Seeking ENERGETIC COUPLE**
with your own newer model coach or 5th wheel RV unit
(parking for towing rig and/or car available)
to work approximately 20 hours per week (per couple)
April/May through October/November*
helping with grounds maintenance
on a large private estate located on the
west side of beautiful Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
IN EXCHANGE FOR
- private, treed, paved RV site
- FHU (private) with 30/50 amp service, water, sewer
- Ethernet and WiFi
- laundry
- washroom with shower
- telephone
- patio and furniture (table and 4 chairs)
- fire pit (wood supplied)
- access to over 16km of private hiking trails from your door
- WEEKENDS OFF
You'll love this scenic rural area close to city amenities. The small city is 20 minutes' drive and has festivals almost every summer weekend as well as offering theatre, music and restaurants. Many local sightseeing features including: waterfall, garden, art, lighthouse tours; close to Bruce Trail access points; Concours d'Elegance; farmers markets; historic sites; Bruce Peninsula National Park; Fathom Five National Marine Park and much more.
We are flexible in our scheduling, giving you plenty of time to enjoy exploring the area, relaxing, meeting new friends, stargazing, hiking, cycling and much more. Our 430-acre property is a 'dark sky' preserve.
* To allow for Canadian 'snowbirds', we are able to accommodate a time frame anywhere between mid-March through mid-November (must have July/Aug)
** Couples encouraged but not required
Welcome to "Greystones"
We are Tony and Susan, the owners of Greystones.
Thank you for taking the time to peruse our advertisement in search of an energetic couple to assist us with grounds maintenance on our private property. This section will give you a little more background information. Please feel free to email with any questions – we are happy to answer them!
Greystones consists of several adjoining properties including our main residence on the shoreline of Georgian Bay; several outbuildings; two year-round rental vacation properties: Greystone Retreat and Greystone Annex and one summer vacation rental: Greystone Bunkie; a fenced vegetable garden area and a greenhouse where we raise our annual flowers from seed.
We are located on Georgian Bay, part of the Great Lakes system, with crystal clear, pristine, fresh water. Greystones is ideally situated about half-way between the city of Owen Sound and the town of Wiarton (South Bruce Peninsula) on the Bruce Peninsula/Niagara Escarpment in southwestern Ontario, Canada – about 2.5 hours’ drive north of Toronto, Ontario and 3.5 hours from Buffalo, New York.
Thank you for taking the time to peruse our advertisement in search of an energetic couple to assist us with grounds maintenance on our private property. This section will give you a little more background information. Please feel free to email with any questions – we are happy to answer them!
Greystones consists of several adjoining properties including our main residence on the shoreline of Georgian Bay; several outbuildings; two year-round rental vacation properties: Greystone Retreat and Greystone Annex and one summer vacation rental: Greystone Bunkie; a fenced vegetable garden area and a greenhouse where we raise our annual flowers from seed.
We are located on Georgian Bay, part of the Great Lakes system, with crystal clear, pristine, fresh water. Greystones is ideally situated about half-way between the city of Owen Sound and the town of Wiarton (South Bruce Peninsula) on the Bruce Peninsula/Niagara Escarpment in southwestern Ontario, Canada – about 2.5 hours’ drive north of Toronto, Ontario and 3.5 hours from Buffalo, New York.
Scenic Rural Setting
Nashville Warbler
We enjoy a rural setting while only 20 minutes from the City of Owen Sound with many amenities:
Nature lovers will enjoy exploring:
Greystones property is comprised of three micro-environments: lake, forest and plateau. So much to explore on our property alone -- including over 17 km of private trails maintained by us throughout the year; nature reserve on bird migratory path; swimming; kayaking/canoeing.
Here are two brochures which will describe our properties a further detail:
Check our new online brochure: http://joom.ag/YVhX
Seasonal (spring) brochure http://joom.ag/PohX
(not mobile-enabled so may not work on phones; works on computers, iPads and similar; dial-up connection not recommended)
- art galleries
- theatre
- dining
- cultural events
- entertainment
- shopping
- 3 golf courses are in close proximity
Nature lovers will enjoy exploring:
- waterfalls
- caves
- scenic drives
- bicycle routes
- hiking trails
- lighthouses
- and many access points to the 864km Bruce Trail which is Canada’s oldest and longest footpath providing public access to the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve
Greystones property is comprised of three micro-environments: lake, forest and plateau. So much to explore on our property alone -- including over 17 km of private trails maintained by us throughout the year; nature reserve on bird migratory path; swimming; kayaking/canoeing.
Here are two brochures which will describe our properties a further detail:
Check our new online brochure: http://joom.ag/YVhX
Seasonal (spring) brochure http://joom.ag/PohX
(not mobile-enabled so may not work on phones; works on computers, iPads and similar; dial-up connection not recommended)
Wildlife is abundant
Wildlife is abundant. We’ve seen: deer, fox, hawks, wild turkey, sandhill crane, bald eagles, kingfishers, snow owl, beaver, turtles, over 50 varieties of birds identified on-site in one season, hummingbirds, heron, snipe, grouse, an occasional tundra swan and much more. Susan enjoys taking photos (as you can see on this page) and Greystones is a perfect location for that hobby.
Our 430+ acres include: open meadow areas, 6 ponds, 5 rest areas with outhouses and fire pits; two ponds have floating docks with benches for relaxing as well as a gazebo perfect for picnics; many varieties of fruit trees, wild raspberries and strawberries; treed areas are mostly hardwood; and we’ve planted tens of thousands of evergreens which are now maturing nicely.
In the winter of 2020/21, we built over 60 bird boxes to help attract bluebirds to our area. They were installed in March of 2021 and, over the spring/summer, over 50 of them had nests built in them. We were blessed to witness the various stages of growth up to fledging. The fall of 2021 brought a new trial to our Trails ... we attempted to raise butterflies from caterpillars. Over 80% hatched and were released! For the past 5 plus years, we have been seeding specific areas with milkweed to encourage and attract Monarch butterflies to our property. 2022 many bird nesting boxes were destroyed by an influx of bears to the area. They, and the coyotes, have moved on. Deer and wild turkey are returning.
You can learn more about our private wildlife/nature reserve, GREYSTONE TRAILS, at www.GreystoneTrails.com
YOUR SITE
Your full-hookup, private, paved, site with 50 amp service, water, sewer, telephone and internet is set back in the trees backing onto a seasonal stream. Many varieties of birds, small mammals and occasional deer are frequently seen nearby. The site also incorporates a flagstone patio (with table and chairs) and a fire pit (with wood supplied). There is a waterfront area available for your enjoyment across the road.
A separate building houses a 3-piece washroom with shower; there are free laundry facilities available. Access to our trails is outside your door by paved driveway up the escarpment face.
This is a prime site – in fact, it is the site we originally built as the ‘summer home’ for our unit as we are RVers and owners of a 40’ motor home seen in this photo.
There is an alternative site available: also set on a concrete pad with private grassed area, surrounded by trees, fire pit, direct access to trails and a large parking area. There is no direct sewer hookup at this site, but dumping facility is next door. This site is open to the east and north and not nearly as shaded as the main site. You choose the site you prefer upon arrival and we will store our unit on the other site.
A separate building houses a 3-piece washroom with shower; there are free laundry facilities available. Access to our trails is outside your door by paved driveway up the escarpment face.
This is a prime site – in fact, it is the site we originally built as the ‘summer home’ for our unit as we are RVers and owners of a 40’ motor home seen in this photo.
There is an alternative site available: also set on a concrete pad with private grassed area, surrounded by trees, fire pit, direct access to trails and a large parking area. There is no direct sewer hookup at this site, but dumping facility is next door. This site is open to the east and north and not nearly as shaded as the main site. You choose the site you prefer upon arrival and we will store our unit on the other site.
YOUR DUTIES
Your duties would be assisting Tony and Susan with general grounds keeping:
- Basically, this entails care of all lawns and gardens
- We grow our annual flowers and vegetables from seed in our private greenhouse; help with transplanting and planting
- Most tasks are machine-assisted with equipment supplied and maintained by us. Assisted-drive and riding lawnmowers, whipper snipper/weed whacker, leaf blowers and tractors make everything much easier and quite pleasant
- There are a few manual tasks such as fertilizing, deadheading flowers and weeding gardens
- These tasks are physical positions that may require standing, lifting, kneeling and working outside for extended periods
- Although no particularly heavy lifting is required, you will need to be in reasonable physical condition, able to work several sequential hours; have no outdoor allergies, breathing issues or medical conditions (knees, back, hip, etc.) that would preclude performing your duties
There is no financial compensation as time contribution of approximately 20 hours per week (per couple) would be in lieu of site rental and use of property and facilities. We have found, from personal past experience, that 20 hours is more than enough to complete the duties listed above.
Additional optional PAID work is available if you are interested and capable. You would be paid at a pre-agreed-to hourly rate based on capability and experience. Potential paid work, based on your skill set, could include items such as trail upgrades; machine maintenance; building maintenance; turnarounds at our adjacent vacation rental properties; trail maintenance; as well as other random, occasional tasks.
You can learn more about our VACATION RENTAL PROPERTIES at www.GreystoneRental.com
'In fact, you might want to come and visit us, stay at Greystone Retreat or Annex, explore our property and the gorgeous area we live in as part of your next summer vacation! Let us know you found us through this website and we'll offer you our 'friends and family' rate. Email us directly at: WorkcamperVacation to inquire about availability this season.
Recommended by ... JO-ANN & GARY
"Hi. We are Jo & Gary. It has been our pleasure to do a work camper position at Greystone Retreat for Tony & Sue. They have been a terrific couple to work for and with over the past 5 summers [2015-19]. They take great pride in their property and have offered us the opportunity to assist them. The main tasks involve the cutting of the grass and the tending to the gardens, which we enjoyed immensely. With 430 acres of property there are always things to do and Tony always comes up with great ideas. Our greatest accomplishment was the completion of the Terrace, a patio on the Bay. They offer a terrific camping site with all the amenities in a location that is fantastic. They have become great friends and it has been a joy to work for them for the past 5 years."
We are accepting resumes for future seasons
Contact Us TODAY
Several forays into the world of "workamping" on the receiving end, and the couples who have helped us in previous years, have been beyond our expectations. We have enjoyed the experience and expanded freedom in our lives and, therefore, will be offering the position into the foreseeable future.
Perhaps YOU and your partner will be the perfect couple for this opportunity?! Since we live here we already know you will love it.
We are looking forward to meeting you, sharing our gorgeous property with you and offering you a place to call ‘home’ from March/May through September/November.
To be considered for this opportunity,
email [email protected]
with “Work Camper” in the subject line.
Include:
We will acknowledge receipt of all applications. If you do not hear back from us within 48 hours, your email might have gone into spam or cyberspace; re-send it to [email protected] or [email protected]
You are also welcome to CALL US
(519) 378-1503 or (519) 378-1504 or text (519) 477-1897 -- Eastern Time Zone (GMT-5) between the hours of 9am and 8pm daily
Perhaps YOU and your partner will be the perfect couple for this opportunity?! Since we live here we already know you will love it.
We are looking forward to meeting you, sharing our gorgeous property with you and offering you a place to call ‘home’ from March/May through September/November.
To be considered for this opportunity,
email [email protected]
with “Work Camper” in the subject line.
Include:
- a brief resume with related work experience
- references
- picture of your rig
- if you have a pet, please let us know
- include your phone number, with area code, time zone and preferred time to contact you
We will acknowledge receipt of all applications. If you do not hear back from us within 48 hours, your email might have gone into spam or cyberspace; re-send it to [email protected] or [email protected]
You are also welcome to CALL US
(519) 378-1503 or (519) 378-1504 or text (519) 477-1897 -- Eastern Time Zone (GMT-5) between the hours of 9am and 8pm daily