Enjoy helping out on an island mountain and ocean view property on Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
Last activity
: 14 Apr 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 3 days
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 374581422949
Website Safety
Feedback (2)
Left by Workawayer (Andy) for host
Irene kindly accepted my request at a time when I was coach-surfing and for this I was very grateful and wanted to make it work out. However this turned out to be without a doubt the worst volunteer experience I've had and left after 4 days. Irene shouldn't be hosting volunteers.
Things were not as described on the website, *redacted*. I was
… read more given a mattress on the floor in the living room or a mattress in the corridor, when there were perfectly clean and made-up bedrooms in the house.
Irene went so far as to make a barricade rather than just ask me to stop using the one clean bathroom in the house which I decided to use after she pointed out a very dirty one for me to use.
The final straw for me was when I walked out half way through my work day after Irene had been extremely rude to me, I went for a walk and came back to find I’d been locked out of the house all evening (it was December). Irene said she had a meeting and had to lock the house, without letting me know or making any effort to leave me a key.
Overall would I recommend? Definitely not, if you have your own place to stay and bring your own food it might work. To her credit the work was extremely chill and the dog is an absolute delight.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Rowan)
It is unfortunate that Rowan didn't provide all the details about his short stay with me. Please note in his review Rowan never spoke of the work I anticipated he would bring to our arrangement. He stayed at my place for 8 days and only worked 2 1/2 days. Despite my efforts to show him the various tasks and projects underway here he was never
… read more committed to doing much of this work. He has his own vehicle and he spent a good part of the day going to pick up his girlfriend elsewhere on Salt Spring Island, going to get his vehicle fixed, pay the insurance and other activities. He asked if his girlfriend could come and stay at my place with him and I refused this request. However he arrived with her anyway claiming it was just to visit. He was upset when I did not accept her visit and became verbally aggressive with me. The day after this incident he claimed to be "ill" and could not work. Later that day he became aggressive again in front of the carpenter rebuilding my kitchen. I asked that he wait until we were in private before speaking to me in such a derogatory manner. The next day he apologized for the way he spoke to me.
Upon his arrival at my property I clearly described what I hoped would be a workable situation for the two of us. He agreed to 5 days work in any 7 days. He was not able to do this because of all his other activities that he carried out without tell me how long it would take and when he would be doing these trips/visits away. It was for that reason that he was locked out of my home as I could not find him and I had to leave for an important meeting a few kilometers away. I do not like to leave my home unlocked!
My home and especially my kitchen is undergoing considerable renovations and the kitchen is not fully functional. Because I was replacing the refrigerator it appeared that some food was left remaining on the kitchen counters. He had no reason be concerned about the safety of my food.
As a result of all the above I asked him to leave within the next 2 days. This coincided with the arrival of my friends. There are over 5 bedroom in my home and I did not ask him to leave because of the arrival of friends but more because I did not want him to create any more unpleasant instances in front of other people.
I have had over 40 different worker/helpers via Workway, HelpX, Woofer, etc and I have never had a young man present himself with so little interest in helping me out (I live alone) or to truly make an effort to understand the situation at hand.
If any host is to take Rowan as a workawayer, please ensure that you establish a trial period of a few days before committing to any specific length of stay. Here is a sentence from his messages to me via this website with me that made me want to have him come help me: I would be keen to help, and delighted to say I have lots of energy.
Left by Workawayer (Rowan) for host
Irene is clearly not in a position to host work awayers at the current time so I would discourage any stays.
The house was very messy, meal times were erratic and often she would leave food out of the fridge for several days. Her description on the profile is not what you should expect.
Irene's communication was very poor and she did not
… read more acknowledge any of the work I did for her.
She told me one day that she had friends coming to stay, and that I had to leave the same day which is very disrespectful and irresponsible. This was only 8 days into a 2 week stay.
The worst moment was while I was out of the house, she left and locked all the doors without telling me, meaning I was locked out in the rain with all my belongings inside.
The only positives is Salt Spring is very pretty and Irene did not ask me to do any work she was not prepared to do herself.
I do not recommend.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Feedback
Left by Workawayer (Andy) for host
Irene kindly accepted my request at a time when I was coach-surfing and for this I was very grateful and wanted to make it work out. However this turned out to be without a doubt the worst volunteer experience I've had and left after 4 days. Irene shouldn't be hosting volunteers.
Things were not as described on the website, *redacted*. I was
… read more given a mattress on the floor in the living room or a mattress in the corridor, when there were perfectly clean and made-up bedrooms in the house.
Irene went so far as to make a barricade rather than just ask me to stop using the one clean bathroom in the house which I decided to use after she pointed out a very dirty one for me to use.
The final straw for me was when I walked out half way through my work day after Irene had been extremely rude to me, I went for a walk and came back to find I’d been locked out of the house all evening (it was December). Irene said she had a meeting and had to lock the house, without letting me know or making any effort to leave me a key.
Overall would I recommend? Definitely not, if you have your own place to stay and bring your own food it might work. To her credit the work was extremely chill and the dog is an absolute delight.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Rowan)
It is unfortunate that Rowan didn't provide all the details about his short stay with me. Please note in his review Rowan never spoke of the work I anticipated he would bring to our arrangement. He stayed at my place for 8 days and only worked 2 1/2 days. Despite my efforts to show him the various tasks and projects underway here he was never
… read more committed to doing much of this work. He has his own vehicle and he spent a good part of the day going to pick up his girlfriend elsewhere on Salt Spring Island, going to get his vehicle fixed, pay the insurance and other activities. He asked if his girlfriend could come and stay at my place with him and I refused this request. However he arrived with her anyway claiming it was just to visit. He was upset when I did not accept her visit and became verbally aggressive with me. The day after this incident he claimed to be "ill" and could not work. Later that day he became aggressive again in front of the carpenter rebuilding my kitchen. I asked that he wait until we were in private before speaking to me in such a derogatory manner. The next day he apologized for the way he spoke to me.
Upon his arrival at my property I clearly described what I hoped would be a workable situation for the two of us. He agreed to 5 days work in any 7 days. He was not able to do this because of all his other activities that he carried out without tell me how long it would take and when he would be doing these trips/visits away. It was for that reason that he was locked out of my home as I could not find him and I had to leave for an important meeting a few kilometers away. I do not like to leave my home unlocked!
My home and especially my kitchen is undergoing considerable renovations and the kitchen is not fully functional. Because I was replacing the refrigerator it appeared that some food was left remaining on the kitchen counters. He had no reason be concerned about the safety of my food.
As a result of all the above I asked him to leave within the next 2 days. This coincided with the arrival of my friends. There are over 5 bedroom in my home and I did not ask him to leave because of the arrival of friends but more because I did not want him to create any more unpleasant instances in front of other people.
I have had over 40 different worker/helpers via Workway, HelpX, Woofer, etc and I have never had a young man present himself with so little interest in helping me out (I live alone) or to truly make an effort to understand the situation at hand.
If any host is to take Rowan as a workawayer, please ensure that you establish a trial period of a few days before committing to any specific length of stay. Here is a sentence from his messages to me via this website with me that made me want to have him come help me: I would be keen to help, and delighted to say I have lots of energy.
Left by Workawayer (Rowan) for host
Irene is clearly not in a position to host work awayers at the current time so I would discourage any stays.
The house was very messy, meal times were erratic and often she would leave food out of the fridge for several days. Her description on the profile is not what you should expect.
Irene's communication was very poor and she did not
… read more acknowledge any of the work I did for her.
She told me one day that she had friends coming to stay, and that I had to leave the same day which is very disrespectful and irresponsible. This was only 8 days into a 2 week stay.
The worst moment was while I was out of the house, she left and locked all the doors without telling me, meaning I was locked out in the rain with all my belongings inside.
The only positives is Salt Spring is very pretty and Irene did not ask me to do any work she was not prepared to do herself.
I do not recommend.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
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