(Part of a series of blog postings from Graham Hicks'  two-day tour of PTI Group lodge-hotels in the Canadian oilsands) 

Why would anybody want to work thousands of kilometres away from home, working 12-hour days for weeks on end in very isolated conditions in Northern Alberta?

Because of the money ... and the community ... and the working conditions.

PTI Group - the owner/operators of some 20 worksite lodges/hotels in isolated parts of Canada - has no problem hiring workers, from housekeepers, to cooks, to maintenance, to managers.

Number One: The money. The rule of thumb in the oilsands is the average salary is about three times what it would be in urban Canada. A housekeeper at a PTI Lodge would likely earn $100,000 a year, working normally on a three weeks on/one week off schedule, plus regular holidays. Room and board is paid for. (Most of the oilsands is unionized). All workers receive an extra $400 a month travel allowance to fly home on their week off. 

Number Two: The lifestyle and its perks. If the worker and his/her family can adjust to the lifestyle, the workers tend, in today's economy, to be permanent. The high disposable income means many can purchase beautiful houses in their home towns in various parts of Canada, or purchase a dream home in the Okanagan, for instance ... which they can use one week of the month and on holidays.  And when you're at home, you're 100% with the wife and kids with no work distractions.

Number Three: The workplace community. Given the continuous time spent together, lodge/hotel staff have to get along.  If somebody doesn't fit in, they don't last long of their own volition. PTI appears very good at creating community. In fact, many stay well into their retirement years - their PTI community becomes their de-facto community.  "I had a lovely place in the Caribbean," says one 72-year-old, still highly valued by the company for his skills. "But I was lonely. This is my community."