steady work for a licensed carpenter in the more rural areas of ontario?

My girlfriend and are eager to leave the GTA and move to a more rural area/unorganized township in Ontario within a couple years. Where exactly has yet to be determined. I grew up in the GTA and have never struggled to find work as a carpenter here. My biggest concern leaving the GTA is finding steady work out in the country. I am expecting to drive further distances to reach jobsites but that's not a big deal at all actually. Also, assuming that the most development and work will be in and around the larger cities. I am Red Seal Certified and can back it up skill/knowledge/experience wise in most areas of carpentry and i can jump right in pretty much with any crew right away. Any general contractors or carpenters here that wanna chime in? Ideally i want to be self employed but might take a year or two to meet other tradesmen first.......thanks guys

Up here in the Soo and area, there are many, many carpenters and associated trades people. They are all surviving? With your skills you should be dumping the rats nest quagmire of southern Ont as fast as you can.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Moe

Kirkland gold is hiring over 80 workers. Check it out see who they need. Check the mines around Timmins. Goldcorp and Lakeshore. Good luck

---

thanks for your reply. i did check their website and there are no carpenter positions available. I am hoping to stay in my trade. I will keep checking though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bushmoose

Up here in the Soo and area, there are many, many carpenters and associated trades people. They are all surviving? With your skills you should be dumping the rats nest quagmire of southern Ont as fast as you can.

---

it is getting ridiculous down here haha. just too many people and the cost of living is outrageous. a lot of hack tradesmen doing sloppy work for cheap and setting that as the new monetary precedence. petty frustrating.

The further north you go the less work there is during the winter months. Once late November rolls around most building sites are dormant til April.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c.ken.81

My girlfriend and are eager to leave the GTA and move to a more rural area/unorganized township in Ontario within a couple years. Where exactly has yet to be determined. I grew up in the GTA and have never struggled to find work as a carpenter here. My biggest concern leaving the GTA is finding steady work out in the country. I am expecting to drive further distances to reach jobsites but that's not a big deal at all actually. Also, assuming that the most development and work will be in and around the larger cities. I am Red Seal Certified and can back it up skill/knowledge/experience wise in most areas of carpentry and i can jump right in pretty much with any crew right away. Any general contractors or carpenters here that wanna chime in? Ideally i want to be self employed but might take a year or two to meet other tradesmen first.......thanks guys

---

I sure admire your desire to get out of Toronto. I have a friend who did the same thing 15 years ago. He moved his family to Temagami,stared his own business alone by building decks,docks,cottages and eventually houses. He has enough steady work to keep him and his family very comfortable and happy. He said the secret is to start small and gradually take on more work,but,not so much that you're swamped or need to hire trades people to finish jobs on time and on budget. I wish you the same luck as him. Good on you.

Temagami is beautiful. That is exactly the environment we are hoping to settle in. And I see myself starting out small doing renovations, decks, etc just like your friend. I imagine once the ball gets rolling and the work starts piling up that I will probably be more busy than I want to be haha.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

i have friends that are in cottage country that want work done but cant get people to even come and quote the job and then have to hire from out of area. I think that there is a need for this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by machron

i have friends that are in cottage country that want work done but cant get people to even come and quote the job and then have to hire from out of area. I think that there is a need for this.

---

I have heard this a lot too actually from people living in the kawarthas.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

I guess it depends on how far from the city you want to go. Lots of carpenters sitting in Barrie and probably Innisfil. I know a carpenter that lives in Bradford. They do work everywhere, even on my house in Oakville. He's flat out busy, but that's because he's willing to drive to the work. What is your end goal, get well way from civilization, or get far enough from GTA to enjoy the country/lakes/wildlife? I think the answer is different, depending on what you really want to achieve.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MarkB

I guess it depends on how far from the city you want to go. Lots of carpenters sitting in Barrie and probably Innisfil. I know a carpenter that lives in Bradford. They do work everywhere, even on my house in Oakville. He's flat out busy, but that's because he's willing to drive to the work. What is your end goal, get well way from civilization, or get far enough from GTA to enjoy the country/lakes/wildlife? I think the answer is different, depending on what you really want to achieve.

---

The end goal? Glad you asked. We want to homestead and have a close to self sufficient, off the grid life. It's going to take many years to get there but ultimately that is the end goal.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c.ken.81

I have heard this a lot too actually from people living in the kawarthas.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

---

Alot of people from my area are working in whitby/ajax/oshawa in the unions, and then doing sidejobs on weekends/evenings, so if you want something done, you are really on their schedule,

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by machron

Alot of people from my area are working in whitby/ajax/oshawa in the unions, and then doing sidejobs on weekends/evenings, so if you want something done, you are really on their schedule,

---

I have been in and out of the carpenter's union the last 15 years and I know that I hate the ICI sector. Much prefer to work on houses.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by c.ken.81

Temagami is beautiful. That is exactly the environment we are hoping to settle in. And I see myself starting out small doing renovations, decks, etc just like your friend. I imagine once the ball gets rolling and the work starts piling up that I will probably be more busy than I want to be haha.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

---

It always helps when the community you are planning on moving to, is to get involved with a service club. This way you get to meet club members that are from the community and start to build relationships/trust. Small communities will see you as an outsider and may not roll out the welcome mat for you. A very big difference coming from the big city moving to a small community where everyone knows each other. Good luck and enjoy your new adventure !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yellow dog

It always helps when the community you are planning on moving to, is to get involved with a service club. This way you get to meet club members that are from the community and start to build relationships/trust. Small communities will see you as an outsider and may not roll out the welcome mat for you. A very big difference coming from the big city moving to a small community where everyone knows each other. Good luck and enjoy your new adventure !

---

Great advice. Thanks. I will definitely keep that in mind. I do volunteer at a health care centre once a week here and am planning on continuing some sort of volunteer work when we move. And I am expecting a bit of attitude from the locals when they find out we are from Toronto. It won't phase me too much..

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

I know that Lakehead University just finished a carpenter position hire, here in Thunder Bay. I'll let you know if I hear of another position opening up - I don't know where the positions are advertised.

There are a few unorganized municipalities in the area, and lots of the outdoors to enjoy.

I've lived here in the north for a good many years. Pretty well always rural since my late 20's. Ive seen and met many folks who have wanted to get away from the frenzied southern part of the province, move up here and realize it's not all what it cracked up to be. For various reasons, they couldn't or wouldn't do what it takes to carve out a life for themselves up here? The wife wasnt happy cuz she was too far from her mommy? The hubby couldnt figure out how to keep a waterline from freezing, or too much snow? The list of excuses is endless!

If you're serious about making the move, do it. As I said in my previous post, lots of carpenters and trades people up here are surviving. They've raised familys, built homes, and enjoyed the lifestyle the north has to offer. Carve your own niche. It'll take commitment and a bit of time if you're just starting out, but it can be done. As I have said before to others, head north on the 400, fold your mirrors in and dont look back!
Good luck to you!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bushmoose

As I have said before to others, head north on the 400, fold your mirrors in and dont look back!
Good luck to you!

---

Yep! And when you get up in the north, leave those mirrors folded in on the bush roads. Meet one logging truck and you know why.

...........................

Maybe I should consider joining the carpenter's union when I get up there....

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

After 25 years with one IBEW company I developed heart trouble and dropped out(couldn't afford to keep paying the dues) to do small maintenance work on my own. I charged small but worked long hours. Finally we moved up here, hoping to retire.
After 15 years of doing and turning down work, I found I had cancer and this time I intend to stay retired no matter who phones, ( unless the job sounds REAL interesting)
I never had any trouble finding non-electrical work and wound up on some pretty interesting projects. Maybe I had to drive 20 miles to work, but it was a 20 minute drive most days.

"Fold your mirrors in and don't look back"

Those are words to live by but especially when talking about leaving the GTA behind.

I have a cottage in the kawarthas and was trying to find someone to do carpentry work on a garage I wanted built and it was like pulling teeth. Finally found someone but had to wait til he was free from the prior work obligations he currently had. Most people I called never bothered returning my call so not sure if Kawarthas, Haliburton or Minden is your cup of tea but plenty of work to be had at decent rates.

I love that area and have spent lots of time on the Burnt River. We are considering the Pembroke area and the muskokas to move to. I have had work all year around for close to 10 years now so I'm definitely accustomed to fulltime hours haha.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

If you build a good reputation by doing good work at fair prices you can always find work. Just don't use the local Legion as your headquarters.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by patvetzal

If you build a good reputation by doing good work at fair prices you can always find work. Just don't use the local Legion as your headquarters.....

---

Been in and out of the union for years. They are a corrupt organization run by the mafia and do very little to keep their members working.....unless you do volunteer work to promote the union. It doesn't matter if you're a good carpenter or not, it's who you know at the top and what you can so for them....makea my blood boil.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk