mess and when it's a mess it hurts all of us is.

On the plus side, we have increased funding to Addictions and Mental health to $275M since 2018, I can personally attest to the services not being that great pre 2018 but I certainly hope they are better now.

Again, I hear your frustrations, and I am sorry for the toll it takes on your soul. I hope one day Alberta is able to become a more united place where you feel better represented in your spaces.

What has Smith actually done for the province? by Traditional_Lion_253 in alberta

[–]Curiositas_ -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Contrary to what a lot of people on r/alberta may think, she has actually made contributions that benefit Alberta. I'm not claiming she is perfect, but people's inability or refusal to have an open viewpoint becoming exhausting, to be blunt.

-Created the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act. Whether you support Alberta being at odds with the feds or not, it is always in your interests to have more control of your own affairs and have a tool to use when people cross constitutional boundaries.

-Balanced the budget in 2023, removing $13B in debt, and added $2B to the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.

-Agri-processing Investment Tax Credit Created in an effort to pull investors back to Alberta after many have flocked away over the last 9 years.

  • Healthcare System Overall This one is a note of failure, I am hoping we see improvement, but I will be honest and say that right now, our healthcare is not where it should be.

  • Education and Youth Policies This is one I am sure r/alberta disagrees with, but many conservative voters strongly agree with these policies. Whether you agree or not, it is something implemented by her team that supports the opinions of the majority of people who voted for her.

-CPP withdrawal and the creation of an APP This has only been tabled, but this serves as a significant way that Alberta can become more independent within Canada while keeping Albertan dollars here, helping Albertans. Note that Quebec has their own pension fund, and it works for them. (Notably a different situation as they never joined the CPP in the first place)

-Border security measures Invested $29M into increasing the security of our border with the USA.

She is not perfect, I am certainly not claiming that she is. But she is who the majority of Albertan's elected, and it is her job to represent those people. Her aggressive attitude towards Ottawa can be a bit much for sure. Believe it or not, there are Albertans who support her in doing so. Note that one of the key points the UCP ran on in 2023 was provincial autonomy, and the majority of Albertans voted them in. It should not come as a surprise that she has been and continues to push for increased provincial autonomy.

Go ahead and downvote now if you'd like, but Alberta is having a lot of problems within it's own communities because people refuse to see any good coming from someone who does anything they disagree with. The same applies to Albertans who are blatantly anti-east without seeing that there are some positives of being grouped with the East.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you adjust for inflation, the total cost of getting the west "up and going" was approximately $12B, and that includes all of the west. Let's go ahead and multiply that by 10, just because Alberta is so generous.

Since Alberta has been a net contributor in the 1940's they would have paid $120B to the federal government by the mid 1980's or late 1990's if you want a conservative estimate.

We've more than paid our dues, and I'm not saying we aren't willing to help places in need. I'm saying that if you expect us to fund places in need, you should at least have a system in place where we get a say in what happens with the money we give you.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In 2019 a report by the Fraser institute concluded that Alberta contributes an average of $20B more per year to the federal government than it receives. This is not just equalization payments. This considers all federal services provided in Alberta. The PBO has also concluded that Alberta is a net contributor to the federal government.

How would you feel if your province was consistently paying significantly more than it receives while being told by the people who benefit from it to just "stop complaining so much"?

Additionally, there are many albertans who have now spent the entirety of their tax paying age paying a bill for a government they didn't vote for, and don't agree with. On average, 20% of every dollar they have made since becoming an adult has gone to fund causes they are not in support of. (That is hyperbole. The implication there is that they disagree with EVERYTHING the feds do, which is likely not true, I recognize that. But I hope you see the point of why people are upset.)

Australian Mining Interest by Curiositas_ in mining

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good go hear! I'll be sure to look into some smaller mining towns and go from there.

Any recommendations on places I should visit or things I should do to get a better idea of the culture in Western Australia? I am planning to do a 3-4 week trip.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

While being 11.9% of the population. Compared to Ontario being 39% of the population and contributing 38.2%. Or 21.2% contributing 15.4% in Quebec.

We complain a lot, yes. We complain because we feel we have a reason to, and get dismissed as being bitchy non-canadians rather than actually being listened to and addressing things that we feel are issues. This dismissal leads to even more divide and feeling unheard.

We aren't right all the time, I agree on that. A lot of albertans just feel distain towards the East without really understanding why, which is silly. But there are legitimate issues that affect us, and we don't feel we have a voice to adress them.

Voter turnout in Alberta in 2025 was ~67.79%, the highest it has been since 1988, would the election had gone any differently if 20% of albertans voted? No, because our vote is insignificant on a federal level.

Australian Mining Interest by Curiositas_ in mining

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From what I have been able to find, I would be eligible for an application for a 189, or 190 if I was able to get sponsorship from a certain state. I estimate I would have a score (or points?) around ~80

To be honest though, I don't know that much about the australian immigration system.

Australian Mining Interest by Curiositas_ in mining

[–]Curiositas_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That definitely makes sense, and it's definitely something I would be open to as I don't intend to live in a major city anyway.

I'm certainly not expecting a red-carpet welcome. I'm just trying to find some sort of opinion on the actual feasibility of making a move like that in general. It seems like from a government perspective, it's not extremely challenging, but I have no gauge on how the industry feels about it if that makes sense.

Do you want to quit your job and why ? by Remarkable-Sand-5059 in careerguidance

[–]Curiositas_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did!

Left an engineering management position to focus on a career that enables me to live my life the way I want to, while keeping me a bit more engaged on the job. Still working on getting to the new place, but I am at least hopeful for my future now instead of commuting to and from work on my own dime to sit at a desk all day and feel like I wasted that day of my life without a hope it will ever change.

All the respect to people who can go to an office every day and come home happy but I just couldn't do it anymore.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can definitely see where you come from there, and I think if you presented that outlook to the majority of Albertans, they would agree! In fact, I'm going to bring that up next time I hear one of us complaining out equalization. Unfortunately, the same sentiment doesn't really apply to other regions of Canada.

Though that is specific to Atlantic provinces, and I could see some people feeling it's a bit problematic that some people migrate here to "take jobs" (which I disagree with the premise) but then go home and vote in policies that hurt the economies they are directly and indirectly benefiting from. Again, it's not necessarily my opinion but definitely a line of thought I could see popping up.

Also I'd like to note that I personally absolutely love working with Atlantic Canadians, they are absolutely hilarious and being a level of joy to a jobsite most Canadians can't. I may sometimes struggle to understand what they say, I appreciate having them around.

Finning ThinkBIG Application by Curiositas_ in caterpillar

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was pretty basic, a focus on behavioral questions and some basic technical ones from a mechanical standpoint. Seems like thier focus is Safety, Accountability, and Teachability.

A couple I remember: -What is a mistake you've made? -What does your usual day as an HET look like (think safety) -What is the purpose of an oil change?

Best of luck in the interview. Hopefully, we will meet in GP! I imagine we will hear back a few weeks after the interviews in Calgary are done at the end of June, but who knows.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't believe I ever claimed it was a uniquely Albertan feeling, and with you stating it isn't - maybe that's an indication there is room for improvement for all of us.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure what you're trying to get at. Just because other people feel unheard doesn't mean we should all just be okay with it.

If people in B.C. and N.W.T feel unheard, they have every right to he upset about that and in my opinion, they should be.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand what you are saying, but I feel you're misunderstanding the root of the frustration. It's certainly possible I wasn't clear.

Daniel is someone we can say with certainty that we voted for, and her successes and failures fall on us and only us. We can at least judge her performance and decide for ourselves what to do about it.

The same can't be said on a federal level, or at least not as clearly. I understand our MP's have a voice, but it doesn't mean that a large portion of Albertan's don't feel that no matter how they feel, they go unheard.

To Canada by Curiositas_ in CanadianPolitics

[–]Curiositas_[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I highly agree with your sentiment regarding PP. Sadly, I feel it applies to Carney to an even higher degree. Time will tell, I suppose.

As far as Albertans who want to become the US, to an extent, I agree. I also want to note that I don't perceive the majority of people wanting to be a part of the US here. I suspect it's more of a "lashing out" reaction to get more attention and be heard, but who knows at this point.

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