Anyone done a working holiday in Canada?

We are saving for one. However this is something that we have both talked about lots of times before. Last night we both just thought, why not!

Wouldn't want to go for more than 6 months as it will delay the house too much as we want one next year. Just looking to gather all the information I can on it so that we can look at it sensibly and decide whether its worth putting plans on hold or not.

Life is more than just going with the flow/norm. The fact that it is something we'll never to be able to do after gettiong a mortgage is a big factor.
 
mr tommo said:
Life is more than just going with the flow/norm. The fact that it is something we'll never to be able to do after gettiong a mortgage is a big factor.
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I totally agree. Too many people are in a race to shack themselves up with a mortgage. Do it.

Buying a flat or a semi detatched house is something 95% of us will manage.

Working and living Canada is not.
 
Whistler is amaaaaaaaazing. I absolutely love it, more than anywhere else. I've spent 3 seasons living there I love it so much.

Don't be a lifty, stand around all day watching other people going skiing, worst job ever.

The best job to get is in a ski equipment/clothes shop. Most of them give subsidised or free lift passes, massive discount on all the kit you will need, sociable hours, and shifts that give you maximum time on the hill.

Houses are boring, seasons in Whistler are epic.
 
Skidder said:
where was she working? the new minnie mouse lap dancing club?

I did work experience in Canada (toronto) years ago and it was great but unpaid.
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:D In the british section in one of the parks in Floriday? She did come home with $6000 to be fair, I know that bit is true. I very much doubted the tips were that much to be fair!

[TW]Fox;16363003 said:
I totally agree. Too many people are in a race to shack themselves up with a mortgage. Do it.

Buying a flat or a semi detatched house is something 95% of us will manage.

Working and living Canada is not.
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Exactly, its worth delaying a house purchase for IMO. Doing it with the gf should make things a little easier and cheaper.

However it seems I've missed the cut-off for Canada as a non-student so I might be turning my attention to Australia if its confirmed tomorrow that I can't get the working holiday visa. :(

olv said:
Whistler is amaaaaaaaazing. I absolutely love it, more than anywhere else. I've spent 3 seasons living there I love it so much.

Don't be a lifty, stand around all day watching other people going skiing, worst job ever.

The best job to get is in a ski equipment/clothes shop. Most of them give subsidised or free lift passes, massive discount on all the kit you will need, sociable hours, and shifts that give you maximum time on the hill.

Houses are boring, seasons in Whistler are epic.
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Yeah I can imagine it does get kind of boring. I imagine the hire shops are all owned/run by Intrawest too?

Like I said above BUNAC have stopp accepting applications from non-students and as they say that their 12 month working holiday visa is exclusive to them its not looking very good :(

EDIT : Just noticed you are from Sheffield? How do you get the visa to go 3 times? I;ve been informed I can only get just one working holiday visa and thats it.
 
I did a year in Canada last year. Went to Whistler and did a ski season.

I arranged an interview before I went with Intrawest and got a job working for the mountain which is ideal as you can live in staff accommodation which is cheap. Also you get a free season pass and discounts in shops and mountain restaurants.

You want to head over there early November to sort out a job and get some accommodation sorted. If you don't get into staff accommodation rent can be quite expensive in the village and there is a lot of competition for housing.

Also getting jobs in bars in Whistler is not easy. The money is so good that they are very sought after. You have better luck working on the door first then working your way up to server then barman. Most people who work there on the bar have been doing so for years.

If you have any questions let me know and i will do my best to answer them.
 
hyper_piper45 said:
I did a year in Canada last year. Went to Whistler and did a ski season.

I arranged an interview before I went with Intrawest and got a job working for the mountain which is ideal as you can live in staff accommodation which is cheap. Also you get a free season pass and discounts in shops and mountain restaurants.

You want to head over there early November to sort out a job and get some accommodation sorted. If you don't get into staff accommodation rent can be quite expensive in the village and there is a lot of competition for housing.

If you have any questions let me know and i will do my best to answer them.
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Bad move, I have plenty :p

Firstly, did you go over as a student and how did you sort your Visa?
Is it easy to sort things without being part of a group like BUNAC?
When did you arrange the interview with them and did you also go out in November?
Is working on the other mountains like Grouse Mountain a bit of a let down?
What Job did you do?
Did you earn enough to not have to dip into your savings that you took with you?

EDIT : Thanks in advance :)
 
Firstly, did you go over as a student and how did you sort your Visa?

I went the year I graduated from uni so it was on a student Visa. I went through BUNAC

Is it easy to sort things without being part of a group like BUNAC?

As you have probably found out the Canadian Government websites are really complicated! I don't actually know if you can get a working holiday Visa without going through Bunac.

When did you arrange the interview with them and did you also go out in November?

I feel like I arranged my interview in October. On the Whistler/Blackcomb website in the employment section I think they allow you to schedule interviews closer to the start of the season. Keep looking and get in fast!

Is working on the other mountains like Grouse Mountain a bit of a let down?

I don't know about other mountains. I chose Whistler because its the biggest and has the biggest village. I figured because I would be there for 6 months I didn't want to get bored of the bars/clubs/shops etc.

What Job did you do?

I worked as a chef and cooked all the meals for the staff and ski school kids. I did have experience though. However there are plenty of jobs you can do if you don't have experience eg. lifty, cashier, cleaner, shop assistant etc.

Did you earn enough to not have to dip into your savings that you took with you?

The biggest costs were accommodation before I got into staff housing. If you don't get into staff housing you are looking at about $700-1000 a month for accommodation. I also bought a new pair of ski's/boots which was expensive :eek: Once I was settled in I could easily sustain myself and wasn't blowing all my money every month.
 
Thanks for that post mate pretty much answered everything I need to know.

However, you are right in that the only way to do it as a non-student is through BUNAC :(

They stopped taking applications after a month in December 2009, and re-opened for applicants around 4 weeks ago for some reason for a few days and now it closed again. Seems to be in real demand this year, apparently non-student visas were still available until June last year.

The earliest I could apply this year is Decemeber which would make it Jan 2011 before I could get out there. Pointless as there will be no jobs left. I'll call them in the morning to query why they accepted extra applications a couple of weeks ago and whether it will be happening again. :( Gutted.

/gets ready to prepare "Anyone done a working holiday in Oz" thread :o
 
mr tommo said:
EDIT : Just noticed you are from Sheffield? How do you get the visa to go 3 times? I;ve been informed I can only get just one working holiday visa and thats it.
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First time was only for 2 months, so I had a holiday visa.

Second time was 6 months and I just saved up so I didn't have to work and went skiing every day, so that was just a holiday visa too.

Third time I had a working visa through BUNAC but still had enough money not to work so never did. In hindsight it was a total waste of a visa and I'd give anything to get it back. Irritatingly the Canadian - Australian relationship is much better than ours and they seem to be able to get working visas left right and centre for a couple of years at a time.

My focus was always just skiing as much as possible and not working though so it's probably a bit different for you. Most of my friends out there worked though and there are definite plus sides to it. I'm not surprised the non-student visas have already gone though, they disappear really quickly. They often re-release a bunch of non-student visas in June though so sign up for the mailing list, that's how I got mine.
 
olv said:
First time was only for 2 months, so I had a holiday visa.

Second time was 6 months and I just saved up so I didn't have to work and went skiing every day, so that was just a holiday visa too.

Third time I had a working visa through BUNAC but still had enough money not to work so never did. In hindsight it was a total waste of a visa and I'd give anything to get it back. Irritatingly the Canadian - Australian relationship is much better than ours and they seem to be able to get working visas left right and centre for a couple of years at a time.

My focus was always just skiing as much as possible and not working though so it's probably a bit different for you. Most of my friends out there worked though and there are definite plus sides to it. I'm not surprised the non-student visas have already gone though, they disappear really quickly. They often re-release a bunch of non-student visas in June though so sign up for the mailing list, that's how I got mine.
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Oh awesome! That's just made my day. I will sign up straight away. Don't get me wrong I love being on the slopes, its just at a time in my life where I don't want to blow my savings on the ultimate skiing holiday. I need it to be pretty self sufficient so it would require work. My girlfirend graduated last year so by the time June she wont be eligable for a student visa.

Fingers crossed! its hard to find info or forums relationg to the non student visas.

Thanks :D
 
bledd. said:
Mr. Stuart (member on here) did it, he's still there now I think
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/waves

Firstly, its awesome.

This is how its worked out for me.

- Apply via BUNAC April 08
- Arrive Sept 08
- Sept - Oct 08: Bum around Vancouver living in Hostel, meet loads of people, do a 10 day trip around the rockies, Jasper, Banff etc.
- I spent about 3000 gbp in these first 6 weeks, I had saved up some cash in the uk. Nearer 4500 including visa app fees and flight
- return to Vancouver, move in with Buddy in North Vancouver, start work at local ski hill Late Oct 08. We paid $1400 in rent between us, for a nice 2 bed basement suite, all bills inc. Pay at the ski resort was pretty poor, $12 an hour. My buddy worked in the bar there, $8 per hour basic, he averaged $13 an hour over the season including tips. We didn't struggle, lived in a nice suite in a nice area, and never worried about food or drinking whenever we felt like it. All in all, plenty of cash to live on.
- snowboard 60 days that season
- saved up about $1000 over the season, put that towards rest of our savings, purchased a minivan, spent May 09-July 09 roadtripping around the states... during this time I got a second visa through BUNAC (student visa)
- we moved to Whistler when we got back to Canada
- found a decent job here pretty easily, pays $18 an hour, rent is higher, paying $1300 for room in shared house, split with GF.
- Nov 09 - now, snowboard 100 days + work + Olympic party

Going home in June, not looking forward to it, need to return to the real world though - I could spend the rest of my life ski bumming here in Whistler - I know plenty of guys here who are 30-40 and their only regret is not buying property.

HTH, any questions fire away.
 
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Thanks for that much appreciated :) no doubt I will have more questions over the next few days.

What is you job in whistler?
When you say you worked in one of the local slopes where was that?
I'm not fussed if I don't get to work at whistler although it would be nice, simply working in a city in another country and the experience is what I'm after with a bit of snowboarding thrown in.
As i'd be doing this with my gf would a one bed apartment be quite a bit more than $1300 pm?
What are the canadians and their way of life like? Much different to life over here?
I've heard a few people who hve been on a 12 month visa and are looking to move there permanently so there must be something about the place. :)
 
What is you job in whistler? I order parts for the local bus company and maintain there maintenance software package. Boring as hell but flexitime = win for getting out there on the hill

When you say you worked in one of the local slopes where was that? - Mt.Seymour - North vancouver, abut 30min drive from down town

I'm not fussed if I don't get to work at whistler although it would be nice, simply working in a city in another country and the experience is what I'm after with a bit of snowboarding thrown in. - Vancouver would be perfect for you then

As i'd be doing this with my gf would a one bed apartment be quite a bit more than $1300 pm? - The 2 bedroom suite that my and my buddy had in Vancouver was $1400, I imagine for around 1200/pm you could get a nice one bedroom place on the northshore

What are the canadians and their way of life like? Much different to life over here? - Theres definately a big focus on working to live, and getting out and enjoying the mountains. People are generally laid back, theres no chavs, although Vancouver has a large population of homeless people. Avoid Hastings st. at night
 
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