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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
5 Nov 2024
Reply rate
95.2 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
19
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Description
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Presently, our opening has been filled.
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Awesome lake with water-skiing, tubing, cliff jumping, swimming, boating, canoeing, portaging, hiking, sauna, hot tub and general cottage fun in exchange for some occasional help around the place.
We live year round on a beautiful unspoiled lake in cottage country in northern Ontario, Canada in a 3 storey cottage which I built from scratch back in 1970 when I was fresh out of college. We have been hosting student helpers every summer since 1978 and they are all still part of our ever growing extended family.
We have welcomed amazing young men from all over Europe who are non-smokers and eat regular food and enjoy the idea of country living beside an unspoiled and uncrowded lake surrounded by protected forest.
We have a very large collection of testimonials from helpers that came to us through another site and we have been hosting them non-stop and back to back since October of 2013. We will be happy to share those with you too.
We have videos and a web site that we can share as well.
The record for length of stay has been 6 months at one time and another visitor has returned for three two-month visits. We usually prefer long term visitors. I have been invited to two future weddings in Europe so far and many of our former visitors have plans to return again.
We very much have enjoyed the company and the feeling seems to be mutual.
Our visitors help with household chores such as preparing meals together. Of course we operate like a family and also eat nutritious home cooked meals three times a day at our family dining table.
We have a very large property with lots of buildings and lots of boats and there is usually something on the "to do list" that needs to be upgraded or repaired so we need someone to "hold the other end of the board" and so on.
In summer there are boats to bail and in winter there are stairs to clear of snow.
For fun, there is water-skiing and tubing, swimming, hiking, portaging, fishing, and in winter there is skating, tobogganing, and riding the snowmobile. The hot tub and sauna are popular items both winter and summer.
I would love to have a dialogue with you about visiting here and answer any questions you may have.
We usually reply to e-mail very promptly.Types of help and learning opportunities
Elderly CompanionshipDIY and building projectsCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceHelp with Computers/ InternetCultural exchange and learning opportunities
Many people come here with the idea of polishing their English and we are glad to help with that. They usually learn some cooking tips, how to do maintenance on small engines, electrical, plumbing and building projects and other mechanical knowledge.
Most visitors also learn to water-ski and have opportunities to hike and explore, portaging, go cliff jumping, swimming, learn about saunas and hot tubs and generally have fun.
We have a long list of testimonials from former international helpers that we can share with you if you are interested.Help
Help with cleaning
Bailing boats,
Moving firewood
Help with repairs.
Split and stack firewood
Help with preparing the food that we eat together and cleaning up the dishes that we use.
Computer help. (I am a computer idiot)Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
We provide a private room in our 6 bedroom year-round home on our waterfront property and offer laundry facilities, and we share meal preparation and eat nourishing home cooked meals together as a family 3 times a day.
There are also opportunities for water-skiing, tubing, swimming, using our hot tub and sauna, canoes, kayaks, wind surfer, cliff jumping, portaging hiking, exploring, visiting the tourist spots, sharing meals with our neighbours and friends.What else ...
We have been working with exceptional high school students every summer since 1978 and are still in touch with all of them and more recently have added to our ever growing extended family with awesome helpers from all over Europe and have very much enjoyed the company of these people.
Sincerely,
BobA little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Hours expected
Very flexible - no set hours - we just do what is needed - very relaxed pace (Max 25 hours)
Feedback (7)
To Whom It May Concern:
I have had the very good fortune of connecting with Thies thorugh the Workaway web site to help with our cottage renting business in the Parry Sound District of Northern Ontario for August, September and October 2024.
Regardless of the task, it has been an absolute pleasure to work… read more
Re: Robin
To Whom It May Concern:
I have had the tremendous good fortune to have hosted Robin for exactly three months in our lakefront home in Northern Ontario.
I have found Robin to have a long list of very fine qualities. He is very attentive, observant, cooperative, perceptive, organized,… read more
I arrived with one foot of snow and enjoyed untouched nature and silence, that is unique at Bob’s place. During the day, we realised some… read more
Léo is a soft spoken, clean cut, multi-talented genius with a vibrant personality. He became one of the family the moment that he stepped into our house.
Working with him is like being part of a symphony orchestra and he can take any part from first fiddle through to conductor and he never… read more
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
To Whom It May Concern:
I have had the very good fortune of connecting with Thies thorugh the Workaway web site to help with our cottage renting business in the Parry Sound District of Northern Ontario for August, September and October 2024.
Regardless of the task, it has been an absolute pleasure to work… read more
Re: Robin
To Whom It May Concern:
I have had the tremendous good fortune to have hosted Robin for exactly three months in our lakefront home in Northern Ontario.
I have found Robin to have a long list of very fine qualities. He is very attentive, observant, cooperative, perceptive, organized,… read more
I arrived with one foot of snow and enjoyed untouched nature and silence, that is unique at Bob’s place. During the day, we realised some… read more
Léo is a soft spoken, clean cut, multi-talented genius with a vibrant personality. He became one of the family the moment that he stepped into our house.
Working with him is like being part of a symphony orchestra and he can take any part from first fiddle through to conductor and he never… read more
October 25, 2023
What a total delight it has been to host Simon for these two weeks. Simon contacted me a short time ago and asked if I could host him for a short term and I jumped at the chance and told him up front that we had just taken on a "spur of the moment" building project and could certainly… read more
RAPHAEL LECHARPENTIER
JULY AND AUGUST 2023
I have had the great pleasure of hosting Raphael for two months. He is a rare treasure to be sure and I have been extremely fortunate to have connected with him.
He is multi talented, intelligent, cooperative, agreeable and able to take on any task and figure out what needs… read more
What an absolute delight it has been to host Johannes for the past two months.
He is without a doubt, the total package – talented, thorough, careful, precise, self disciplined, goal oriented, considerate, agreeable, polite, patient, respectful, diligent and always going the extra mile.… read more
Bob was my first work away host in Canada and the time with him was just awesome. I enjoyed every minute at his lovly peaceful place with him. Bob did everything that I felt at home and welcome. He was also very helpful and helped me out with opening a bank account which… read more
His place is right next to a beautiful lake which we were lucky enough to able to get out on using his canoes and motorboats. The work was pretty laid back and varied, such as housekeeping for his rental cottages, chopping firewood and helping with IT skills. We had quite a lot of downtime… read more
He has been helpful on a lot of fronts - helping in the kitchen, helping with the computer and advertising our rental property (where his skills are exceptional),… read more
Bob is a very nice and welcoming person and will do anything to make you feel at home. Riding with him on the snowmobile is awesome, he knows the area and the wildlife very well and I felt very lucky!
I will never… read more
We have had the good fortune of connecting with David for two weeks at the end of his Canadian Adventure.
He arrived at the same time as a delivery of a transport truck size load of firewood logs that we needed to cut and split.
David pitched in right away and quickly learned how to… read more
January 1, 2023
What can I say about Ben's visit here?
To begin with I just have to say that writing this review gives me a great lot of pleasure because it triggers wonderful memories of his visit here and the things that we did together.
Every day with Ben is an uplifting and positive experience as… read more
The place is located at a stunning lake and it's one of the most peaceful places I've ever seen.
One of my highlights was doing a sauna in the evening and jumping into the cold lake afterwards.
Bob, thank you for staying at your… read more
Re: Simon
October 23, 2018
To whom it may concern:
I have had the pleasure of sharing my home with Simon and enjoying his company for 5 weeks now.
I was very fortunate for me that he was able to join our little team when he did because we ended up having more work than we expected when 7 trees came down on our… read more
He is a respectful, self motivated, considerate and trusting person.
His time spent with me, in this rather rustic location will always be viewed as a positive experience.
I encourage any other of my fellow Canucks to host this fine fellow. He is continuing his… read more
Except for some preliminary e-mail correspondence I have known Trent in person for only 5 days now as a guest in my home and a helper around my property. In this short time, I have discovered that he is a totally delightful fellow with a spontaneous sort of personality that I will describe as "the easy going camp counselor type" -… read more