Experience cultural exchange at a waterfront cottage in Ottawa, Canada

Details

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  Description

  ABOUT US, YOUR HOSTS
  
  This is my first time as a Workaway host. My daughter suggested we post an listing after traveling around the world doing Workaways herself.
  
  My wife and I are retired and live full-time in Ottawa. We also have a cottage where we spend about 50% of our time during the summer. It is a lot to maintain at our age, so we are looking for 1–3 people (either individuals, friends, or a couple) to help us get the cottage open and closed every year.
  
  We are a blended family with a total of five kids, three of whom have life partners, two who have kids, and two who have dogs. Our family and friends come up to use the cottage in the summer, but less so during the specific weeks we would need a Workaway. Furthermore, your accommodations are entirely separate from the main cottage, complete with your own full bathroom, kitchenette, living room, Wi-Fi, and deck.
  
  HELP
  
  Tasks include raking, leaf blowing, stacking wood, and helping us put the docks in the water. We also need assistance staining our many wooden decks, painting the interior as our design styles change, putting the boat in the water at the beginning of the year (and removing it at the end), and bringing kayaks down to the waterfront. Light gardening such as weeding and pressure washing is also required. Things like that!
  
  THE ACCOMMODATION
  
  Our main cottage has three bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, dining room, and a full bathroom, which is where we stay. A door attaches our space to a private apartment where our friends and family usually stay, but it will be exclusively yours during your visit. It features a bedroom with a queen bed and built-in closets, a kitchenette, a bathroom with a stand-up shower, and a living room with two comfy chairs, a daybed, and a TV. There are two doors leading outside: one goes to the back of the cottage, and sliding doors open to a front patio space with chairs and a table.
  
  If we host two independent travellers who don't know each other, we can arrange for the first person to have the bedroom and the second to use the daybed. Alternatively, we have a trailer on-site with another queen-size bed where the second person could sleep while sharing the apartment's living room, kitchenette, and bathroom.
  
  The cottage is located on Bobs Lake, in a private portion of the lake called Long Bay. The closest airport is Ottawa International Airport (YOW), where we can pick you up and drive you to the property. If you choose to fly into another airport like Montreal (YUL) or Toronto (YYZ), you can make your way to Ottawa, and we will pick you up from there. The cottage is about a 1.5-hour drive from YOW, and there are shops along the way to pick up groceries, alcohol, and any personal items for your stay.
  
  THE HOURS & LEISURE
  Schedule: 4 hours a day, 6 days a week (typically 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM).
  
  After 1:00 PM or on your day off, you are fully welcome to use the dock and waterfront. If you have a valid licenses, we might be open to having you use the motorboat or one of our cars to explore the beautiful small towns nearby. The area offers great hiking, and on the property, we have a gazebo, several different decks to relax on, Starlink Wi-Fi, a smart TV, and plenty of sun!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Self development

  

  Carpentry

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  Books

  

  Winter sports

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Beach

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  When we're at the cottage, we would love to eat together, teach you about the equipment, show you the good hikes, etc. We'll give you as much privacy as you like, or we can spend time together learning about each other's cultures.

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  Help

  THE WORK
  Tasks include raking, leaf blowing, stacking wood, and helping us put the docks in the water. We also need assistance staining our many wooden decks, painting the interior as our design styles change, putting the boat in the water at the beginning of the year (and removing it at the end), and bringing kayaks down to the waterfront. Light gardening such as weeding and pressure washing is also required. Things like that!

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  THE ACCOMMODATION
  Our main cottage has three bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, dining room, and a full bathroom, which is where we stay. A door attaches our space to a private apartment where our friends and family usually stay, but it will be exclusively yours during your visit. It features a bedroom with a queen bed and built-in closets, a kitchenette, a bathroom with a stand-up shower, and a living room with two comfy chairs, a daybed, and a TV. There are two doors leading outside: one goes to the back of the cottage, and sliding doors open to a front patio space with chairs and a table.
  
  If we host two independent travellers who don't know each other, we can arrange for the first person to have the bedroom and the second to use the daybed. Alternatively, we have a trailer on-site with another queen-size bed where the second person could sleep while sharing the apartment's living room, kitchenette, and bathroom.
  
  The cottage is located on Bobs Lake, in a private portion of the lake called Long Bay. The closest airport is Ottawa International Airport (YOW), where we can pick you up and drive you to the property. If you choose to fly into another airport like Montreal (YUL) or Toronto (YYZ), you can make your way to Ottawa, and we will pick you up from there. The cottage is about a 1.5-hour drive from YOW, and there are shops along the way to pick up groceries, alcohol, and any personal items for your stay.

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  What else ...

  Tremblant is a mecca for outdoor activities - perfect for these strange times. An abundance of marked trails for hiking and biking. Great roads for road biking with extra care to the needs of ironman training. A beautiful beach 2 minutes away which also hosts Ironman swim training.
  There is a bus stop right outside our door which goes by every half and is free. It will take you to all areas within the Tremblant/St. Jovite area.

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  We have Starlink - 100mbs

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We do have space for you to park and stay in your own campervan. If this were the case, your work hours would be reduced given that we wouldn't need to host you as much.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  One dog would be okay. No cats.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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