FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ACTIMS is an acronym for the Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders. It is a not for profit organization representing three major Oilsands Owners, various Industrial Maintenance Contractors who work on these owners projects and the Building Trades Labour Providers.
- Shell Canada Ltd.
- Suncor Energy Inc.
- Syncrude Canada Ltd.
It is to ensure the timely acquisition of skilled and qualified workers for the oilsands owners’ turnarounds. Should the availability of skilled qualified Canadian workers be exhausted, the Group of Employers under ACTIMS has the ability to recruit workers from outside of Canada.
Should shortages be experienced by the Group of Employers, ACTIMS would make an application to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada for a labour market opinion on behalf of the Group of Employers. Once the application is approved by HRSDC a Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) with those specific skills and qualifications can be recruited.
No. Only industrial maintenance contractors who work at Syncrude, Suncor and Shell projects can participate. These contractors also are required to be approved by HRSDC and CIC prior to participating.
Participation in ACTIMS is on a voluntary basis and business drivers for each oilsands owner determines their need for participation.
It should be noted that although ACTIMS is not a direct employer, if you are hired under ACTIMS you can be transferred to another ACTIMS employer when you have completed your work assignment with the first employer.
Transferring to another ACTIMS employer is not mandatory. You may elect to request a layoff at which time your employer will provide you a return airfare to the destination from where you originally arrived in Canada.
No. ACTIMS policy is to ensure that a TFW employed in Canada is provided return transportation only to the place from where the person arrives from.
The arrangements for your transfer would be worked out between the two employers and the ACTIMS administrator.
You will not be paid any wages for the time that you will be waiting before you commence your next assignment. However, you will continue to be provided either camp accommodation or an accommodation allowance for up to a maximum of seven calendar days.
The Group of Employers under ACTIMS are aware that should the wait time exceed the seven calendar days, you will have the option either to be laid off and provided return transportation to the place from where you arrived in Canada or if you and the employer agree in writing to a further mutually agreed time period, in which case you will receive accommodation or an accommodation allowance for the period of the agreement.
Should you wish to do so you must notify your current employer and the ACTIMS Administrator. You must get authorization through Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a new work permit. You will forfeit the off-boarding privileges.
Once your work visa has been approved and you have all of the required documents in place your employer will provide you with all of the travel instructions.
Note: ACTIMS through its Onboarding process will ensure that your travel and other arrangements are completed in a timely manner.
If you live in a work visa exempt country and if you have been offered a position with an employer under ACTIMS you can be issued a work permit at the point of entry into Canada, provided that you have all other pertinent documents that are required to work in Canada.
You will be required to produce your passport, the Offer Letter of Employment from the employer and your qualifications pre-assessed by Apprenticeship & Industry Training Alberta.
You will require clothing that is suitable for the local weather conditions. Visit www.weathernetwork.com for specific weather information regarding all Canadian cities. Also visit www.albertacanada.com for other useful information. Please note, that with the exception of work boots and work clothes all other safety equipment will be provided to you.
Most ACTIMS employers pay their employees through a system of direct deposit banking.
Yes, you will be required to open a bank account at a Canadian financial institution and this will be completed during the Onboarding process
You will be living in a camp depending on which owner’s project your employer is working at. Your employer will provide you the information regarding the camp and how to get there.
Each camp is equipped with its own kitchen which serves three meals a day. Once you have registered in camp you will be given instructions as to where the kitchen is located, the hours of operation, etc.
Camp kitchens normally provide a lunch that you can pick up and take with you to your workplace. Normally there are lunch trailers located close to your work place that you can walk to for your lunch break. These lunch trailers are usually equipped with fridges, microwaves, etc.
A shuttle bus service operates between the camps and work sites. Look for the shuttle bus schedule on the camp notice board or check with your camp administration office.