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Description
Please note: I can only accept short-term (up to one month or maybe 6 weeks) workaways and I am not able to help with immigration invitations / visa applications. The accommodation is good for one or two people. I will provide food (within reason), but will expect workawayers to cook for themselves.
My name is Sue, I work from home as a technical trainer, but my true passion lies in animal care and rescue - I especially love bears, and have done many orphaned bear cub rescues (as a volunteer for Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter). I believe in organic and sustainable practices and as part of pursuing a lifestyle that adheres to my beliefs I purchased a small acreage in spring 2021.
I live on a beautiful river with my two rescue cats. The property has a large veggie / fruit garden, some plum and apple trees, and many flower beds. Last year when I was just starting, I harvested asparagus, tomatoes, kale, lettuce, leeks, strawberries, raspberries, carrots, rhubarb, saskatoon berries, apples, and plums and I am trying for more this year. In the evenings I enjoy kayaking on the river and I have an extra kayak that workawayers are welcome to use (and/or mine if there are two of you and I am not using it) There is also a canoe.
I mostly need help with weeding, pruning, digging, and general yard work. There are also some small indoor projects (such as painting) that could be done. I live in the main house, and workawayers will have the loft suite above the garage, which is about 100 ft from the main house. It is equipped with a full bathroom (shower, no bathtub), wifi (within reason - you will not be able to do online streaming while I am working), a bedroom with a single and a double bed, a living room with a double futon, and a small kitchenette in the living area. The hot water tank in the bathroom is small, but works well for one long shower, or two shorter showers.
About 1 1/2 acres of the property is fenced to protect it from wildlife. In the area there are lots of birds, wild turkeys, turtles, bears, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, to name a few. However, the only problem with wildlife that I have are wild turkeys eating my blueberries and skunks digging holes at night!
Workawayers will be welcome to borrow bikes to go into town - it takes about 20 minutes to get to the small town where there is a small cafe, health food store, and convenience/liquor store. The town of Slocan is about a 15 minute drive away where there is a provincial park, multiple hikes, and more amenities. There is also a bus service that goes up and down the Slocan valley and to Nelson. This is remote living, and it would be beneficial for the workawayer to have his or her own vehicle to get around, but it is not required. I can also pick up and drop off prior to and at the end of a stay and offer occasional rides to places when I need to go out.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Workawayers will benefit by having free accommodation in exchange for helping out around the yard. They are welcome to share in the fruits and veggies that are grown, enjoy the river and are encouraged to explore the area.
Help
Looking a single, or a couple or two friends who are ok with sharing a living space to help in the garden and possibly some DIY projects. The main help needed is with weeding, pruning and mowing the lawn. Other projects would be: fixing the outdoor garden shower and small shed, painting the deck, other painting, getting rid of grass, leaves etc. immediately next to the house (for wildfire protection). I do not expect workawayers to do all of this, projects are negotiable and it would be nice to find things that meet your skills and interests.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Beginner
Accommodation
There is a loft above the garage - not insulated but is a good temperature in the summer. I had 2 workers there for 2 weeks last August and they said they loved it. Workawayers can enjoy having their own space. The kitchen is small but manageable - and if the workawayer would like to use the oven or barbecue they are welcome to the one down at the main house. There is a double bed and single bed in the bedroom for sleeping. Beds/sheets/comforters provided. A bathroom with shower and sink, towels provided. The main room has a futon couch, a couple of chairs, a small table for eating, and wifi.
The kitchenette has a small fridge, a couple of burners, kettle, coffee-maker, pots/pans/cutlery. Food is provided (within reason) but workawayers are expected to cook for themselves. I enjoy having some meals together and spending time with the workawayers when my busy schedule permits. I hope to have people here who enjoy the outdoors, simple living, and completing projects.
There is laundry available in the main house, and a long clothesline, but we would need to coordinate use of it.
Looking forward to meeting and hosting you!
What else ...
The city of Nelson is about an hour drive away (and there is a bus), there are provincial parks within an hour drive to explore on days off or in the afternoons. Kayaking, swimming, biking can be done at the property. Lots of local and fresh food available. The Frog Peak cafe is about 20 mins away and the locals love it there.
Mosquitos are bad from about 3rd week of June until 1st week of August and forest fire smoke can sometimes hinder the air and views of the mountains - however going on the river is a good escape from both of these things.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I work from home as a technical trainer and have no problem with Zoom and Teams video meetings, even though I only have 30Mb (downlink) service. However, live steaming really slows my internet down. I don't do a lot of meetings, except when I am actually training. When I do conduct training it is 4 hours a day, 2 days per week, but I only do that about once or twice a month. So someone else living and working from here would need to be flexible with their hours for any online meetings and I wouldn't want someone here who had regular multi-hour meetings every day. That probably wouldn't work.
Space for parking camper vans
A camper would need to be parked on the driveway, which has limited shade and only 30Amp service and not water access. The camper parked there would be fine, but I would prefer that the workaways stayed in the suite above the garage, where amenities are easy to access.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
