Geothermal drilling in Scarborough brings steadier work for former Alberta oil workers

A former Alberta roughneck now drills geothermal boreholes in the Greater Toronto Area and says the work is steadier, safer and less disruptive to family life; the article reports oil employment has fallen even as production rose, while geothermal and other clean-energy jobs are growing.

Standing at a Scarborough condo site, Newfoundlander Benji Perry described switching after 15 years in Alberta oil camps to drilling geothermal boreholes in the Greater Toronto Area. He said the geothermal work is similar in technique but involves smaller rigs, shallower holes and fewer long rotations away from home. The article places his change alongside broader labour shifts in Canada as oil employment declines and clean-energy work expands. It also notes builders and specialised firms are adding geothermal to new housing projects. Key details: - Benji Perry worked in Alberta oilfields for 15 years and has spent the last five years drilling geothermal wells in the GTA. - The article reports oil production rose since 2014 while oilpatch employment has fallen, with Statistics Canada cited saying about 10,000 oil and gas jobs were lost last year. - Geothermal boreholes described are roughly 860 feet deep, with smaller rigs and more automation compared with some oil wells that extend kilometres down. - The geothermal system uses U-shaped tubing and a fluid loop with heat pumps to provide heating and cooling; associated emissions come mainly from electricity generation, which the article notes are minimal in Ontario. - The article reports builders such as Mattamy and geothermal firms like Diverso Energy are expanding projects, and Toronto City Hall says nearly 100 approved housing projects with geothermal are in the development pipeline. Summary: The article illustrates one worker’s move from long oil-camp rotations to local geothermal drilling, and uses his experience to highlight how some drilling skills transfer to cleaner building systems. It reports broader trends of shrinking oil employment and growing clean-energy jobs, and notes a pipeline of geothermal housing projects that could provide ongoing work in the near term.