Join our busy family of 4 on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada

Details

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  Description

  We are a family of 4 living on the beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island, the Unceded Traditional Territory of the Lekwungen People . We acknowledge and respect the ləkʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory we live, work and grow upon, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
  
  We’re an active family of four living in a quiet, beautiful neighbourhood between UVic and Cadboro Bay in Victoria, BC. We share our home with our friendly 2-year-old Cavapoo, Ruby, and our wise 9-year-old cat, Winky.
  We love exploring nature—whether it's beaches, parks, or a new hiking trail—and we enjoy biking around town, trying out local coffee shops and bakeries, visiting the library, and supporting our community.
  
  About Us:
  
  Rob works full-time in downtown Victoria
  
  Kristin is a self-employed therapist
  
  Our son (14) is going into Grade 9 and loves soccer, video games, reading, biking, chess and board games
  
  Our daughter (11) is going into Grade 6 and loves crafting, baking, sewing, soccer, and card games
  
  We're looking for a kind, dependable, and hard-working person who can help us with:
  
  Meal planning and light cooking, meal prep
  
  Gardening and yard care, hand weeding, edging, cutting the lawn
  
  General household chores (tidying, organizing, folding laundry, cleaning & vacuuming, etc.)
  
  We really value a balance of productivity and calm in our home—so if you're someone who appreciates both getting things done and carving out time for peace and presence, you’ll likely feel right at home with us.
  
  If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, we’d love to hear from you!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  House sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Technology

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Culture

  

  Self development

  

  Movies & TV

  

  Animals

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Books

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Mountain

  

  Cycling

  

  Hiking

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Water sports

  

  Winter sports

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Team sports

  

  Nature

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Beach
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We’re a family who loves to travel and connect with others through shared stories, meals, and experiences. Rob is originally from the UK, so we’ve visited there a few times to see family. Most recently, we travelled to Paris with our kids, which reignited our love of exploring the world! Before having children, Rob and Kristin spent time backpacking through New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Europe, and Japan—travel and learning about different cultures have always been important to us.
  
  We’re passionate about food and preparing healthy, home-cooked meals together in our recently renovated kitchen. Eating together as a family is a priority, and we enjoy trying dishes from different countries. While we don’t have any food allergies (we’re dairy-aware), we do try to eat more vegetables and include vegetarian or vegan meals as often as possible. Our 11-year-old daughter is still building her tolerance for spicy foods—she’s getting there!
  
  We’d love to swap travel stories—from time with family and friends to the more adventurous, like a challenging 3-day canoe trip we tackled together last summer. This year, we’re planning some backcountry hiking and camping in Strathcona Park, which we’re really excited about.
  
  Our kids are 14 and 11 and enjoy card and board games, soccer, badminton, walking the dog, and biking around Victoria. We’re also very family-oriented and often host both sets of grandparents (who live on Vancouver Island) and other families or friends for dinners, potlucks, and good conversation.
  
  We’re excited to get to know your family and to learn about your life, culture, travels, and how your experiences might be different from ours!

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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

  We expect travellers to self-monitor 4-5 hours/day Monday- Friday of:
  
  Meal Planning & Prepping, batch cooking for our deep freezer for easy meals during the school year
  
  Weekday Cooking for dinners
  
  Outdoor tasks (Gardening, DIY Projects, Cleaning Deck/Windows/ Pool & Hot Tub Maintaining)
  
  Household Help, cleaning up after meals and cooking, wiping counters and putting away food, empying dishwashers
  
  Childminding/Screen-Free Activities

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Our 11 year old daughter is in French Immersion and would like to practice her French language skills.
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  Accommodation

  We guarantee a private room and half bathroom for all visitors. Depending on the month, we may also have a basement suite available. This suite includes a separate entrance, a full bathroom, and kitchen access (availability depends on our home exchange or monthly rental arrangements).
  
  All bedding and towels are provided. Guests also have access to the main areas of the house, including the kitchen, living room, dining room, main bathroom, deck, outdoor hot tub, and pool.
  
  We provide meals and hope our workawayer will join us at breakfast and dinners, weekday lunches is usually self served.

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  What else ...

  We have a standard 2010 SUV that could be available for a Workaway guest to use, provided they have a valid driver’s license and are comfortable driving a standard (stick shift) vehicle. Depending on your height, we also have a bicycle and helmet available. Victoria is a very bikeable city, with more and more AAA (All Ages and Abilities) bike routes being introduced. There are also buses, Uber, and taxis available for getting around.
  
  Fun places to explore nearby include:
  
  Gyro-Cadboro Bay and Telegraph Bay
  
  Mystic Vale and Finnerty Gardens at UVic
  
  The viewpoint at Mt. Tolmie
  
  Willows Beach
  
  Oak Bay Avenue for shops and restaurants
  
  Downtown Victoria: Royal BC Museum, IMAX, Art Gallery (free Thursdays and first Sundays!), Parliament Buildings, Inner Harbour, Historic Downtown and Chinatown
  
  Songhees Walk and Dallas Road for a scenic walk or drive
  
  There are often free concerts in the parks around Saanich and Oak Bay, and a popular free yoga-in-the-park session as well!
  
  House rules:
  
  Absolutely no smoking, vaping, drugs, or parties in our home or on the property—we are quite sensitive to smoke.
  
  We aim to use unscented products as much as possible (e.g. laundry detergent, aftershave, perfumes) due to fragrance sensitivities. No dryer sheets, please.
  
  Technology expectations:
  We do our best to keep technology use (phones, tablets, etc.) to a minimum around the kids, as it can be a distraction. Being mindful and present with us and the family is something we really value and appreciate!

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Winky (9 years)

  

  Ruby (2 years)

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