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Lakeside Living in Canada

5.0
(6 reviews)6

The experience

We are a small family-run not-for-profit campground in Magnetawan, Ontario, Canada. This camp has been in our family for more than 60 years. Some families have children with disabilities and we offer support. We are looking for people who notice what needs to be done, take initiative, and care about easing someone else’s workload—not just doing the bare minimum. If you're unsure whether that’s you, this probably isn't the right placement.

What you offer

24 hours of help per week

Cleaning: Help clean the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas.

Housekeeping: Help with changing the bed linens and general housekeeping.

Kitchen Hand: Help prepare, finish and serve meals.

Cooking: Choose the menu, pick ingredients and cook delicious dishes.

What you get

1 day off per week

Private Room: You will have a bed in a private room. In other words, a room just for you.

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Free Laundry: You can use our laundry room freely.

Free Tours: We’ll take you on tours and rides around town. For free!

Bikes at your disposal: You can use our bikes any time you want.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Use our equipped kitchen: Feel free to use our kitchen and make your own delicious food.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Fluent English

Welcomes solo volunteers, couples, and partners of volunteers

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

We provide an opportunity for people to escape city life and rest in a natural setting. We manage 5 family cabins and 3 tiny cabins. We maintain the grounds, do repairs and renovations, help in the garden, organize activities, and of course, spend quality time with our guests. This opportunity is for high-integrity people who want to contribute meaningfully in a family-run lakeside camp. If you’re the kind of person who sees a full dish rack and empties it without being asked, we’ll get along great.

Examples of Volunteer Tasks (in order of priority):

Kitchen Support – Help prepare healthy plant-based meals, wash dishes, sweep and mop floors, and keep the kitchen and waste areas tidy and organized.
Cabin Cleaning – This task requires attention to detail and a strong work ethic. We aim for a high standard of cleanliness, completed efficiently and thoroughly.

Engaging with Children – If you enjoy spending time with kids, this is a great opportunity to connect. Share your hobbies, creativity, and energy through play and conversation.

Activities & Shift

What to Expect as a Volunteer

We’re so glad you're considering joining us! Life here is dynamic, and while we do our best to maintain a routine, shifts can vary — some days may be longer, others shorter. We ask that volunteers come with flexibility, a strong work ethic, and a genuine desire to contribute and be part of the experience.

Daily Life & Meals
Preparing and cleaning up meals is a shared part of daily living and not counted toward your volunteer hours. We all eat — and we all pitch in to keep the kitchen running smoothly.

Cooking Expectations
Cooking for a group is a regular part of life here, and we ask each volunteer to prepare two plant-based meals per week. You're welcome to repeat the same two meals — no need to reinvent the wheel! What’s most important is that you arrive prepared. Please take time before you come to practice your meals so you feel confident in the kitchen. This has been a challenge for many past volunteers, so we want to set you up for success.

Taking Initiative
We really value volunteers who notice what needs doing and take action. If you see dry sheets on the line, feel free to fold them. If a broom is needed, grab it. These small acts of initiative help everything flow and show that you’re tuned into the needs of the space.

We’re sharing all of this honestly because we’ve had some tough experiences in the past with volunteers who weren’t quite ready for the level of involvement needed here. We truly want this to be a positive experience for everyone, and we believe that clear expectations help make that possible.

If you’re someone who is proactive, open-hearted, and excited to be part of a team — we’d love to hear from you!

Rules

1. At meal times please do not sit down at the table and wait to be served. Please sit down, when we can all sit down.
Likewise, please don't make us ask you for help to clean up after meals. If we are cleaning up, you should help until we are all done. We are a team.
2. We try to create a pleasant and loving atmosphere, a smile and a "thank you" goes a long way in Canada.