Work and Travel in Canada

Job Hunting

Unlike the fur hunters in 17th century Canada, who used traps to catch their animal skins, a working holidaymaker won’t be able to find a job just by lying quietly in wait. Instead, you need to take initiative: show active and consistent commitment to finding work. Our partner organisation is ready to help in your quest for a job with lots of tips, information, and addresses.

However, you will mainly be responsible for finding your way on your own as you work and travel in Canada:

• Show initiative and willingness to work
• Be flexible about the type of jobs you are willing to do
• Search for as many different jobs as possible

The job opportunities in Canada vary as widely as temperatures fluctuate from one season to the next:

Work and travel through a Canadian winter…

As soon as the start of the skiing season is heralded in the autumn, employees are required in hotels, bars, and souvenir shops in ski resorts – especially in British Columbia and Alberta. Positions are available for lift workers, skiing and snowboarding instructors, and rental agents for ski equipment, snowshoes, and other winter sport paraphernalia. Once the snow thaws, the gardening and agricultural season begins.

...or summer

Why not spend April as a flower picker and do harvest work in the summer? Spend some time working as an assistant in a pleasant street café, or top up your travel funds with a customer service role at a shopping centre. The length of employment depends entirely on your job as you work and travel in Canada.

In general, the following applies: the more intensively you have to be trained for a job, the longer you tend to commit yourself to your employer. Alternate working with travelling throughout fantastic Canada, and you are destined to have a great adventure! You have the freedom to decide for yourself how you wish to divide your time between work and travel in Canada.

WWOOFing in Canada

As you work and travel in Canada, you should also consider working in Canada in return for accommodation and meals. This means that you won’t earn money, but you also won’t have to dig too deeply into your travel funds.

Membership in WWOOF (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) is included in the programme. Over 500 farms across Canada belong to this association and are happy to make use of the help offered by working holidaymakers. WWOOFing is a great way to participate in the lifestyle of the locals, as you will both live and work on the farm. Most participants stay at the same farm for one to three weeks, although some farms prefer helpers who are willing to work longer.

The best time for WWOOFing is from the beginning of spring until the end of autumn. However, many farms are happy to receive help year round. If in doubt, just ask – you can contact WWOOF employers even in winter. The farmers belonging to this association have committed themselves to organic agriculture, which doesn’t just include organic vegetables.
There are also farms which have specialised in:

• Cultivating rare types of trees
• Producing wicker furniture
• Creating beaver ponds
• Erecting traditional stone walls
• Ecological tourism
• Producing goat milk products
• Breeding emus
• Selling herbal teas and natural cosmetic products