Help transform an 1854 Stagecoach Inn in Québec, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Bethany, Lu and Michael invite you to work with us to breathe new life into what was originally a stage coach inn, built in 1854. Located an hour and fifteen minutes from downtown Montréal, our little plot of paradise in the countryside isn’t far from the pleasures of the city.
  
  We have a little over two and a half acres of forest and gardens that border the Châteauguay River where you can spend summer afternoons in the natural whirlpools and evenings watching the fireflies as they light up the forest. Yet this is not simply a summer home. It is a place to experience nature's four seasons, and our first winter is proving to be just as busy and bustling a time as ever what with skating on the pond, clearing snow and bush, garden planning, chopping wood, and keeping the fire going in the wood stove.
  
  The region is primarily agricultural with many orchards, various types of animal farms, and market garden operations. We became owners at the summer solstice 2021 and there is much to do to turn our acreage into the hub for community projects that we wish it to become. We aim to create a food forest and a flower garden as well as to cultivate mushrooms and micro greens and to offer seasonal celebrations with food, dance, music and theatre to the guests we hope to welcome from near and far. We are also committed to eventually going off-grid and are in the beginning stages of researching green energy.
  
  Whether you are a seasoned gardener with farm experience, someone with specific knowledge to share regarding ecology and/or green energies, or a family looking for a place to learn and grow in nature, we hope you will enjoy staying with us and helping us grow our dreams of an ecologically responsible and sustainable homestead into reality.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We speak English primarily but Bethany is also fluent in French, having lived for four years in France. If you like music, or are a musician, you may enjoy exchanging with Michael who is a pop music producer with a background in jazz guitar. If you like literature, Bethany will be happy to talk books as she is pursuing a doctorate in French Literature currently. We are all passionate about good food and good company and there may be other guests around from different corners of the world when you come. Many of our dearest friends are artists and you might enjoy discussing projects with them, whether they be in theatre, visual art, design, music, dance, even puppetry. Every night you’ll be invited to share a meal with us should you wish to do so. We can arrange to travel to Montréal, or to different towns in the area if you need transportation, so that you can experience the local culture and attend markets and events or check out museums and shops.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  - Help design, research, and create gardens (floral and vegetable)
  - Clearing underbrush and « cleaning » the forest floor (we don’t cut down any trees unless absolutely necessary)
  - General housework such as cleaning floors and windows, cooking meals and cleaning dishes
  - Sharing knowledge and skills pertaining to organic gardening and moving towards eventually keeping animals such as chickens, goats, sheep, horses (our acreage is small but our long term plan includes a modest animal farm)
  - Sharing your cultural and linguistic knowledge with us and our daughter
  - Dog walks and play (we have a very energetic dog named Sadie)
  - Weeding, watering the existing garden
  - Potentially painting some interior spaces, freshening up some decor
  - Relocating stones from the forest to the garden to create retaining walls ; building said walls
  - Renovating and cleaning a chicken coop
  - Researching and implementing uses of medicinal native plants

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  Private room, shared bathrooms (one with shower, one with bath), and shared kitchen.
  
  We are happy to accommodate any diet while shopping. Organic whole foods are favoured here but we’re not against the occasional convenient treat. Communal dinners are important to us. Breakfast and lunch are free form. We provide all food for our workers and will work with you to make meal plans based on your needs.

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  What else ...

  Here you will only work for five hours a day, in the morning, so that you can give those hours your best focus and energy. Afternoons are free, and you may enjoy them as you please! We have several bikes that you can borrow, as well as a bunch of different sizes of roller blades. There is a kayak safari place in the nearest town that you could potentially sign up for. Or just forest bathe and explore the river! Except when working we like to be unplugged and disconnected from our tech, and we hope that you will enjoy the time away from screens too, although our wifi is available for an hour a day in the evening should you wish to use it. If you are working remotely as well as working with us we can arrange for a split schedule so as to ensure that the internet service works optimally for all. For our little ones sake, we keep noise to a minimum after 9:30pm (though on a summer night the music and chatter may go on until much later should the vibe be good!)

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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

  Our internet connection is good enough to rely on for zoom meetings and the like. However, occasional power outages that do occur in this area of the province may interfere with online work.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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