Get your PST, H2S and first aid with CPR.
Buy steel toe boots. I use the green dunlop boots year round. Just wear thick socks in the winter :p
Drilling rigs work 7-7. So you know how much you're going to make every day.
Service rigs work like retards. I've worked 20 hour days before. Not sure if thats changed in the past years.
Both will be slow as hell march thru june.
The time to get hired is after that. Right now it will be tough, it's not busy like it used to be. Rig count is decently high though. so with the usual turnover you should be able to find work. (
http://www.caodc.ca/statistics/rigc...ing_weekly.html if youre curious about how busy rigs are)
Brooks and Nisku are your best bets for drilling. Dont need to relocate, just go on a rotation and come home for days off.
Service rigs will pick you up at your front door. Not sure what there is in the hat.
Trican/weatherford/etc will never make you as much money. But the work is easier. Dont ever go cementing.