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Help in and around our family home in a suburban neighbourhood of Ontario, Canada
Last activity
: 6 Aug 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 6 days
Min stay requested: at least 1 month
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 611519522851
Website Safety
Feedback (9)
Left by Workawayer (Ole Tilmann) for host
I had my first workaway experience with Brenda and I really have to say that I felt very comfortable! I received a very warm welcome, which is why I settled in very well straight away. I stayed with Brenda for a total of 3.5 weeks.
The work wasn't very hard, but there was always something to do. I was there in the fall, so I had a lot to do in
… read more the garden. For example, I had to pick up leaves, remove plants from the beds or mow the lawn. My favorite task, however, was painting the garden shed. I always worked the agreed hours. The working days were also flexible.
I would like to say a big thank you to Brenda and Gary for this wonderful time! They always helped me and everyone had their own space! Really a great experience. Next time I am in Toronto, I will definitely send you a message!
Thank you very much. I definitely recommend a visit to Brenda!!!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Ole Tilmann)
Wow! We had a great time hosting Ole. He is a genuine and excellent young man. He tackled some jobs, new to him, and did each one fantastically well. He has a very good eye for detail and also cares about getting things completed.
In addition to being a great help to us he was great to have around, an honest, positive and intelligent person.
We
… read more wish you the very best in your future Workaway positions and employment. You are always welcome here.
Left by host for Workawayer (Alberto)
We loved having Alberto with us. He has a professional and responsible attitude and so the work, which included hard pruning cedar trees and laying sod, was excellently done.He was a tremendous help! We had some great discussions about language and life, and learned more about Spain and Spanish AND English, (LOL I always learn so much about the
… read more idiosyncrasies of English when hosting) And we had a lot of fun, too. I know Alberto will do well in anything he puts his mind to. We wish you the very best and you are welcome back any time.
Left by Workawayer (Alberto) for host
I spent at Brenda and Gerry's for almost a whole month and the experience was awesome.
I helped them with planting lawn, pruning trees, cleaning and general maintenance.
I lived in a very comfy room with lots of space and their home is lovely. From the house it was very easy to take a bus and go to downtown any day I wanted as I had a lot of
… read more freedom.
Brenda and Gerry were so patient with my English and I really appreciate it.
Moreover, I could go to see Brenda singing in one of her concerts which was great, and even we went to ride a horse as well.
Thank you so much for hosting me and I wish you the best.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Célia & Titouan)
Celia and Titouan are a very organized and professional couple. They were ready to help every day and did a great job of everything. They asked questions and learned to do several new things in the house and in the garden. Thank you for your visit and we wish you both the best on your continuing adventure.
Left by Workawayer (Célia & Titouan) for host
À huge thank you to Gary and Brenda who welcomed us with extreme kindness. We had a great stay, we felt very comfortable. we did many activities like cleaning the leaves, cleaning the aquarium, removing weeds, made a stone path ect. we learned a lot from Brenda who was always patient and smiling with us. she helped us with our English. Lucie their
… read more little dog is adorable. Thanks again to Brenda and Gary for allowing us to visit Toronto with this great experience. we will never forgetYou can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Left by Workawayer (Ole Tilmann) for host
I had my first workaway experience with Brenda and I really have to say that I felt very comfortable! I received a very warm welcome, which is why I settled in very well straight away. I stayed with Brenda for a total of 3.5 weeks.
The work wasn't very hard, but there was always something to do. I was there in the fall, so I had a lot to do in
… read more the garden. For example, I had to pick up leaves, remove plants from the beds or mow the lawn. My favorite task, however, was painting the garden shed. I always worked the agreed hours. The working days were also flexible.
I would like to say a big thank you to Brenda and Gary for this wonderful time! They always helped me and everyone had their own space! Really a great experience. Next time I am in Toronto, I will definitely send you a message!
Thank you very much. I definitely recommend a visit to Brenda!!!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Ole Tilmann)
Wow! We had a great time hosting Ole. He is a genuine and excellent young man. He tackled some jobs, new to him, and did each one fantastically well. He has a very good eye for detail and also cares about getting things completed.
In addition to being a great help to us he was great to have around, an honest, positive and intelligent person.
We
… read more wish you the very best in your future Workaway positions and employment. You are always welcome here.
Left by host for Workawayer (Alberto)
We loved having Alberto with us. He has a professional and responsible attitude and so the work, which included hard pruning cedar trees and laying sod, was excellently done.He was a tremendous help! We had some great discussions about language and life, and learned more about Spain and Spanish AND English, (LOL I always learn so much about the
… read more idiosyncrasies of English when hosting) And we had a lot of fun, too. I know Alberto will do well in anything he puts his mind to. We wish you the very best and you are welcome back any time.
Left by Workawayer (Alberto) for host
I spent at Brenda and Gerry's for almost a whole month and the experience was awesome.
I helped them with planting lawn, pruning trees, cleaning and general maintenance.
I lived in a very comfy room with lots of space and their home is lovely. From the house it was very easy to take a bus and go to downtown any day I wanted as I had a lot of
… read more freedom.
Brenda and Gerry were so patient with my English and I really appreciate it.
Moreover, I could go to see Brenda singing in one of her concerts which was great, and even we went to ride a horse as well.
Thank you so much for hosting me and I wish you the best.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Célia & Titouan)
Celia and Titouan are a very organized and professional couple. They were ready to help every day and did a great job of everything. They asked questions and learned to do several new things in the house and in the garden. Thank you for your visit and we wish you both the best on your continuing adventure.
Left by Workawayer (Célia & Titouan) for host
À huge thank you to Gary and Brenda who welcomed us with extreme kindness. We had a great stay, we felt very comfortable. we did many activities like cleaning the leaves, cleaning the aquarium, removing weeds, made a stone path ect. we learned a lot from Brenda who was always patient and smiling with us. she helped us with our English. Lucie their
… read more little dog is adorable. Thanks again to Brenda and Gary for allowing us to visit Toronto with this great experience. we will never forgetYou can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Amine) for host
My first stay in Canada went very well mainly because of Brenda, Gary and their fantastic family.
Brenda made sure that I was felt quickly integrated in their household. I enjoyed very much attending their musical shows where I had the opportunity to meet many interesting people. Brenda is very sociable, invested in her local community and is
… read more eager to help you improve your English and communication (she makes sure that you are understand and understood).
I also had the opportunity to learn new skills in different fileds (gardening, painting, plumbing, masonry...etc). I also had the opportunity to attend my first baseball match. It was a fantastic and most memorable experience.
In the future, I will make sure that my Toronto visits include a visit to Brenda's family.
I highly recommend a stay at Brenda's house for anyone seeking a constructive cultural and langage exchange and who are interested in artistic activities.
I Hope to see very soon.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Amine)
Amine is a friendly and wonderful man. He worked hard and helped out a lot and on everything, no matter how new or difficult. He really helped me with my car when I couldn’t manage it. He was very keen to make sure things were understood when we were into an area of work where the language is not general English and a good manager of other’s
… read more feelings and limitations when things were difficult.
I learned about Arabic and about Morocco; a beautiful language and a beautiful country. And with our workaway from Denmark, we all learned some Danish! Amine was eager to take on tasks and learned to do many new things outside of his usual IT field. For example, when we waterproofed the front foundation we discovered he is an excellent parger. He joined us for a few family outings, gigs, and baseball games –
So many great times. I feel he is like another son. All the best on your adventures. I hope we can meet again when you are back in Toronto.
Left by host for Workawayer (Chloé & Sébastien )
Wow! we got a lot of things done. Sebastien was a great help on all things requiring muscles. Chloe will take on any organizing and/or cleaning and put things right. They are both very conscientious and caring people. They took on jobs and worked together to get things done, learned new skills and had some quality down time in Toronto. All in all,
… read more Chloe and Sebastien are a kind and energetic couple who learned so many new skills and cared about doing things right.
It was a lot of fun having them in our home and we both wish them all the best!
Left by Workawayer (Chloé & Sébastien ) for host
We spent 3 wonderful weeks with Gary and Brenda. They are wonderful people and were like family to us. They are a kind, thoughtful couple who are always in a good mood and with whom we were able to share great moments, whether for work, in everyday life or with their family. We learned a lot from Brenda, who is a true wonderwoman.
Thank you for
… read more your welcome and your kindness, we'll never forget you and we hope to see you again soon!
If you're looking for a family to stay with, we recommend Brenda and Gary's house!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Elisabeth)
We were so fortunate to have Elisabeth with us. She was great company. We had many engaging conversations on many subjects. She was diligent in all tasks. She did a fantastic job at maintaining our lawn and garden – and it was not easy. Elisabeth also became very good hammering nails and using a screw gun as we built our deck. And Lucy, our little
… read more dog, is also a great judge of character. She loved spending time with Elisabeth. All the best on your travel adventures and career! I have no doubt you will win in whatever you do.
Left by host for Workawayer (Eliete)
Eliete is a rare person of amazing energy and drive and competence. She is also a great dancer! She was up early every day and accomplished so much for us. She took on cleaning all the gardens in the spring and made everything look beautiful. She is a very quick student, improving every day in English and always eager for more practice.. It was
… read more fun sharing stories and culture. I hope that Eliete will be back again next year! She is always welcome here.
Left by Workawayer (Eliete) for host
What about Brenda?
She was so attentive, helpful and caring, which is not just a host.
I believe I found a friend in Canada, for whom I have a lot of affection.
My job was basically pulling up weeds to make way for the beautiful plants in the garden. This work was a pleasure for me, because I love plants.
Gary is also very kind and
… read more helpful. I loved being in this house, which I already considered my home.
I would definitely stay another 5 months if it weren't for the misfortune of my job in Brazil that required me to return.
I stayed in this house for 40 days and had a great time. There were many moments of relaxation.
Brenda and Gary, I love you.
Left by host for Workawayer (Jessica)
Jessica is a beautiful person, inside and out! She took on the task of clearing weeds and making things beautiful. She understands what a product is and handled everything like a pro!. In addition to being an amazing part of our family, Jessica brightened every task and moment every day and always looked for ways to make things better; be it a new
… read more skill or just doing day to day things at a high standard. It was a joy to work with her. We will be friends forever. We had such a great time!
Left by Workawayer (ALEJANDRO) for host
I can happily say that being my first workaway experience it was excellent, Brenda and Gary are brilliant people, very kind, with a lot of patience when I couldn't express myself well in English, they also helped me a lot with the language. I had the opportunity to share with his family and friends, with whom we spent very pleasant moments on
… read more Thanksgiving, my best Christmas and of course the musical rehearsals, I learned many things about Canada with them, history, culture and hockey, I'm honestly so grateful to have met them and spent time with them.
I hope to see you againYou can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Vivek)
Vi, You are a wonderful person! I so enjoyed our deep discussions and all the energy and responsibility you brought to us. You still hold the record for splitting wood! And by the way, the ground we prepared for sod is perfect! It is finally a nice grass lawn after 4 years full of weeds. That was a lot of work!!! I was so impressed with the way
… read more you researched and went into action in sanitizing everything coming in the door and organized the cleaning inside too. It was important to set the bar high and you were with us at the right time for that. Gary loves your comment on the popcorn!!! It was great to watch your documentary. I am definitely interested to know about all your upcoming projects. We will stay in touch.
Left by Workawayer (Vivek) for host
I met Bren and Gary's during the most bizarre period of 2020. We (Toronto) was in full lockdown amidst the nerve-wracking COVID19. If there's anything that you should know about this family, they are brave, compassionate, and welcoming.
I had a ball with living here, feeling at home and among a family when everyone on Workaway was closing down
… read more this family was still believing in the workaway community motto. We cooked, drank, watched movies (thanks for the pop-corn Gary) cooked more, danced, made maple syrup (real Canadian maple syrup, and not the store-bought mass-manufacture corn syrup induced maple-syrup), all while discussing the happenings of 2020.
Gary's got a whole bunch of adventures to share, (especially with his brother) when Google did not exist and that's ought to tell you how badass he is!
I definitely recommend living here and I hope to catch up with them soon for another round of drinking and dancing.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by Workawayer (Manuella & Pierre) for host
It was a pleasure to live one month with Brenda and her family. They have been really nice with us and welcoming. We enjoyed to help them in daily life and we have learned lot of new skills thanks to Brenda. She was always enthusiastic to do something.
Thank you Brenda to have hosted us. We keep in touch and you are welcome if you want to come to
… read more visit us in Bordeaux !You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Manuella & Pierre)
Our family loves Manuella and Pierre! They were a great addition to our home. They really helped us out with their eager attitudes and competence. Thank you so much. They are very organized and responsible. They helped us a great deal with putting things in order and caring for some day to day necessities around the house, as well as taking on and
… read more learned a few new skills. It was both productive and fun!.
We wish them great success as they continue their Canadian and North American adventure.
Left by host for Workawayer (Denise)
Denise was a great help while at our home. It was productive and a lot of fun, too.
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Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
