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28 Apr 2024
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Description
We are Anicette & Chris! We are a couple in our late thirties, living on the edge of world in the Village Port Clements (known as Gamadiis Llnagaay in the Haida language) in beautiful Haida Gwaii, British Columbia Canada.
About us:
Chris works part time as a parts person/mechanic and a Jack of all trades! When he isn’t working, he spends his time with Ani (Anicette) helping on the homestead and spending time with the animals. Ani left her forestry career behind in early spring of 2023, to pursue her dream of living a life of self-sustainability on the homestead! Ani spends her time doing the daily chores on the homestead, does most of the wild food harvesting, cooks and takes care of the animals & gardens.
About our homestead:
Our homestead has been under development since the fall of 2018. We have a fully treed 1.5-acre parcel of land, with the western boundary of the property facing Masset Inlet. Our forest homestead is 100 % Off-Grid! Which means we do not have all the modern-day conveniences of a conventional home. The lumber we used to build our home and outbuildings came from our own trees and milled on site with an Alaska chainsaw mill. Our favorite and most popular building method is cordwood/stackwall! We built a cordwood house, cordwood sauna/guest cabin and a cordwood poultry house. We plan on continuing this trend for the rest of the homestead development. We utilize both solar and generators for our energy needs. Rain collection is our main source of water, we utilize a compost toilet (buckets & sawdust), heat with wood, meals are cooked on wood cookstove, outside on the fire pit or in the outdoor kitchen with a propane stove. We have two dogs: a 6-year-old border-collie cross, a 1-year-old purebred Doberman, a 9-year-old tabby cat and we raise poultry for eggs and meat. We currently have a variety chickens and ducks.
Why we need help:
We have spent the last 5 years with our heads down working to get our house built! Now that we are living full time on the homestead we have are taking more time to enjoy life. Living off grids means we are constantly steering a ship! Here in Port Clements we are part of a community that has the same passion for the natural world as we do! We really enjoy our lifestyle so why not share our skills and experiences with others?! We hope to provide a Workawayer with a good sense of what living on Haida Gwaii is all about - from dog walks in the forest, wild food harvesting, gardening, building with natural materials to cold water swims, life nevers seems to ever get dull!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travellers can learn:
- building with natural materials
- stone & wood masonry construction
- gardening
-explore and learn about local flora and fauna from forest to ocean floor
-explore local beaches and forest trails
-learn and participate in local & seasonal wild food harvesting
-learn about animal husbandry
-learn about the local indigenous culture of the Haida Nation through the Haida Heritage Museum, or through the many local Haida art galleries and perhaps if you are lucky witness/participate in a local Haida event/and or traditional ceremony.
Help
What we are looking for in a Workawayer:
-Must be motivated, self-starter and hardworking!
-Willing to learn new skills
-Knowledge and experience in general carpentry would be a great asset!
-Willingness to work rain or shine!
-Must love the outdoors!
-Must love animals!
Type of work volunteer will be involved with:
-Help with dishes after communal meals
-Firewood cutting, splitting & stacking
-General wood construction
-Land Clearing/Brushing
-Fencing
-Masonry work (stone & cordwood)
-Help care for poultry (feeding, cleaning, harvesting eggs, caring for chicks)
-Gardening (sowing, planting, soil rehab, crop tending, watering, weeding)
-Wild food harvesting, processing & preserving
-Meat bird processing (optional)
Planned Homestead Projects we will need help with/Objectives for Spring & Summer of 2024:
-Construction of a 26’ diameter Geodesic greenhouse dome with stone foundation and cordwood knee walls.
-Building new garden raised beds
-Construction of water catchment system for garden (multiple towers to stack rain barrels)
-Property fencing (posts & galvanized fencing install)
-Establishing the garden fencing
-Construction of a potting/garden shed
-Cutting & stacking firewood
-Construction of a timber framed shelter/cover for the main house patio
-Planting & sowing the gardens & green houses
-Construction of stone retainer wall
-Construction of bird houses
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Accommodation
-Workawayer will have access to the main house for communal meals, cooking and entertainment.
-Workawayer will be staying in our charming cordwood sauna/guest cabin! This is a 10’x 10’ building. It includes a new queen size mattress, small wood stove, solar light system and shelves to store belongings. There is also a covered sitting area at the front door.
-Beside the sauna, just steps away there is a shared outdoor equiped outdoor kitchen.
-Behind the kitchen there is a shared outdoor shower and compost toilet.
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What else ...
What a Workawayer / Volunteer can expect while staying on our homestead:
- We are far and isolated from the mainland and do not have the same amenities and conveniences as Vancouver Island.
- The climate, moderated by a warm Pacific current from Japan, is generally mild with no extremes in temperature. We see a good amount of rain year-round; thanks to the temperate rainforest we live in! Please don’t forget your rain gear!
- A good pair of gum boots and hiking boots are highly recommended!
-We have limited power (solar/generators)
-We do not have Internet service at our home (but good cell service- the local library will have internet access)
-Laundry is done by hand. We use outdoor basins with plunger + ringer and clothes lines. The nearest coin laundry services is an hour drive south (there is no public transit on island).
-Limited to 2 showers/week. Even though we live in a temperate rain forest- we often see drought conditions in the summertime, therefore water must be carefully managed during these months. We also have the ocean at our doorstep if additional bathing is needed!
-Transportation – if you do not come with your own set of wheels, we have a variety of bicycles that a helper can use to get to and from town, we are approx. 3km from the grocery store. On days off we can arrange to provide guided tours of some of the sights on Haida Gwaii.
-Work week would be 25 hours
-Workawayer is responsible to do their own laundry
-Groceries provided by the hosts.
-Dinners will be communal, as well as weekend breakfasts- prepared by the host!
-Weekday breakfast & lunch meals are non-communal – responsibility of volunteer,
-Workawayer is welcome to join hosts on daily/weekly exertions such as dog walks, fishing, hunting, hiking and cold-water swimming- however these activities will not count towards work hours.
-Duration of stay will be negotiated on per applicant basis, however we recommend at least a 2-weeks
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have a large driveway!
Can possibly accept pets
We love animals. Other dogs would be welcome!
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
