It took Dave Bohonis 11 hours to commute to work this week.
The journeyman carpenter kissed his wife, Crystal, and baby boy, Logan, at the Thunder Bay airport at noon on Wednesday and hopped a three-stop flight to Fort McMurray, Alta., followed by a two-hour drive in the darkened wilderness to a work camp in the oil sands.
With a crew from his hometown, Mr. Bohonis, 29, is building the foundation for a recreation centre at a new Suncor Energy Inc. site.
He works two weeks straight and flies home for one week.
He misses his family and the days run long, especially when the temperature drops to minus 40.
"The wind is unforgiving," he says.
"Some mornings start with two hours of shovelling snow."
But the money is better than good. He is paying down a mortgage and saving for a second car.
Besides, he knows it's not forever.
"People come here for a certain amount of time, to make money and get out."
Mr. Bohonis plans to find work closer to home long before his son Logan starts playing hockey.
"It's getting harder and harder to leave him behind."
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