Fort McMurray Fly-In Camps: Sodexo vs. Civeo (Best Food?) (2026 Review)

If you are applying for a job in the Alberta Oil Sands, you aren't just choosing a job; you are choosing a temporary home.

For 14 or 21 days straight, you will live, eat, and sleep in a Work Camp north of Fort McMurray.

Two companies run the majority of these massive "hotels in the woods": Sodexo and Civeo.

On paper, they offer the same thing: A bed, three meals a day, and a gym.

But ask any rig worker, and they will tell you the reality is very different.

• Sodexo is known for running the massive "Mega Camps" (like Kearl or Firebag).
• Civeo runs its own network of lodges (like Wapasu Creek or Beaver River).

In 2026, the battle for workers is heating up, and camps are upgrading their amenities (Starlink internet is now standard).

This guide compares the Food (who actually serves real steak?), the Rooms (Jack & Jill vs. Private), and the pay rates for the housekeeping staff who keep it all running.

Not ready for the fly-in life? Check out Septic Tank Pumper for a high-paying local job or Bin Rental Driver for daily home time.

The Food: "Steak Night" vs. "Mystery Meat"

You work 12 hours a day in -30°C. The only highlight of your day is dinner.

Sodexo (The "Quantity" King)

• Reputation: Mass production.
• Steak Night: Usually Wednesdays or Thursdays.
  • Verdict: It’s hit or miss. At huge camps like Firebag, the steak is often overcooked because they are serving 3,000 people in 2 hours.
• Lunch: "Bag Up" stations where you make your own sandwiches. The cold cut selection is usually decent (Black Forest Ham, Turkey), but the bread can be stale.
• Best Feature: The Ice Cream Machines are almost always working.

Civeo (The "Comfort" King)

• Reputation: Slightly more "home cooked" style, but can feel like a high school cafeteria.
• Steak Night: Legendary at Wapasu Creek. They often do Steak & Prawns.
• Variety: Civeo is famous for its "Theme Nights" (Taco Tuesday, Wing Wednesday) to keep morale up.
• Complaint: Reviews often mention "Repetitive Pasta." If you hate rotini with meat sauce, you’re in trouble.

Winner: Tie. Sodexo for snacks/desserts, Civeo for main entrees.

The Rooms: Private vs. "Jack and Jill"

Privacy is the ultimate luxury.

1. Executive / Private Rooms

• Who gets them: Foremen, Engineers, and long-term Staff.
• The Setup: A single room with your own Private Bathroom.
• Amenities: Double bed, desk, TV with cable.

2. Jack and Jill (The Standard)

• Who gets them: Most labourers, housekeepers, and tradespeople.
• The Setup: You have your own bedroom, but you share a bathroom (toilet/shower) with the person in the room next to you.
• The Nightmare: If your neighbour forgets to unlock the door from their side after using the bathroom, you are locked out of your own toilet. (Always bring a specialized "Camp Key" or a coat hanger to pop the lock).

3. The "Sound" Issue

• Walls are paper thin.
• Sodexo Camps: often newer modular builds with slightly better soundproofing.
• Civeo Camps: Some older lodges (like Athabasca) are notorious for hearing your neighbour snore.
• Essential Gear: Earplugs and a White Noise Machine. Do not go North without them.

Housekeeping Pay Rates (2026)

If you aren't an oil worker, but you want to work at the camp, Housekeeping is the easiest entry.

The Job

• Making beds, scrubbing toilets, and vacuuming 30-40 rooms a day.
• The Grind: It is physically exhausting. You are on your feet for 10-12 hours.

The Pay (Sodexo vs. Civeo)

• Base Rate: $22.00 - $26.00/hour.
• Overtime: You work 10-12 hours a day. Anything over 8 hours (or 44 weekly) is 1.5x pay.
  • Calculation: 80 hours regular + 40 hours overtime = Massive paycheck.
• Isolation Bonus: Many contracts pay an extra $250 - $500 per rotation just for being up North.
• Total Monthly Net: A housekeeper can easily take home $4,500 - $5,500/month after tax, with zero expenses (free food/rent).

Practical Questions Answered

Find the camp secrets.

"Is the internet good enough for gaming?"

In 2026, YES.

• Most camps have switched to Starlink or high-speed fiber.
• Ping: You can play Call of Duty or WoW with decent latency (50-80ms).
• Streaming: Netflix works perfectly.
• Warning: Some older camps still have "Data Caps" or block gaming sites. Download movies to your hard drive before you fly up. Related Post: fly in Fly ou Job

"Is it a dry camp?"

Mostly YES.

• Zero Tolerance: If you are caught with alcohol or drugs, you are "Site Banned." This means you are fired and blacklisted from all Oil Sands sites.
• Drug Dogs: Sniffer dogs check bags at the aerodrome. Do not risk it.
• The Exception: Some executive lounges allow 1 beer per night, but don't count on getting access.

"What is the 'Camp Goggle' effect?"

The Dating Scene.

• Camp is 90% male.
• The Reality: If you are a woman working in housekeeping or kitchen, you will get a LOT of attention.
• Advice: Keep it professional. "Camp Relationships" rarely end well and can get you fired for drama.

14/7 vs. 21/7 Rotation

Your mental health depends on your schedule.

• 14/7 (Two weeks on, One week off): The standard. Good balance. You get home often enough to remember your family.
• 21/7 (Three weeks on, One week off): The money maker.
  • Pros: You are only home for 1 week a month, so you save 90% of your income.
  • Cons: Week 3 is brutal. You become irritable and "Camp Sour."
• The "Turnaround" (24/4): During shutdowns, you might work 24 days straight. This is where you make $15,000 in a month. Only for the strong.

Deep Dive: The Unwritten Rules & Survival Hacks

1. The "Bag Up" Room Strategy (Free Groceries)

• Every camp has a "Bag Up" room (Sandwich station) open 24/7.
• The Hack: You can save $300/month on snacks if you are smart.
• The Protocol:
  • Bring Tupperware from home. The camp only provides wax paper.
  • Load up on hard-boiled eggs, cheese strings, and fruit before you go to your room.
  • The "Steak Night" Leftover: If you have a mini-fridge in your room (ask for it), you can often wrap a second steak in foil to eat cold after your shift.
  • Warning: Do not take 50 juice boxes at once. The "Camp Karen" (Safety Officer) will write you up for hoarding.

2. Laundry Wars: The 4 AM Hack

• 1,000 workers. 20 washing machines. You do the math.
• The "Touch Rule": If you leave your clothes in the washer for 5 minutes after the cycle ends, someone will throw them on the dirty floor.
• The Strategy:
  • Timer: Set a timer on your phone for 1 minute before the cycle ends. Be there when it unlocks.
  • The 4 AM Slot: Wake up 1 hour before shift to do laundry. The machines are empty.
• Link: If you think camp laundry is gross, read about the bio-hazards Septic Tank Pumpersdeal with daily.

3. The "Boot Room" Etiquette (Don't Be That Guy)

• Every camp has a "Boot Room" where you swap muddy work boots for indoor shoes (Crocs/Slides).
• The Smell: It smells like 500 pairs of wet socks.
• The Rule: Never, ever walk into the dining hall in your work socks. You must wear "Camp Shoes" (Slides or Sneakers).
• Gear Tip: Bring Boot Dryers (Peet Dryers). If you put wet boots on at 5:00 AM in -40°C, you will get frostbite.
• Link: This is similar to the winter gear requirements for Garbage Truck Runners who work in extreme cold.

4. Drug Dogs & The "Sniffer" Reality

• People think "Dry Camp" is a suggestion. It is not.
• The Aerodrome: When you land at the private camp airport (Firebag/Albian), you walk past a Drug Detection Dog.
• What they find: Cannabis (even legal), Alcohol, and heavy narcotics.
• The Search: Security can search your room at any time without a warrant. If they find an empty beer can in your garbage, you are site-banned for life.
• Link: Security procedures here are stricter than the "Bag Checks" at Inventory Counter Jobs.

5. Women in Camp: Safety & Culture

• The ratio is roughly 85% Men, 15% Women.
• The "Queen" Effect: Female workers (Housekeeping, Admin, Trades) often report feeling overwhelmed by attention.
• Safety Updates 2026:
  • Sodexo has implemented "Women's Only" gym hours in some Mega Camps.
  • Civeo often groups female rooms in the same hallway for safety.
• Advice: Trust your gut. If a coworker is being weird in the dining hall, report it to "Camp Services" immediately. The oil sands have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment now.

6. Shutdown Season: The "Gold Rush"

• What is it? Twice a year (Spring/Fall), plants shut down for maintenance.
• The Shift: 24 days on / 4 days off. 12 hours a day.
• The Pay: Labourers can make $15,000 - $20,000 in one month.
• The Trade-Off: You will be a zombie.
• Link: If you can handle sleep deprivation for cash, this pays even better than the Night Shift Warehouse surge rates.

7. The "Blue Bus" vs. "Yellow Bus"

• How you get from Camp to Site matters.
• Yellow Bus (School Bus): Bumpy, cold, miserable. Common for labourers.
• Blue Bus (Coach): Reclining seats, Wi-Fi, warm. Common for staff and skilled trades.
• The Sleep: Most people sleep on the 45-minute ride to site. Bring a neck pillow.

8. Mental Health: The "Camp Blues"

• Isolation is real. Divorce rates in the Oil Sands are high.
• The Cycle: Work, Eat, Gym, Sleep. Repeat 14 times.
• The Fix:
  • Video Call Home: Do it every night at the same time. Routine keeps you grounded.
  • Don't Isolate: Sit with people at dinner. If you eat alone in your room every night, the depression hits harder.

9. "Camp Cash" vs. Real Money

• Everything in camp is free (Food, Gym), except the Commissary (Convenience Store).
• The Markup: A bag of chips is $9. A Red Bull is $6.
• The Budget: Bring your own toiletries and tobacco. If you buy cigarettes at camp, you will go broke.
• Link: Save your per diem money just like Inventory Counters do by packing smart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave the camp?

No.

• You are in the middle of the Boreal Forest. There is nowhere to go.
• Bears: Walking outside the perimeter fence is dangerous due to Black Bears and Wolves.
• You are confined to the "Module" (your room) and the "Core" (Dining/Gym).

Is the gym busy?

Yes, at 6:00 PM.

• Everyone finishes shift at 6pm and goes straight to the gym.
• Hack: Go at 4:30 AM before shift, or wait until 8:00 PM.
• Equipment: Usually top-tier. Power racks, dumbbells up to 100lbs, and cardio machines.

Do I need to bring towels?

No.

• Housekeeping provides towels and sheets.
• Bring: Your own pillow (camp pillows are flat plastic pancakes) and a good blanket if you get cold easily.

Summary: Prison with a Paycheck?

1. Choose Civeo if you care about "comfort food" and theme nights.
2. Choose Sodexo if you want to work at the massive sites with huge gyms.
3. Bring Entertainment: A laptop with 1TB of movies is your best friend.
4. Save the Money: Don't buy a $90,000 truck on your first rotation. Bank the cash and buy a house in 2 years.

Note

Job availability, wages, and hiring conditions can vary widely by province, employer, season, and experience level. All salary ranges and job examples in this guide are estimates based on current labour market data. Always confirm details directly with the employer before applying.

Sources

• Civeo Canada: Lodge amenities and locations. https://civeo.com/
• Sodexo Energy & Resources: Remote site services. https://ca.sodexo.com/
• ZipRecruiter: Camp Attendant Salaries Fort McMurray 2026. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/