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  • Canada
Project Types
Agriculture Community Development Building Projects Conservation Environmental Conservation Historic Preservation Computer Literacy Elderly Care Disabled Care Indigenous Rights Tourism +1

Program Details

Language
English
Housing
Guesthouse Hostel

Pricing

Price Details
VFP's placement fee is always $500 ($650 if you are under 18 years old) and must be paid at the time of registration. (If we can’t place you we refund the full fee!) Your registration covers placement, food, accommodation and work materials for your program. Volunteers arrange and pay for their own transportation to and from the project. Projects taking place in the developing world often require an additional fee in the range of $50-$500 payable to our partners upon arrival.
Nov 21, 2019
Apr 02, 2013
Wish List
61 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Volunteers For Peace is a non-profit organization, founded in 1982, that offers placement in over 3000 voluntary service projects in more than 100 countries. Each year we provide almost 1,000 volunteers with invaluable opportunities to strengthen their ability to communicate in diverse groups, explore grassroots leadership opportunities, and build cultural understanding and connections around the world.

VFP offers service projects that arise from a grassroots, community based need for adults, teens, seniors, families and groups. Volunteers can choose between Short-Term Projects (Also known as Workcamps) where volunteers from 4 or more countries come together for a 2-3 week service project, or Individual Service Adventures & Gap Year Projects (Also known as Medium Term or Permanent Projects) involve working with VFP to create a personalized 2-week to 1-year experience.

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Program Reviews

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  • Impact 5
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  • Fun 4
  • Value 5
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BVT-UK
31
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sun and Surf in... Quebec

Apr 2, 2013

The volunteer group was fantastic, and the tiny village whose municipal buildings we were helping to renovate was full of welcoming hosts. The level of community engagement was quite high, because of the small population of the town, so we spent several days working closely with the mayor, and other community officials, on manual/construction-type projects. We were also able to engage the local childrens' summer camp in some games. Most of all, though, the group leader made every effort to facilitate visits to surrounding cultural, historic, and natural sites, as well as almost nightly trips to swim in the Saint-Laurent. I was thoroughly impressed by his patience and sustained optimistic attitude throughout the entire project.

What would you improve about this program?
Canada has strict Visa requirements, which means extra costs and paperwork. Also, some of Chantier Jeunesse's sites are quite rural and take 6+ hours to get to, by bus.
102 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

What did you enjoy most?

Hi, great question! There is no right way to answer because everyone's experience is unique! We recommend reading program reviews to get a feel for the experience you may have abroad. There are some great reviews on this page: https://vfp.org/volunteer-voices/.

By Go Overseas on July 30, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Emma L Norman Mallon

Program
Volunteers for Peace: Volunteer Abroad in Canada
Originally from New England, Emma currently works in the UK for a non-profit organization. She has participated in three international volunteer projects, and has acted as a leader on two. She went to Quebec through VFP in the summer of 2012.

St. Laurent in Canada

Why did you decide to volunteer with Volunteers for Peace in Canada?

Emma:This was my third project through VFP--my first was in 2007. I had previously volunteered in Europe, and I wanted to have a similar experience in a francophone region, closer to home. The projects are affordable, and offer a wonderful way to meet new friends and get involved in small community projects.

Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Emma:The activities consisted of various jobs that needed to be done for the community. The biggest undertakings were painting two huge signs for the community sports fields, and constructing a new ramp, to make the community center wheelchair accessible. We also did gardening, landscaping, and exterior painting.

What made this experience unique and special?

Emma:This project brought a group of fifteen international volunteers to a tiny rural town in Quebec, that would never experience such diversity, otherwise. Being a fairly isolated location, I found that the intercultural exchange between the volunteer group and the local community to be immensely rewarding. The location itself was also stunning, as it was just a few miles from the Saint-Laurent. In our free time, we were able to visit a provincial park, see waterfalls, swim in rivers and lakes, and take beautiful hikes.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Emma:As I've been involved with international voluntary service for over five years, now, these experiences have truly shaped the way I learn about and continue to explore the world around me. I continue to volunteer, locally and internationally, and have found employment in the non-profit sector.

Location

Location:
Canada
Currency:
Canadian Dollar
Weather:
Jan-Mar
50 F / -35 F
Apr-Jun
68 F / -18 F
Jul-Sep
79 F / 10 F
Oct-Dec
57 F / -22 F
Airports:
Toronto Pearson International Airport
( YYZ )
Vancouver International
( YVR )
Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International
( YUL )

The capital of Canada is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. The majority of its land area is dominated by forests and tundra. Canada's climate varies widely across its vast area, ranging from arctic weather in the north to hot summers in the southern regions, with four distinct seasons.

About Volunteers For Peace (VFP)

Volunteers For Peace (VFP) is a U.S. based non-profit organization that operates within the global networks of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), Service Civil International (SCI) and the Alliance of European Voluntary Service to provide meaningful cross-cultural engagement opportunities all over the world to...

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