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Freelance Wilderness Guide
About Wilderness Union
Wilderness Union is Toronto's largest outdoor adventure community. Our mission is making the wilderness more accessible for those in the city.
We organize unique adventures every week, along with the gear, transport and a community of people who quickly become friends.
Our community of members is at the heart of what we do. We’re not a traditional outdoor club and neither is our membership - we’re proud to have a diverse group of young adults who are often experiencing the Wilderness for their first time.
We’re hoping to find a guide who’s a natural community builder and enjoys the social aspect as much as the activities themselves. Our adventures are incredibly varied and include hiking, camping, paddling, skiing and more. You won’t need expertise in all of these activities, we rely on outside instruction for some, but you should be excited to accompany a group on all of them.
The Role:
We’re looking for a freelance Wilderness Guide for regular work on an ongoing basis.
Most of our events happen over the weekends with occasional mid-week social events accessible by TTC. We operate throughout the year in Ontario with Toronto as our meeting point.
As a Wilderness Union guide you’ll be responsible for:
- Guiding the group for trips of one to a few days
- Managing equipment setup, takedown, cleaning, packing and maintenance
- Ensuring the safety of every member
- Ensuring everyone has an enjoyable experience
- Preparing group meals on camping trips
- Driving members to and from adventure locations in our van
- Assisting the group with borrowed equipment (e.g. snowshoes, tents)
Job Requirements:
We’re hiring for personality fit first. You should be outgoing, have a real love for the outdoors and get excited at the prospect of sharing that love with a great group of people. Additional requirements include:
- Previous experience guiding or leading groups in a wilderness setting
- A valid WFA/WAFA/WFR certification
- A clean drivers license
- Experience planning and leading multi-day backcountry camping trips
- Ability to hike 30km in a day
- Paddling experience
- Familiarity with risk management strategies for backcountry trips in various weather conditions
- Eligibility to work in Canada
- Located within the GTA
While not required, the following qualifications are considered assets. You’re encouraged to apply even if you don’t tick these boxes but think you’re a good fit otherwise:
- Paddling certifications
- Lifeguard certifications
- Hike leader and any other outdoor activity certifications
We’re hiring for a variety of experience levels.
Compensation:
Day events are compensated at a rate of $20-$25 per hour. Overnights pay between $200-$250/day dependent on experience.
Why you’ll love working with us:
You’ll be guiding members, not clients. This means everyone helps out and you’re as important a member of the community as everyone else.
It’s a fun environment. Wilderness Union is a rapidly growing startup. As a guide, you’ll have a say in how we develop and be a respected member of our team.
We’re the rare guiding job that’s based in the city but will get you out to some of the nicest locations in Ontario.
We offer very competitive pay.
How to apply:
Email isaac {at] wildernessunion.com with your resume.
