Profile information
-
Host rating
100 %
-
Last replied
29 Jul 2026
-
Reply rate
86.6 %
Usually responds within 4 days
-
Feedback
23
-
ID verified
-
Email verified
Badges (4)
Find your perfect host
Min stay requested: at least a week
Details
-
Description
Experience the Best of Cottage Life and City Living in Ontario
Hi Workawayers!
We're Patrick and Emilia, a friendly couple in our 40s living in downtown Toronto with our two lovable golden retrievers, Bigsley and Bando. Patrick works in banking, and Emilia is a teacher. When we're not in the city, we escape to our sanctuary, an idyllic 5-bedroom cottage on stunning Weslemkoon Lake near Bancroft.
To save us both time, here's what a stay with us genuinely involves: We prefer host for extended periods (typically 2–3+ months), not weeks. Building a real rhythm together is what makes this exchange work, and short stays don't fit our projects or our home life.
We are looking for one solo traveller at a time, no couples or pairs.
Much of the help we need, dog walks, garden and property projects, happens on weekday days. This exchange is not compatible with attending school during the day in Toronto, and our cottage is remote, without practical transit access to the city.
We love enthusiasm, but our projects call for people who have actually done gardening, painting, maintenance, or small building projects before. Tell us specifically what you've done; it matters more to us than a long list of interests.
Genuine dog experience. Bigsley and Bando are part of the family and need confident daily care and walks in all weather. If you've owned or regularly cared for dogs, tell us about it.
We prefer workawayers with positive reviews. If you're new to Workaway, that's okay, but please offer a reference we can actually contact (a previous host family, employer, or program leader).
We split time between the cottage and the city, and a significant share of your stay will be at the lake, quiet, remote, and beautiful. If your main goal is exploring downtown Toronto, we're honestly not the right hosts for you. If waking to loons on a wilderness lake sounds like the dream, read on.
About Our Cottage
Our cottage is nestled on a breathtaking 20-kilometre-long lake carved into the rugged Canadian Shield. With depths reaching 200 feet and surrounded by pristine forests, Weslemkoon Lake offers the ultimate retreat into nature. You'll wake up to the calls of loons, and you might spot deer, elk, moose, bears, or wild turkeys during your stay.
How You'd Help
At the cottage:
- Gardening and yard tasks
- Organizing and cleaning
- Painting projects
- General maintenance and small building projects
In Toronto:
- Dog walking and caring for our two golden retrievers
- Meal prep and household chores
- General tidying and cleaning
- Yard tasks on occasion
What We Offer
- Accommodation at our cozy cottage surrounded by nature or in our comfortable city home in downtown Toronto
- Delicious meals and opportunities to cook together
- A welcoming and friendly environment
- Free time to relax, swim, kayak, hike — and, when we're in the city, to explore Toronto's culture
Why You'll Love It Here:
At the cottage, you'll immerse yourself in nature, enjoying the lake's serenity and the beauty of the Canadian wilderness. In the city, you'll experience everything downtown Toronto offers, from world-class museums and parks to diverse restaurants and cultural events. Winter guests: our winters are real Canadian winters — snow, cold, and all the beauty that comes with them. Come prepared and you'll love it.
Ready to Apply?
If you're hardworking, independent, experienced with hands-on projects, comfortable with dogs, and able to stay a few months — we'd love to hear from you. In your message, please tell us:
- Your proposed dates and how long you can stay
- Your hands-on experience (specific projects, not just interests)
- Your experience with dogs
- A review or a reference we can contact
- Whether you hold a driver's licence
Applications that cover these five points will hear back from us fastest. If you have questions or would like more photos of our places, just reach out — we're happy to share.
Looking forward to welcoming the right person into our little slice of heaven!
Warm regards,
Patrick & Emilia -
Types of help and learning opportunities
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
-
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travellers will see Canadian nature with extensive wildlife and a beautiful lake in which to boy and swim while enjoying regional cuisine. Our cottage is a sanctuary where we escape from the city.
-
Help
We’d love your help at the cottage with:
- Gardening and yard tasks
- Organizing and cleaning
- Painting projects
- General maintenance and small building projects
When we’re back in Toronto, we’ll also need help with:
- Dog walking and caring for our two golden retrievers
- Meal prep and household chores
- General tidying and cleaning
- Yard tasks on occasion -
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Polish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
Any language other than English! -
Accommodation
Private rooms or shared bunk rooms with multiple workspaces.
-
What else ...
We offer transportation from Toronto up to our cottage and back again.
We are only looking for Workaway help from people with positive reviews. Sorry, we had a bad experience :( -
A little more information
-
Internet access
-
Limited internet access
-
We have pets
-
We are smokers
-
Can host families
-
-
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
-
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
-
Can possibly accept pets
Only well behaved dogs no cats please (we are allergic!).
-
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
-
My animals / pets
Bando
The sweetest puppy ever.
Bigsley
Loves to cuddle and thinks he is a human,
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (9)
Before she arrived, we sent a detailed house manual and had a call to walk through daily routines and expectations: help around the house and cottage, some garden/yard work, … read more
In addition to … read more
I spent 5 weeks in Toronto/at Weslemkoon Lake and I gotta stay it just flew by!
The hiking, boat rides, sunset, kayaking, the beautiful and loving dogs, Toronto and all the things that I had the chance to visit there were just absolutely fantastic!
I had enough time to do whatever I … read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Before she arrived, we sent a detailed house manual and had a call to walk through daily routines and expectations: help around the house and cottage, some garden/yard work, … read more
In addition to … read more
I spent 5 weeks in Toronto/at Weslemkoon Lake and I gotta stay it just flew by!
The hiking, boat rides, sunset, kayaking, the beautiful and loving dogs, Toronto and all the things that I had the chance to visit there were just absolutely fantastic!
I had enough time to do whatever I … read more
Anael was eager to jump in and help with the … read more
On the practical side, Laura was a superstar. She is … read more
Their house in Toronto is very well located, making it easy to do almost … read more
Beyond her invaluable help, Nayantara truly enriched our lives with her wonderful Indian cooking – every meal was a delight! She's also … read more
We recently had the pleasure of hosting Mareike for three weeks in Toronto and at our cottage on Weslemkoon Lake, and the time truly flew by! From the moment she arrived, Mareike fit right in with our family, including our two dogs, Bigsley and Bando, who absolutely adored her (and her walks!).
Mareike is … read more
Emilia and Patrick are two incredibly warm, kind-hearted, and open-minded people. I truly enjoyed our time cooking and baking together, our trip to Bancroft, the hikes, boat rides at sunset and kayaking. These moments will remain … read more
He was hard-working and tackled every task with enthusiasm and a great attitude and attention to details. He did a fantastic job painting our … read more
Thank you again for everything, and I hope to see you again soon!
Pat & Emilia are such lovely people. So easy to get along with. My work was varied, from turning over their place, to sanding and staining decking to painting chairs. They were more than happy for me to make my own schedule when I was by myself and I … read more
Mark is a terrific individual who is laid back but very caring and does an excellent job in everything he does.
We’d highly recommend Mark.
Marcello was very laid back and did high quality work. We really enjoyed hosting him.
2 thumbs up!
I spent most of my time at the lake property doing work outside as the weather was great, although they are very flexible and provided me with indoor chores also for if I wanted a change. There … read more
She is a hard worker and has a wonderful personality. We would welcome her back.
Thanks again Tori for all of your help!!
Patrick & Emilia
They helped us install a large flagstone patio, organize our garage and basement and did some interior painting.
They are both quite nice, always willing to lend a hand and hard workers.
We’d highly recommend them!
Patrick and Emilia are extremely nice and welcoming … read more
Manon was hardworking, pleasant and easy to work with. At our cottage, she performed gardening (prepared the flower beds for winter and lawn cutting) and cleaning (cleaned the inside of our cottage and … read more
