Please join our family and help with home, yard, and garden in Toronto, Canada

Details

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  Description

  WELCOME! We are a family of four adults and our youngest is 23 years of age. Our home is located in a well established neighbourhood, a 5 minute walk to the subway, and a short ride to downtown (Yonge & Bloor). We can host only one Workawayer (age 23 or older) at a time. We enjoy travelling and meeting new people from different cultures and backgrounds. Please share with us your travel and adventure stories!
  
  Note: it is OK to just check and ask if we have availability on your first message for the dates you are interested in, but for the second message please treat it similar to a job cover letter and address some of our main points and also answer all questions we have in this profile at that time if you didn't already do so in your first message. Thank you.
  
  *You may need to have been fully vaccinated against COVID. Would you please let us know when your last booster shot was? Everyone in our family is fully vaccinated and boosted. Also please note that you will not be able to arrive or stay at our home if you have any communicable disease or condition (including but not limited to covid) and will need to find an alternative place to stay (Example: a hotel at your own expense) until you have recovered.*
  
  It will be a Bonus if you are a native French or Spanish speaker, but this is not necessary. Having hosted for five years we have had the pleasure of welcoming travellers from Brazil, Chile, China, Columbia, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, United States....
  
  Vegetarians can be accommodated as one of us is strictly vegetarian, one near vegetarian , but two of us also eat meat and fish regularly. Are you OK with following Canada's Food Guide? Do you have any dietary restrictions or preferences that must be accommodated? We enjoy cooking with fresh healthy ingredients and experiencing food from all over the world. We try to eat as a family most nights.
  
  There is one small pet rabbit here too that we consider to be part of the family so you must enjoy small animals - and a bonus if you already love rabbits! She is super friendly and loves a lot of attention Do you think you will be kind to her and pay her attention during some of your free time?
  
  Two of us here only speak English, so if you want to improve your English conversation skills this is a good opportunity. However one of our motives for hosting is to share/learn languages.
  - We kindly ask that IF you are a native (or near native) Spanish speaker please speak your language as follows: I ask that you please communicate with me and Meghan only in Spanish - but speak to the other two of us here in English. Muchas Gracias.
  - My other daughter (Hannah) is learning French so If you are a native French speaker some weekly hours may be scheduled for French "lessons" - reading, talking, and learning basic words.
  
  We really enjoy hosting visitors and welcoming new guests into our family. We book/confirm stays of two weeks and will be able to tell you if we can extend your stay after your first five days here. Our longest guest enjoyed three months with us, and many others have extended their stay as well.
  
  We enjoy hearing about your day, your travels, experience and life, and would like a guest that will join us in good conversation. I personally prefer that you have a lifestyle that requires minimal attachment to digital devices. To be completely clear - I do not accept anyone who will spend more than one hour of time per day on any combination of screen time (phone, computer, tv, or any digital device - this includes social media, movies, digital games, email, texting, Google searches as a few examples - only use of the camera is not included in this time. Would you please write back how you plan to respect this?
  
  We are not a hotel or hostel, but a welcoming family home. We hope you take time to enjoy our city, explore the neighbourhood, and you should want to spend time in conversation outside of your working hours and join us in meals and events when possible. We hope to make genuine connections with you and remain friends after you continue on your travels.
  
  You must be a person that enjoys the start of the day and will get up at daybreak seven days a week. Please only request to stay with us if this is already part of your daily habit - not something that you will hope to do in order to stay here. Sharing breakfast, having coffee together, or an early morning walk is something I enjoy doing - so please let me know if this is something you would like too. Would you please check what time daybreak is during your requested stay with us (it does vary in Toronto from about 5am to after 7am) and confirm that this is the time you normally get up in the morning and will continue to do so during your stay with us?

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Between May and October there are opportunities to go to our cottage on Long Point near Port Rowan (for a weekend or several days). This is a beautiful area known for birding and also has a great freshwater beach. When Stephen and I go to the cottage, one of us will drive you there and back. It will be a mix of some chores and free/relaxation time up there. Long Point is a biosphere reserve on a 30+ kilometer sandbar with gorgeous beach about 2.5 hours from Toronto.
  
  Niagara Falls is only about 1.5 hours from here too - and a must see!
  
  Our family has many interests and we are happy to include you - such as: hiking/walks, art gallery visits, music festivals, cultural festivals, snow activities....
  
  Our home has a lovely garden/back yard and deck area where you can enjoy a cup of coffee or eat outside in the summer. There is some wildlife - rabbits often nested in our shrubs, and squirrels and chipmunks are a daily sighting. We enjoy a neighbourhood walk regularly and of course you will be welcome to join us!

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  Help

  Let us know what skills you bring- can you Garden? Clean well? Have any construction skills? Sew? Other? Not everyone is suited to all types of tasks and together we will decide what is best for you. Depending on your skill set we may send a more detailed outline of possible chores after you contact us.
  
  We ask for a commitment of 25 hours per week and in addition to that one dinner and one lunch that you will cook for the five of us (per week) that will include preparation, cooking, and cleanup. (we will shop for and pay for the ingredients). It would be nice if you enjoy cooking - then any additional cooking that we request for the family will be counted toward your hours. Any partial weeks are in exchange for 4 hours per night stayed.
  
  At this time, I am off work so many of the hours may be spent working together with me (or with Stephen). I do most of my work in the morning, but we consider your preferences and input when creating the schedules together. We want you to have the flexibility to enjoy our city.
  During the spring/summer/fall there are more tasks outside in the yard/garden. Outdoor tasks may include help with the yard such as lawn and garden care or raking leaves or cleaning and preparing grow bags for vegetables. During the winter months (usually December to March) you may help to shovel snow from the driveway.
  
  There may be some small home improvement tasks such as preparing for painting, maybe refinishing wooden doors? Other tasks may include sorting attic and basement, moving some small furniture and organizing around the house.
  
  Also, there may be daily and weekly cleaning tasks of bathrooms, kitchen, living areas. There may also be some cleaning tasks outdoors, for example the car or deck furniture.
  
  Some hours may be scheduled for help with reading in French or Spanish, and grammar study IF you are able to do this.
  
  You may also help take care of the pet rabbit - and this would include cleaning the cage regularly. 


  
  You must have a positive outlook on working and do it with energy and efficiency. You should be able to self manage, prioritize, and keep track of what you have done. Helping hours are intended for helping and we ask that you refrain from using your phone, eating your breakfast or lunch, or other personal matters in this time. It would be good if you can manage your schedule and keep track of your hours without reminders.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  We are four native English speakers. Two of us here will only speak to you in English for your language practice. Another two are learning Spanish and request that communication be in Spanish, if this is your language. One wants to learn French - but is a beginner and not able to hold a conversation yet, any structured French lessons will be work hours. However speakers from any language / continent are welcome !!
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  Accommodation

  Private bedroom space that only you use (see photos) but the rest of the house and two bathrooms are shared. We provide you up to three balanced meals daily if you are home to eat with us for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Please note that no snacks or dessert are provided unless we are having a dessert together-but this is a rare treat, so you will need to provide your own snacks. Except for the two meals you are responsible to make, there are no other cooking privileges - although, you may use the kitchen to store and prepare quick (raw) snacks for yourself. Meals are normally eaten together with the family. If you are out of the house during a meal time then you are responsible for that meal on your own and at your own cost. We also do not provide ‘packed lunches’ or any other food to take out of the house unless we are planning a family outing together.

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  What else ...

  We are non-smokers and do not drink alcohol in the house. We will only accept a non-smoker and someone who will not drink alcohol while on the property and will not return home while intoxicated to any degree.
  
  We are within a 5 min walking distance to library, indoor pool, gym, indoor skating rink, cafes, restaurants, tennis courts (winter too! - platform tennis), a park, and neighbourhood shops. We are a short walk to the subway with a 20 minute ride to Bloor/Yonge – downtown. 

Toronto is a diverse multicultural center with almost any kind of activity that you can think of. There are numerous art galleries, museums, theatre venues.... some of which can be quite costly, but there are also many free events throughout the city too.
  
  We are a 5 min walk to Royal York subway station - close to downtown. It will take you under 45 minutes to get to our home from Union Train station, the Bay Dundas Bus terminal, Or Pearson Airport. Toronto is well connected with public transit at all hours of the day and night. There are taxi services here as well as Uber but you can go almost anywhere on the TTC (Toronto’s public transit), and cash fare is only $3.35 .
  
  As mentioned above, IF you are a Spanish/French speaker we may schedule a few hours per week where you would help me/Hannah/Meghan with Reading or some type of grammar lessons and this time would be agreed upon beforehand and counted towards your working hours - However, all other conversations we have in Spanish (our chance to practice) or English (your chance to practice) are not counted toward the hours – that part of culture/language exchange is considered a bonus for each of us. Two of us here will only speak to you in English so you too will benefit from language practice - but please note again that I will ask that you speak to me and Meghan in your native language (Spanish only) during your time here.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  Hours expected

  5 hours a day, 5 days a week with 2 days off and you are responsible to make one lunch and one dinner per week for the family

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