Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
7 Jan 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
44
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Details
Description
Come do some garden and family support in beautiful Victoria, Vancouver Island!
A clarifying note about weather...
****Please only apply request to come if you are an outdoor loving person who is prepared to work in all weather. We continue to be surprised with people coming to our temperate rainy climate to "help" without appropriate outdoor gear or shoes to work outside. We do not provide gear other that work gloves and the tools. If you come unprepared you will need to visit the local thrift store and equip yourselves as we mostly need outside work and this is all weather. Check the local average rain fall for the season and please don't come if you don't like the rain and are someone that complains about the weather. We live on an island so the weather is always changing and is part of the west coast island charm:) Our guest space is also a little walk to the back of our yard so just coming and going from the main house and washroom requires adequate coverage. I understand packing light but also its a climate for layers!
Thank you!!
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We need help with yard clean up, gardening tasks, working compost, weeding, pruning etc, as well as daily chores like house work and home and storage organization. For those who enjoy children and are fluent in French we hope that you could speak in French with the kids. (Not mandatory!)
Hi! Meet our busy and loving little family of four. Bijan is a fun loving father and an open minded college Economics instructor who loves tech, a good discussion and is always happy to practice his Spanish and French. Renée is an energetic extroverted birth doula, accessibility researcher and yoga instructor. We both love to cook and share house hold responsibility. Renée has an unpredictable birth work schedule and also works several evenings a week teaching. Our children are Ezra and Arya, 11 and 10 and we a have a shy cat Kali, and our joyful dog Toto. The kids are very active and love arts and crafts, playing and cracking jokes. We are very open to new people and have very big personalities. If you are flexible, open-minded and enjoy family life and good food please check us out and send us a message. Our home is cozy and we have a lot of on-going projects and need help with seasonal chores as well as day to day tasks like the dishes. We invite those who are open to becoming a part of the family for the duration of their stay. We especially welcome those who are good at organizational tasks!
We have a small 10/10 cabin in the back of the yard that is private and ideal for those who enjoy their own space. The bed is a double and it is cozy and quiet. The photo here shows an additional bed that can be added for small families but this is usually open floor space. The bathroom and other facilities are in the main house but the guest house has a strong good wifi connection. You are welcome to pee in the trees..it's that private!
We prefer stays of at least two weeks and would love some longer but are flexible for the right person/people!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
People who stay with us enjoy our interest in their lives, global issues and enjoy being a real part of our family. This means coming with us on outings if desired, learning about gardening, cheese making, food preservation and whatever else we are up to. Weather and time permitting we try to get out into nature and include our volunteers in this experience. Everyone that has come has focused on different tasks. We enjoy discussions, games, outdoor activities and a large part of our life is about producing and preserving food for our family (and you) to enjoy.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We live in a small home with a large yard and garden that continues to expand. We have eleven fruit trees. We always need help with mulching, pruning, weeding, planting and harvesting, depending on the season. We also have two growing energetic children. We may ask helpers to babysit or assist with child and pet care when we get to know you. The kids are older now so this is just really handing out so they are not home alone as they are mostly self sufficient. We are interested in help interacting and sharing culture and language with all of us. In our home you will be a part of the family, this means that help takes many forms. You will be a part of the family and pitch in where ever and however needed. Usually there is a small task, a larger task and some daily chores. We also would love to have some french speaking guests to share the language with our kids who attend a French school. We try to keep a list of a variety of jobs so that volunteers can select something they enjoy doing. We do not expect everyone to be a fit with our children, but enjoying children is a necessary quality for this placement. We love your stories, playfulness and energy that you bring into the home, as this above all else is about a cultural exchange between you and our family. We look forward to meeting you!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
French: BeginnerThis 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.
Accommodation
Our photos show our little "shack in the back" a simple one room guest house with a shared bathroom in our home. This is a double bed. There is an option of a little bed on the floor for a family of three if the child is young. There is also space to have a tent if you prefer that but the capacity for the shack is two adults.
What else ...
Victoria has many amazing sites, both natural and historic. There are art museums, stunning gardens, many city parks, as well as amazing islands and provincial parks to explore. From downtown you can take tours of the city, go whale watching or travel to see the wild west coast of Vancouver Island in Tofino or go to Seattle on the Clipper. Vancouver Island is a scenic wonderland! I have lived here for 21 years and there are still islands and epic beaches I have not yet seen.
Note: If you are hoping to surf you will need a car!
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.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (23)
The first contact by video on Whatsapp was easy, we felt that Renée and Bijan were flexible and enthusiastic.
We were looking for long-term volunteering and are very grateful to have been able to stay with them for 4 months!
We were… read more
A and S made a hard… read more
Photos
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)
The first contact by video on Whatsapp was easy, we felt that Renée and Bijan were flexible and enthusiastic.
We were looking for long-term volunteering and are very grateful to have been able to stay with them for 4 months!
We were… read more
A and S made a hard… read more
I stayed with Renée, Bijan, the kids Arya and Ezra for 2 weeks and it was a great experience. They are an energetic and very loving family. I was welcomed from the moment I stepped in the house and they always made sure to… read more
We stayed 3 weeks with Bijan and Renée and it was a great time for both of us. We mainly did maintenance in the garden and cleaning around the house, which is not hard work.
Bijan and Renée are both such interesting people, you can feel that they really enjoy sharing their knowledge with you and Bijan can tell an anecdote every time… read more
Renée, Bijan, Ezra and Arya are very welcoming and helpful. I really appreciate their interest in my life and openness. They shared their lives and experiences which I… read more
They could only host us for ten days but we are very happy we had the opportunity to get to know them and help out in their garden. We felt welcomed in their house and their family, and loved talking about many different things and sharing amazing food :)
We liked helping in the garden:… read more
Renée and Bijan are very thoughtful, welcoming, warm people who are interested in those… read more
Renée and Bijan are incredible people ; they have always wise advices about everything (Renée help me planned the rest of my trip) and good tips about what to do in Victoria.… read more
There is always work to do but it is never too much and it is very often a new occasion to learn… read more
This was my first experience with Workaway and it has been GREAT! Renée, Bijan, Ezra, Arya, Toto and Callie are a beautiful family. They are very nice people, down to earth and funny! You can feel the love is in the air in this house.
During my stay I couldn't work in the garden because the weather was too cold but I… read more
Renee grow many vegetables in garden and eat very nourishing food.Bijan enjoys cooking food from many counties YUMMY!!
I enjoyed playing with Ezva and Arya.Toto is a cute and obedient little dog.
Thanks Bijan for understanding my English for helping me a lot.
We stayed two weeks at your Family. We felt very welcome and were directly integrated into the family right from the start. It was our first workaway experience and it was perfect. We got exciting jobs (gardening, working on the shed, walking with the dog...). They also… read more
Beyond helping with the cleaning, and gardening, was the time spent with the family that I've appreciate the most, I've learned so much from all of them.
The idea to bring the world at… read more
