Live, play and garden on a remote off-grid wilderness homestead in Central Yukon, Canada

Detalles

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  Descripción

  Jim and Carole live on a remote wilderness property on the banks of the Pelly River in central Yukon. The nearest neighbours are 5 km away (also Workaway Hosts) and the nearest community is 50 km away. Getting here is an adventure as it is river access only! We are about 5 hours (300 km) from Whitehorse: 3 hours on a highway, 1.5 hours on a dirt road, and 30 minutes by boat. Once you are here it is extremely scenic. Hike the hills, swim in the river, fish from the river bank, identify birds and plants, sketch or paint the scenery.
  
  The property has numerous buildings, including two comfortable 3-room cabins, one of which will be ‘home’ for the Workawayers. We have (limited) solar powered electricity, limited wifi, outhouses, an outdoor shower, no running water.
  
  Our property was a seasonal property for Jim and Carole and their kids while they worked as a teacher and SLP. Since 2017 when we retired, it has been our year round residence. Our summers are devoted to gardening, and welcoming family members and friends who are seeking a break from the city. (These visitors are not paying guests.) We enjoy sharing our lifestyle and the skills of living remotely with others, and we enjoy learning from them - it’s a fun and welcoming atmosphere. Workawayers will get to meet other Yukoners in addition to us.
  
  This summer, 2023, we are looking for Workawayers for the gardening season: late May to late August. As our lives have changed, we need more help to maintain this lifestyle. Due to various commitments away from the property, this summer we need to be able to ‘come and go’.
  
  We would like our first Workawayers to join us around the middle of May to become familiar with the property and learn about the gardening and other daily jobs. This is a little different from some Workaway projects in that, once our team is oriented, we need to be able to leave occasionally for periods of 2 days to up to 2 weeks. Because of this, we are looking for people with initiative and a willingness to work without supervision. We need Workawayers through harvest season, until the beginning of September. We hope our Workawayers can commit for a stay of one month, but there are times when a two week period can work. We might have a series of Workawayers over the summer, or one set who stay the whole time. Couples or travelling companions are preferred so they have a close companion to rely on when we are away, however, we will also welcome individuals. We can welcome up to 4 workawayers at a time, including families.
  
  We are grateful to be on the traditional territory of the Selkirk First Nation.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Práctica de idiomas

  Jardinería

  Proyectos de construcción y bricolaje

  Cuidado de animales

  Cocinar para toda la familia

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Over the years we have learned how to live remotely, off-grid, and in harmony with the local wildlife. We are continually exploring gardening techniques that work in a northern climate in a non-mechanized garden. We wouldn’t claim that we have a fully subsistence lifestyle, but we do try and live ‘green’, grow [much of] our own food, re-use & re-purpose materials when possible, minimize our impact on the earth. Our Workawayers will experience self-sufficient low impact wilderness living, and northern (almost) organic gardening.
  
  We are located on the historical Whitehorse - Dawson stagecoach road, and there are opportunities to learn about local history. A Yukon heritage site, Fort Selkirk, is close by and can be visited by boat. For those interested in reading about history, we have an extensive library on the history of the Yukon.

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  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

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  Ayuda

  Daily tasks will include:
  -weeding and watering the garden
  -opening and shutting the raised garden beds
  -shared preparation of meals and washing dishes
  -cutting and hauling wood
  - hauling and filtering rain water
  
  Possible projects will include: trail clearing, fence building, building repair and maintenance, painting, wood harvesting. Projects will depend on the skills and interests of the Workawayers, the weather, and time available.
  
  When we are away we will know that our Workaway team is weeding and watering the garden, feeding and loving our dog Griffon, tackling other projects depending on their interests and skills, along with hiking, walking, swimming in this beautiful area.
  
  The following skills would be helpful: experience running a woodstove, experience will small engines: motorboat, ATV, generator, chainsaw, and pump. However, we can and will provide instruction.

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Inglés: Fluido
  Francés: Principiante

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  Carole is always trying to improve her French! As a retired SLP, she is very capable of helping English learners.
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  Alojamiento

  The Workawayers will stay in their own separate 3 room cabin. It has a large entry, combined kitchen and living room, and separate bedroom. The kitchen has a 4 burner gas stovetop but no oven. The cabin is furnished and has an extensive library! There is a nearby outhouse. As in all of our buildings, there is no running water.
  
  Food is central to us - growing it, cooking it, eating it! We have a central summer kitchen where meals are prepared and shared together. The summer kitchen has a gas stove/oven and a wood stove/oven and outside there is a brick oven. We recognize that different people enjoy different amounts of privacy and ‘downtime'. The Workawayers may prefer to prepare some of their own meals separately in their cabin.

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  Algo más...

  Workawayers need to be comfortable knowing that black bears and grizzly bears do occasionally walk through the property.
  We are an LGBTQ2S+ friendly family and expect our visitors to be also.
  All buildings are non-smoking. Non-smokers preferred.
  You must provide proof of travel health insurance prior to coming.
  There is no public transportation to our property and preferably you should have your own vehicle. This also permits you to go explore another part of the Yukon if you wish when we are home. However, we could arrange to pick up people in Whitehorse if necessary.
  
  Our property has a long tradition of hospitality, which, as the current ‘stewards’ of this place we are proud to continue. It was the site of the first eco-tourism business in the Yukon back in the 1960’s, operated as a retreat centre in the 1970’s, began hosting the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race in the 1980’s. Now, as our personal retirement home, it is a regular destination for family members and friends. We welcome the opportunity to share this beautiful place with new folks, who are friends in the making!

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Más de dos

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  Horas esperadas

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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