Our city offers affordable housing and insurance, low taxes and utility rates, great health care, world class educational institutions, and short commutes to work. This is an exciting time to land in Canada’s #1 growing city.

Affordable? Saskatoon is as or more expensive than Edmonton and Calgary as far as rent goes and property values are sky high.

Low taxes? 10% tax GST and PST?

City of Saskatoon property taxes are high

Great health care is not a selling feature, thats free and available in every major city

Saskatoon is a nice city don't get me wrong but tone it down just a taste.

It's good news for West Winds farm team, Trans West!
Good opportunity for a few of those good dudes to get down to a city again.

you will be a well self-fed homeless person at 51 k for a 1900 captain in the big city spot under the university bridge that might work. since 1999 to now the consumer price index has gone UP 33% NOT INCLUDING GAS. the cost in yxe has seen a spike in housing cost of over 200% for a well maintained 3 bedroom detached home .

the problem is ww is having not that there are not qualified candidates out there the problem is qualified candidates do not want to work for early 1990's pay.

the 100k ? is this: has the hr dept done an analysis on the costs internally, ie in overtime, recruitment ,lost offers to selected candidates who accept other positions . both ame and flying

does the corporate strategy align with the compensation method and what is being done to convince mgt. (bean counters ) that they are losing more revenue opportunities in constantly training , and losing quality people instead of adjusting the pay point or pay range scale to reflect current realities of a) market b)cost of now living in the province of sk..

if hr has not done that then you cant expect mgt to open the piggy bank cuz joe pilotor bob ame want a raise. eh .

Holy s**t OAC, you totally hit the nail on the head!! Great post!!

Quote: "........who accept other positions . both ame and flying."

You have missed out the increasing number who have left aviation to accept positions that pay substantially more than pilots/AMEs get.

When a 20 year old with no experience and no training expenses/loan can earn well over $100,000 from year one in the oil patch or with a Class 1 driver's licence costing about $3,000 can earn nearly as much driving a truck it is not surprising that increasing numbers are leaving aviation. Others have gone to government departments, both federal and provincial, that pay for training along with a good wage during training, pay well for 25 years and then give an excellent pension. These ex-aviation people may not show up as a loss to WW and similar companies as they probably do not even bother applying to such poor payers as WW, CMA, air ambulance scrooges, etc.

Do the maths: how many years will it take someone on a pilot's pay and paying off the costs of gaining an ATPL to catch up with someone who has been earning a six figure income from age 20 or younger with little or no training/qualification costs? I suspect they never do catch up. Do five to seven years in the oil patch and save and invest wisely and they will be so far ahead that those who try to work their way up through the aviation feeding chain will always be well behind.

To be and stay as a career pilot you have to have a passion for it that overrides both common sense and financial responsibility to yourself and any dependants!

I am in a Government position, non flying and as suggested you just have to look at your options financially. I also hold a valid Instructor rating and to me I get the best of both worlds as aviation is still a passion of mine and I am lucky enough to be able to Instruct part time/casual. My work also allows me to take leave, unpaid for up to six months at a time and I have used this in the past to take the Summer off to go and Instruct the Air Cadets and more recently I Instructed down in South America. A lot of people on this board scoff at the idea of Instruction and flying a Single engine Cessna around the circuit but hey, each to their own with that one. At the end of the day I earn a fairly decent living and get to do some really cool things and still keep my hand in there with something I have always loved. My retirement plan is to buy a tailwheel aircraft and offer Instruction not with the intention of making profit but to cherish my passion and keep grassroots flying along with instilling this passion to others.