Odile & Ben

Our status

Description

Hi! We are Odile and Ben, born and raised in Montreal, Canada.
We are traveling with our 19 ft trailer, our small pick-up, and Papita, our retired Mexican street dog.
We came to British Columbia to learn how to farm (organically) and have been working on an organic farm on Salt Spring Island since April. We are ready for new adventures this winter!

Ben:
I have been traveling for a few years now. It is easy for me to adapt to any kind of situation. Travelling allows me to meet new people and to open myself to the world around me. I've had the chance to live unforgettable things and meet amazing people during my travels. I grew a lot from these experiences and encounters. I believe that being attentive to what people around me say is very important because you can live through their experiences and learn a lot from them.
I am easy going and pick up after myself. I am always smiling and in a good mood! I am always excited about learning new skills or sharing the ones I have!
I have a lot of interests in everything that has to do with living in a more simple way, in a self-sufficient and sustainable way, and in harmony with my surroundings. I am a carpenter by trade.


Odile:
I have been on Workaway since 2014 and have been fortunate to do Workaway in Northwest Territories & Ontario, Canada, in Mexico, in Spain, and in Ecuador. I had great experiences and am looking forward to more!
I speak French, English, and Spanish fluently and have a marked interest in languages. (I am currently doing an online translation degree)
I am an open-minded and easy-going person. I try to go with the flow and stay positive.
I love children, people, animals (huge dog lover), nature, food, growing food, discovering, traveling, learning, and volunteering!
I am very interested in regenerative agriculture, permaculture, ecology, wildlife and plants, homesteading, food preservation, fermentation, cooking, baking, history, and languages. I would love to learn more about all those things!


Papita:
Papita is a retired street dog from San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. In October 2018, she arrived at a dog shelter where we were volunteering through Workaway a few days after us. The three of us mutually adopted each other! Although only 4 or 5, she has the character of an older dog. She has become a lot more happy and playful in the last years, but she still couldn't be qualified as energetic! She is very calm and well behaved. She is very friendly with humans. She is also good with other dogs, but rarely plays (unless it is an unfixed male or a long time friend). She is also good with cats. She had been an exceptional farm dog on Salt Spring, never walking on the beds, ignoring the chickens, and behaving very well. (The chickens also ignored her; the farmers we work with said they never saw their chickens not react to a dog before!) In a house, she is also very clean and does not destroy things. Her only vice is a love for going through compost if it is accessible to her! We know many people who could be references to vouch for her good behavior and lovable character.

Interests

Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn

We're interested in:  

Charity Work

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Some knowledge of:  

Gardening

Babysitting and creative play

Creating/ Cooking family meals

Life at a Farmstay

Eco Projects

Helping around the house

Animal Care

Hospitality/Tourism

Art Projects

Helping with Computers/ Internet

Teaching

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Able to teach about:  

DIY and building projects

General Maintenance

Language practice

More details about your skills

Ben:
- Carpentry
As a carpenter by trade, I have a lot of building skills. I work a lot with wood, because of its abundance in Quebec.
I am very versatile and learn very quickly. I have done a lot of research about different systems to build in a more self-sufficient way. I would like to learn more about this.
- Growing food
I also have some farming skills. I believe spending a whole season on an organic low till farm gave me some serious farming skills. I also spend spent quite some time working in an organic apple orchard, where cider and a bunch of other apple products were made.

I am resourceful and I easily find solutions to everyday life problems.


Odile:
- Photography
I completed my degree in professional photography (3 year program) at Dawson College in May 2013. I am trained in editing photos and will be traveling with my camera and laptop at all times. I would love to help with any photography related work!
www.odileboucher.com
- Childcare
I completed a degree in early childhood education and have experience with children. I did an internship in a daycare in Montreal, Canada, and in a preschool in Valencia, Spain. I've also volunteered in a daycare in Mexico and have been three times to an orphanage in Haiti. I've babysat numerous children in Montreal, sometimes while volunteering for the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal. I worked in a daycare in Montreal with kids from 2-4 years old and as a camp counselor for a literacy camp in the Cree community of Chisasibi.
- Languages
I'm native French and speak Spanish and English fluently, so I could help out with French, Spanish, or English related tasks. I am presently doing an online degree in translation.
- Customer service
I have over five years of experience in customer service jobs. This was split between working in a fair trade shop, working as a cashier in a high-end fine foods store, working in a photography studio, working as a customer service representative for MasterCard (National Bank of Canada), and working in a farmer's market. I have dealt with every type of client, and have a lot of patience and a professional attitude. I have excellent and amiable customer service and enjoy working with people.
I have also worked at Blachford Lake Lodge (A Northern Canada Workaway host) for two months. Jobs included guest services, guided hikes/boat tours, welcome tours, photography tips to guests, housekeeping, starting fires in wood stoves, limbing trees, food preparation, bartending, gardening, and more. During my stay there, I have received various positive comments from the clients.
- Growing food
I have worked on an organic market garden on Salt Spring Island for a full season (April to December).

Languages

Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent

More details about my language interests
Odile is very interested in languages. She is currently studying translation

Find a language buddy

Age

28 & 28

Nationality

(Quebec) Canadian

What else ...

We spend a lot of our time outside. We love to breathe fresh air!

We love to be part of projects, from the smallest to the biggest. It always brings us a huge satisfaction, and you get to meet people, learn new skills, and have fun in the process! :)

We are enthusiastic and motivated. If we contact a host, it's because we are 100% willing to commit to the tasks asked for. This is because we know that there is always something to learn from anybody, anywhere. In our opinion, Volunteering is always win-win.

We are both hard-working, however, we know our limits. We won't hesitate to ask questions. We like to work well and do our best.

It has always been very important for us to be reliable, responsible, punctual, and trustworthy. Whether it's for a paid job or for volunteering, it doesn't matter. To us, it is a question of principle and respect.
We are also respectful of other people's homes and belongings and clean up after ourselves. We think it is common sense and basic respect.

We are not high maintenance people or have high living standards. We enjoy living very simply! We especially enjoy remote, rural places.

We love challenges. We are open to trying and learning new things, new foods, and meeting new people!

And last but not least, we love to laugh and have a good sense of humor!

Some more information

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  Smoker

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  Driver's licence

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  Allergies
  Ben is deadly allergic to peanuts

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  Special dietary requirements
  Vegetarian