Profile information
Host rating
65 %
Last replied
15 Mar 2023
Feedback
1
Email verified
Details
Description
Welcome to our home in the inner-city of Calgary. We're both artists (musician and mixed media) and do regular-ish jobs (academic/architect/social work & social worker) to support our eclectic lives (travel, martial arts, making things). We share our home with Theodora the Freelance bulldog and Ezhara the Tortie feline. They are the household bosses and will visit you in your quarters at the back of the property. If you are a traveller you'll have found your community in Calgary - we're typically off exploring elsewhere in the world 2-3 months. I've travelled to all the continents except Antartica (someday) and have lived in France, South Africa, and Australia.
Our property is a 1933 bungalow that has been in perpetual renos since we bought her 8 years ago - she was almost 100% 1933 tech when we purchased. The property has three suites: the main floor (us), the basement suite (our friend), and a tiny house at the back of the property. We created the tiny house (TH) by renovating the original garage (still looks like one from the back laneway). We used to rent out the TH but are looking for a more long-term situation now.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Mark teaches martial arts (HEMA and Kageryu) and bass (jazz is his great love). Alison travels, does mixed media art, architecture, used to teach yoga, writes, gardens, and makes/builds anything and everything. If you're interested in design we'll talk! Alison's dad grew up in Banff and he'll be stoked to take you out there and show you the mountains.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
While what we're looking depends on the season and weather, the assistance will all be related to property maintenance, errand-running, mural-painting, website/social media, and DIY projects in both the TH and the main house. This will include painting (interior/exterior weather dependent), laying floor tiles in the TH loft (no skill required, seriously), backyard clean-up (and gardening in the spring), snow shovelling (again, depending upon weather), helping with website/social media building if you have that skill (not for a business!), painting the backyard deck and fencing in the spring, caulking silicone, helping to pack for a move we're making, maybe painting a mural on the TH garage door, etc. If you have very minimal carpentry skills or the confidence to learn (ex: straight cuts on baseboards and using a nail gun) even better.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Japanese: Beginner
Accommodation
You'll have the Tiny House at the back of the property all to yourself. The TH requires residents to be OK with a swedish composting toilet ( or google vids on youtube!), 5-8 minute showers, and climbing up into a loft to sleep (Queen sized memory foam mattress). The tiny house has a tiny kitchen but everything you need to cook most meals: convection oven/air fryer, nespresso machine, induction hot plate, fridge, etc.
You will be responsible for your own cooking and meals but we will do a grocery delivery once a week. We are strict vegetarians so no meat will be available on our grocery runs.
What else ...
We are in a vibrant inner city neighbourhood with the river valley a 12 minute walk away (downtown core is on the south side of the river valley, about another 5 minute walk). Calgary's public transit and 2 BRT lines are a 3 minute walk away. All the groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. you need are a very short walk away (5-10 mins). Bike paths connect our neighbourhood throughout the city and we do have two dutch bikes you're welcome to use.
Our location also provides quick vehicle access out to the mountains and skiiing. The closest ski hill (Nakiska) is 1h5mins driving, as is the Kananaskis cross country/snow shoeing/hiking areas. Banff is 1h30mins via car. We have an all-wheel drive SUV you could potentially borrow occasionally to head out to the mountains; during the week we use it for commuting. There are also shuttle buses that head out to the mountains from DT Calgary for skiing day trips and lots of ridesharing available.
We are both neurodivergent and pretty relaxed about people living how they want to live, but please no smoking tobacco inside the TH or in the backyard (out on the parking pad next to the tiny house is fine). We're 420 friendly and vaping inside the TH is also OK. If you like rigid rules and schedules this is not the work-away for you. Kindness, flexibility, and accountability in everything.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
