BootsnAll Travel Community

I have no idea if they even exist, it just struck me as Canada wouldn't be a bad place to spend a few months......
Is it possible to get a WHV?
What sort of jobs do backpackers end up doing?

I think I remember hearing of people going over and working at ski resorts, something like that I'm not really sure.

Any info much appreciated.

Getting a working holiday visa is pretty easy if you are citizen of a commonwealth country or live in england. i had a WHV for 1 year but they changed that to 2 years when i was over there, they have big worker shortage in canada. most backpackers work in ski resorts or in the service industry. ski resorts pay very low wages, about 8/hr. type of jobs they have are dishpig, kicthen hand, waiter, lift operator, etc. most ski resorts offer acc when you work for them this costs about 7/night. most will give you a free lift pass so you can go sking or snowboarding. the west of the country is where all the ski resorts are. In the summer ski resorts become tourist hotspots and they still employ people. it wont be that hard to get a job there just rock up with all your papers and see what job they give you. the application process is done over the internet and takes about 2 - 4 weeks.

any more questions just ask me

Don't suppose you know a website I could get the forms from?
I've tried the Canaidian high commisin in London and their sites crap, just kept going round in circles.

How about other kinds of work, farms, bars, factorys etc.?
The ski resorts sounds good but I like to spend abit of time in the citys and out in the plains.

I'm a fairly recent ex-pat Canadian.

When I lived in Alberta I knew lots of foreigners working in the ski industry. Works better for younger people than older folks I guess. Willing to put up with the living conditions and the low wages in return for skiing privs. I did it for a season when once. It was fun and I'm glad I had the experience.

You won't have any trouble at all getting work in the oil patch in Alberta. That is, if you are willing to put up with the conditions - housing shortage, long hours, unbelievable cold in the winter.

You'll get paid well but everything else is correspondingly expensive. All depends what kind of work you are prepared to do and capable of doing. I have a friend up there right now making over 50.00 an hour but he works 10 hours a day, 6 days a week and lives in his motorhome. Runs a backhoe.

He's a Canadian citizen tho' . . .

Canadian gov web sites ALL suck. Try these
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/index.shtml

http://canadaonline.about.com/od/immigration/ss/work-permits.htm

Good lock!

I'm currently on a Working Holiday Visa, and having an awesome time, I'm working at a Ski Hill in Alberta and there are always jobs available here and locally. Although the money is pretty crap!

Another option if you don't want to work in a place like this is just walking a shopping centre or town an seeing who's hiring because where I live someone is alway advertising for help.

And just try googling Working Holiday Program Canada because that is the way I found the Visa website. Hope that was helpful

Hi Billy,

There are lots of jobs in Edmonton, the only problem would be accomodation. Edmonton has a housing shortage right now, which also drives up the rental prices.

There are places to rent, but you may need to spend time searching for a decent place with decent rent. As for the jobs, there are lots of places to look, as suggested before, the malls, i'm sure you can just walk around and find something. There are a few bars as well, that I am sure are hiring too. In Alberta, there are lots of jobs, it's the housing that might be a problem.

Any questions, feel free to ask!
Suzanne

There's alot of work in alberta, if you go in the spring thaw mar to april alot of construction job etc around. the ski resorts are full of aussies, which isn't good if you want a cutural change. as for acc, you could stay at the hi edmonton, its right near whyte ave which is the bar district. you might even be able to work for your room at the hostel. the oil sands require a lot of paper work certs and licences etc to get into.

Hiya mate,

I am in the process of applying for my Canadian WHV.

You are able to get a Visa really easily if you are a student or if you have a job offer in Canada.

Otherwise u have to go through BUNAC (http://www.bunac.org)

The Visa costs 185 quid plus a 70quid 'Visa participation fee' which the government have added on for 2008. You need to get a character reference written especially for the application, a police check from your country of residence and anywhere else if you have been out of your homeland for over 6 months in the past 5 years. along with a couple of other small bits and pieces that everything you need.

You can get the forms from BUNAC or you can apply online.

Hope this helps,
Dunc

How easy to you think it would be to find work in Toronto?
I'm not to fusy about what I do, if I come over it'll probably be winter so something indoors would be preferable.

It looks like that would be my point of entry just because of the price of flights from the U.K and I'd like to get abit of working undr my belt before I start travelling proper.

As for accomodation I'm not bothered,I would quite like to live on a Trailor park, but maybe thats just a US thing, I don't know.
I've just spent the best part of 3 months living in a concrete hole in Calcutta, I reckon I could handle it.

" ... months living in a concrete hole in Calcutta . . ."

Sounds like good training for living in Toronto

Getting a job in Toronto - like in almost any big city - will be a crap shoot. Check the online papers and see what is available. Although you are more likely to find something once your boots are on the ground.

Plan wisely. flying from Toronto to Calgary is likely to be just as expensive as flying from England to Calgary.

I don't think a Trailer Park would be a viable option for accommodation in the Metro Toronto area. Anything like that is likely to be MILES/KMS away from public transport and many miles/Kms from the City.

I knew somebody wouldn't be able to resist the Calcutta line.

What does "crap shoot" mean?

It's gambling jargon from the dice game "craps". It basically means "you never know".

LOL - sorry about the jargon. You can read that several ways and does not bear thinking about too much.

Its alright, you wearnt to know I was an Englishman, next time I shall start my post with @Apples and pairs@ or @come and have a butchers@.
I hate stupid Indian keyboards where " is represented by this: @ sign. The sweatshop kid that put this together needs their fingers breaking.

Sloppy craps or whatever it was sounds alright, I'l have enough money to survive for a while when I'm hunting around, just so long as its not like England, where all the unskilled jobs are done by the Polish (or the Ozzies) and I won't get a look in.

I'ev just done a bit of investigation on the net and the only hostels I can find in Toronto are charging like 10 pound a night, thats abit extreme if I'm gonna be there for 6 months. Any ideas how I can do things a bit cheaper.
I still like the trailor park idea but if they're way out f townits liable to be less like living in 8 mile and more like going on tour with the fair.

BTW I am now officially a Thorn tree refuge, apparently they took offensive when I said they were all fat Star trek fans that didn't bother to reply to posts unless they could think of something sarcastic to write.
Ooohh yeah get me...

There's quite a few people on WHV's here in Banff, AB.. Mountain..

It seems most people end out out west; Vancouver, Whistler, Nelson, Fernie, Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore.

Hm... Well Toronto isn't generally the city for backpacking jobs as far as I know. I definitely agree that most people seem to go out West (including us from Ontario during our summers and such!)

That said, www.jobbank.gc.ca is probably the best Canadian job site (government run, but not government jobs)... you can find anything from the most professional to the most.. temporary sort of things. If you have pretty solid restaurant or bar experience that could be a possiblity (experience is pretty much necessary for front-of-house work; kitchen help/dishes not so much!). With backpacker sort of jobs, your competition is often unviersity students: so try to time it so you avoid the same time they are all applying (i.e. when they get off for the summer to go home, or when others come back to school for the school year)

Hm.. as for accomodations, that amount for hostels sounds about right. Within the city itself, space is at a premium, and all real estate is super pricey. Maybe get a 6-month rental... OUTSIDE of the downtown core, and maybe outside of the actual city of Toronto (in the "Greater Toronto Area" instead). I'm pretty sure there are no trailer parks anywhere nearby though!!

Hey this topic already has a ton of posts but I'd love to throw my opinion in as well!!

Most people who head to Canada to work end up in the ski hills as mentioned before. Which truthfully is one of the most beautiful places to stay! But the downside is you are only going to meet foreigners, if you come all the way to Canada you should meet some Canadians! (Rumor has it we're nice.)

I would recommend a city, but not Toronto. (Not for any reason really, I'm just from the west and we are raised to not like Toronto, but really I haven't heard much great things about it anyways...) Check craigslist.com for people looking for roommates!

Also buying a car is worth it in Canada, the distances are big and the really worthwhile sights are out of town!

Have fun!

The more people tell me not to go to Toronto, the more convinced I am that I should head there. I like the city and Toronto is the biggest one you've got.

I read somewhere that to get a temporary Visa I would have to have a job lined up, or be aiming to work somewhere that was dependent on backpacker labour. This would kind of throw a spanner in the works as regards to doing jobs in Toronto that a Canadian could do.....

if you didnt already get your working holiday visa through BUNAC they are now closed from taking applications. Although if you are a student they are still ok - pah So if you still want to work over here it would have to be either appyling for a work permit whereby you have already been offered a job or working under the table. Or as im doing working for stay in hostels which isnt a bad way to go as taking the cost of accom out your budget is really helpful as it takes up a huge chunk of it. The Hostels in winter generally work out weekly and monthly rates for people on work visas - well i know the hostel im at did as did the ones in Toronto.
They tend not to in the summer because they are crazy busy.

Michelle