Recruitment for planned maintenance events

Male worker at the Sarnia Refinery. He is wearing a blue hard hat, safety glasses, ear plugs, gloves and coveralls. He is checking a yellow tag on a valve.

We regularly conduct planned maintenance events – sometimes referred to as turnarounds – at our facilities. Large, planned maintenance events provide opportunities for both preventive maintenance and capital replacement, which are expected to improve reliability and operational efficiency of our assets.

Our planned maintenance events generally occur on routine cycles, determined by historical operating performance, recommended usage factors or regulatory requirements. The duration of a planned maintenance event can vary – several days for a minor annual maintenance to several weeks for a major maintenance event occurring only every few years.

During this time, we need a variety of skilled tradespeople to perform a wide range of maintenance activities throughout the site, with the potential of hiring several hundred contract employees through our strategic contractors.

Safety above all else: Our commitment

It is important that everyone coming to our sites understands our safety expectations. Safety is our collective responsibility. It requires all of us to work together to know and most importantly, understand the safety processes in place.

More on health and safety at Suncor

Travel and accommodations

Contractors coming to Suncor and Syncrude sites should plan their trip with the assistance of their company or their designated travel coordinator. Often pre-access tasks are required to be completed before coming to site; this includes site orientation or having a badge issued and ready for arrival.

View contractor travel information

Upcoming planned maintenance events

Wicehtowin logo

Regional planned maintenance events

All our optimized regional planned events for 2023 fall under Project Wicehtowin. It includes maintenance events at Syncrude, Base Plant Upgrader 2 (U2) and Fort Hills.

Wicehtowin (Wa-co-to-win) is Cree for “unity” and carries on Syncrude’s tradition of Indigenous-inspired project names as part of the Journey of Reconciliation. The word embodies the many people, skills and support required to make our planned maintenance events successful and speaks to our value of stronger together.

Syncrude: Q2/Q4 2023
Base Plant U2: Q3/Q4 2023
Fort Hills: Q3 2023

Syncrude, Q2/Q4 2023

Sunrise over Syncrude’s Mildred Lake Upgrader
Sunrise over Syncrude’s Mildred Lake Upgrader.

We’ll complete our 2023 Project Wicehtowin scope safely and effectively with the support of the building trades unions and professional skilled tradespeople like you.

This event is on Syncrude’s 8-2 Coker and associated process units. Approximately 2,500 trades personnel will be required to execute this project.

Pre-maintenance work and related events commence in early 2023 for select trades with the main event taking place in March.

Already a member of the Project Wicehtowin team?

View more information

Our building trade contractors

Ask your union hall about opportunities to work on Syncrude’s 2023 Project Wicehtowin with the following building trades contractors.

Acuren Group Brand Safway Infinity (Aluma)
APTIM CIMS
CEDA Clayburn Services
Edmonton Exchanger & Refinery Services Alliance Refractories
Interpro technical services Melloy
Norcan Infinity Northern Crane Services

Working with our building trades contractors. What are people saying?

Base Plant, Upgrader 2: Q3 / Q4 2023

Information for recruitment for this planned maintenance will be updated as it becomes available.

Aerial of Oil sands base plant in the oil sands, Alberta. Fall 2012
Aerial of Oil sands base plant in the oil sands, Alberta.

Fort Hills, Q3 2023

Information for recruitment for this planned maintenance will be updated as it becomes available.

Slurry transport lines and separation cells at Fort Hills
Slurry transport lines and separation cells at Fort Hills.