The journey begins

[Eye In The Sky]

My plan is/was to stay in Fredericton overnight (if you read Highlander60's post above, you'll notice that I have a place to stay ) and drive from there the next day.

The only problem with that is you will likely have to report in by 1400 hrs or so (unless it has changed).  From Freddy, you are looking at about 7 hours of driving and thats knowing the route and ideal weather conditions.  The 2 slowest parts of the drive with be just after Freddy, from Woodstock to Edmunstun and Edmunstun to RdL.  So you'll have an early morning!

I'll check it out, thanks. Did I see something about Tim's runs being permitted through the week? *gasp* 

Umm ya not for the first 4 weeks for sure and maybe not at all after that...too many factors to even start getting into why.  However, there is a Timmy's just down Grand Bernier...call it 5 minutes drive off the Garrison, by the Walmart.

 

[Celticgirl]

No. I dont relish in seeing students being pissed off because they set themselves up with unrealistic expectations. Theres plenty of things in the system that are frustrating, theres no need to import artificial frustrations.

Hope and expectations are not the same thing at all.

The tears of unfathomable sadness taste the sweetest!

Hmm?

 

[Celticgirl]

Umm ya not for the first 4 weeks for sure and maybe not at all after that...too many factors to even start getting into why.  However, there is a Timmy's just down Grand Bernier...call it 5 minutes drive off the Garrison, by the Walmart.

As long as there is coffee in the mess every morning, it will be bearable. (Read: I will be bearable.) 

 

[aesop081]

Hope and expectations are not the same thing at all.

End result is the same.

 

[Celticgirl]

End result is the same.

Aren't you missing a sock or something?  ;D

 

[Eye In The Sky]

This is crap.  I drove the route from Hfx to St-Jean numerous times and it is no worse driving there than it is here in the Maritimes.  It is not up to her, your will be allowed to take your car, lots of people do, you will only get paid the equivalent of what it costs to fly you, you will likely not get an advance so you will pay and get reimbursed (could take a few months...) and there is AMPLE parking there.  You will want your car, if you have one, believe me.  It will be off limits for the first month and then only on weekends and some evenings (IF the staff allow you to go to Tim's...it has happened).  Call that the exception and NOT the rule.

I should have made the IF alittle more obvious in the first post... 8) and add the bolded part...

And if you are *really* bored on a Saturday night at home...

CFLRS Internet Site

CFLRS Joining Instructions

 

[aesop081]

Aren't you missing a sock or something?  ;D

No, and before you ask, i know what TOS i am on and aware of what my pay is supposed to be.

 

[Celticgirl]

I should have made the IF alittle more obvious in the first post... 8) and add the bolded part...

And if you are *really* bored on a Saturday night at home...

CFLRS Internet Site

CFLRS Joining Instructions

I have those on my favourites already. But you are right...I am bored! Just waiting for Hanna to come crashing through...

No, and before you ask, i know what TOS i am on and aware of what my pay is supposed to be.

I hope your hero cookie tastes good!  :

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I am bored! Just waiting for Hanna to come crashing through...

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/ns_e.html

 

[Celticgirl]

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/ns_e.html

Hanna was as meek and mild as a puddy tat. I really ought to stop listening to all the Chicken Littles around here.  ;D

 

[Loachman]

The 2 slowest parts of the drive with be just after Freddy, from Woodstock to Edmunstun and Edmunstun to RdL.

It's all brand-new four-lane highway, 110 km/hr. I drove it a couple of months ago and was amazed.

I was told that Nova Scotia helped fund it, in order to get tourists through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia quicker.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

It's all brand-new four-lane highway, 110 km/hr. I drove it a couple of months ago and was amazed.

I was told that Nova Scotia helped fund it, in order to get tourists through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia quicker.

They put it right from Woodstock to Edmunstun straight thru?  I thought they were only doing patches. 

Just to be clear here, I had also mentioned Edmunstun to RdL (Riviere du Loop)...I am betting that is still the same/no change?

 

[PMedMoe]

The #2 in N.B. is "twinned" along its entire length.

New Brunswick Trans-Canada Highway

The 185 (to Riviere du Loup) is still a single lane.

Quebec Trans-Canada Highway Route 185

 

[Celticgirl]

So what would you all do then? Would you drive to St. Jean in January to have your vehicle there for BMOQ, or would you fly and most likely have to do without a vehicle for most or all of the 15 weeks? Is it worth the risk to drive there from NS in the winter? I'm starting to think I should just leave the car home for this phase and then take it on the next one.

 

[George Wallace]

Having travelled that road almost every year in Dec and January, I would still advise you not to unless you have years of driving experience, especially Winter Driving.  The four lanes from Halifax to Edmundston has been completed for a couple of years now.  In places it is poorly designed, so that at night, doing 110 kph you will be over driving your headlights, as the road is full of little crests.  The New Years seems to always bring a bad storm through the Edmundston to Riviere du Loup section of two lane highway.  It is slowly being improved with more passing lanes and some bypasses being done to small villages. 

I have run into many places between Riviere du Loup and Montreal where there are high winds and spots that are very susceptible to Black Ice on the roadway.

Halifax to Montreal will take you approx. 14 hrs if you are really flying and don`t run into any radar traps.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

So what would you all do then? Would you drive to St. Jean in January to have your vehicle there for BMOQ, or would you fly and most likely have to do without a vehicle for most or all of the 15 weeks? Is it worth the risk to drive there from NS in the winter? I'm starting to think I should just leave the car home for this phase and then take it on the next one.

Everyone has their opinions on the road.  I say it not that bad.  Thats me.  I drove it sometimes 2-3 times a month not 2 years ago before the hwy from Woodstock to Edmunstun was twinned.  I drove it summer/fall/winter/spring, mostly at night as well.  I avoided, if I could, the Riviere du Loop-Edmunstun stretch at night, or during snow but when I couldn't, I adjusted my driving.  When I moved to St-Jean, it was the first week of Jan and I just overnighted in Edmunstun.  I found the drive no big deal.  Again thats me.  FWIW, the driving is NO worse than what you'll find in CB, or NS.  IMO.  I do agree with George on the part about the #20 Hwy along the St Lawrence, it can be windy and icy particularly from RdL to Levis/Quebec.

The *real* question is for you;  do you want to be without your car for the better part of 4 months?  Having worked and lived on the Garrison in St-Jean, I would say you will wish you had it once you are there.  What it means is freedom to go places other than the Comfort Inn on the weekends you have off;  personally, having worked and lived there and knowing the way the candidates get to feel about the place, I think you'll want to get away from the place on the weekends.  I used to go to Ottawa, Kingston, into the city {Montreal}, etc and it was only possible to do because I had the VW with me.

Thats something you'll have to decide for yourself  .  I'll bet you $50 if you don't take it, once you are there and used to the Mega, you'll wish you had it.  8)

 

[Celticgirl]

The *real* question is for you;  do you want to be without your car for the better part of 4 months?  Having worked and lived on the Garrison in St-Jean, I would say you will wish you had it once you are there.  What it means is freedom to go places other than the Comfort Inn on the weekends you have off;  personally, having worked and lived there and knowing the way the candidates get to feel about the place, I think you'll want to get away from the place on the weekends.  I used to go to Ottawa, Kingston, into the city {Montreal}, etc and it was only possible to do because I had the VW with me.

Thats something you'll have to decide for yourself  .  I'll bet you $50 if you don't take it, once you are there and used to the Mega, you'll wish you had it.   8)

Had I been going in the fall, there is no question that I would have taken my car. Now...not so sure. While I love the freedom of a vehicle, I also dislike driving (odd, since I do so much of it!), especially in winter. My father thinks I'll just be the person who drives everyone else to Montreal on the weekends if I take it, and he may have a point.

Is the Mega really that awful that students are desperate to flee the region on weekends?  ;D

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Is the Mega really that awful that students are desperate to flee the region on weekends?  ;D

Because alot of the facilities are located within the Mega, it is easy for the place to start wearing on you.  As a candidate, your ability to come and go as you please is...non-existent, so when Friday comes, anyone and everyone with a Leave Pass is lined up in the hallway by the Wpns Cadre/QM waiting their turn to get swiped at the Green desk and walk (sorry, March) out to the parking lot to their car/taxi/waiting loved one/whatever.  Morale was ALWAYS high in that line-up at the Green desk on Friday 1800'ish. (except for the Duty Platoon folsk working the desk  ;D)

You'll see when you are there.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

On a completely different note...being a Maritimer and used to the Halifax winters the previous 5ish years before I moved to St-Jean, I found the winter there to be a very dry bitter cold, and cold in a different way it is here in the Maritimes.  I used to travel from the Campus down by the river to the Mega for PT (the gym opened at 0600 IIRC) and by the time I made the 5ish km drive, and walked from the parking lot to the entrance to CFLS Det (C or D pavillion I think, so about 300m), I would be shivering cold.  The morning runs around the garrison at zero-dark-stupid will likely be ones you remember.  I found the cold very helpful at keeping the troopies moving...everyone wanted to finish the run and get the hell back inside the Mega.

On a positive note, you shouldn't have to deal with rain, mud and bugs during the field portion  ;D.

 

[Celticgirl]

I found the cold very helpful at keeping the troopies moving...everyone wanted to finish the run and get the hell back inside the Mega.

We have to run outside? *gasp*  Is there going to be hot cocoa for us afterwards?