Work And Travel In Canada
In 2023 and 2024, I traveled to Canada under a Working Holiday Visa to gain insight into various jobs and explore some of the most unique places along the way. My goal was mainly to visit the western and northern provinces, which feature higher mountains and more interesting terrain compared to the mostly flat landscape in the east.
After arriving in Vancouver in July, my first destination was a Workaway place near Princeton, where I was provided with room and board in exchange for a few hours of help with various projects each day. It turned out to be a wonderful place with very kind hosts, so I ended up staying much longer than expected. I even had the chance to go on a backpacking trip through the Cascade Mountains and enjoy several other adventures during my stay.
In September, I left Princeton and headed a bit further east to work on a farm near Kelowna for another month. On one of my days off, I met up with a local urban explorer, and together, we visited an abandoned resort and an old mine.
Since the resort was under close surveillance and it wasn't unlikely we'd get caught, we decided to explore it early in the morning before sunrise. Once inside, we found a restaurant with many things left behind, as well as attractions like viewpoints, suspension bridges, a sky lift, and a large sundial. Afterward, we drove a bit further south and hiked up a mountain to explore a small historic mining tunnel.
As fall came and it slowly started to get colder, I switched to another Workaway place not far from the farm where I had worked previously. While working there, I went on a quick road trip into the Canadian Rockies to explore some abandoned mines and go on a few shorter hikes.
I also went on several smaller trips, including more hikes in the snow and even a ride along on a freight train. However, as it started to get colder, I decided to leave BC and booked a flight north to the Yukon.
In the Yukon, I spent the winter working on various projects in Carcross in exchange for room and board. During my time off, I explored more of the southern Yukon by going on many hikes and visiting a variety of abandoned places. I also snowshoed to an abandoned mine; you can find out more about this adventure HERE.
When it started to get warmer and the sun returned to the north, I left Carcross and began working at an inn in Haines Junction, where I went on many exciting trips, like hikes in the snow-covered mountains or kayaking on the local river. In addition, I went on a few larger trips, including a Road trip to Alaska and a
multi-day excursion to a remote plane wreck.
After my time in Haines Junction, I met up with a friend from Germany, and we embarked on another road trip to Tuktoyaktukâthe starting point of my 6,000 km bikepacking journey across Canada. You can find out more about this adventure HERE.
