Employment Opportunities

Great Lakes Cultural Camps has the following 2020 seasonal job openings:

ORCKA Moving Water Canoe Instructor

ORCKA Moving Water Kayaking Instructor

ORCKA Basic Canoe Instructor

ORCKA Canoe Tripping Instructor

ORCKA Flatwater Kayaking Instructor

Paddle Canada Stand Up Paddling Instructor

Job Summary

Serve as a canoe or kayak instructor or guide. Instructors will instruct ORCKA certification in canoe or kayak courses and multi-day canoe trips on the French River and may be rotated onto occasional multi-day trips on some of the other rivers that we run. Guide’s primary responsibility is to instruct ORCKA canoe and kayak courses, seeking to provide the best possible adventure based experience. Guides are members of a dynamic high quality company which emphasizes quality, customer service and teamwork.

Instructor and Guide Duties and Responsibilities

•Instruct 2 day ORCKA Moving Water Canoe or Moving Water Kayak Courses on the Serpent River

1. •3- 5 -day trips on the French River. Performs lead and sweep boat duties as assigned. Majority of trips will be on the            French River and Dumoine River
   

2. •Instruct 2 day ORCKA Basic Canoe courses along the North Shore
   

3. •Instruct 2 day ORCKA  Safe Canoe or Safe Kayak courses along the North Shore
   

4. •Occasional safety boat responsibilities.
   

5. •Shops for and packs all trip food.
   

6. •Cleans guide area, refrigerators, break room and kitchen.
   

7. •Packs equipment, unpacks, cleans, and puts away all trip gear after trip. Stacks and ties down boats.
   

8. •Washes and hangs out trip rental gear and lifejackets.
   

9. •Puts away all dry gear each morning (i.e., wetsuits, splash tops, helmets, lifejackets etc.).
   

10. •Expects to be given and completes assigned tasks while waiting for guests to arrive for trips.
    

11. •Fits lifejackets, wetsuits and other rental gear for guests.
    

12. •Informs management of food and equipment resupply needs.
    

13. •Repairs or replaces equipment damaged or lost due to gross negligence that was specific guide’s responsibility.
    

14. •Completes and turns in incident and accident reports when necessary immediately following the incident or accident.
    

15. •Sees that post trip meetings address any issues from the day.
    

16. •Looks for ways to better serve the guest and the company, brings new ideas to management if it involves policy change.
    

17. •Maintains a good sense of humour and cooperative attitude in dealing with co-workers and guests.
    

18. •Communicates well with head trainer, owners, managers and co-workers. Is expected to behave in a professional manner at all times.
    

19. •Learns about natural environment and human history of area and shares knowledge with guests.
    

20. •Treats guests in a manner that makes them feel respected, valued, liked and cared for.
    

21. •Performs other responsibilities as assigned.
    

Trip Leader Duties and Responsibilities

•Acts as trainer for new guides – Participates in all training activities.

•Conducts river orientations and distributes guests into boats.

•Determines exact equipment needs for trip and selects menus for multi-day trips.

•Sets meeting time to rig multi-day trips and communicates that to guides at least 24 hr. in advance.

•Ensures that the trip leader reports are accurate and complete.

•Coordinates the duties of guides on the trip and initiates post trip meetings. Does not micro-manage.

•In the event of an accident, takes full charge of scene or delegates that duty if necessary.

•Makes the final call on minor decisions in the event that a consensus cannot be quickly reached.

1. •Brings issues that cannot be quickly resolved to the attention of the Operations Manager.
   

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

Evaluated on thoroughness in performing duties, attitude, punctuality, dependability, ability to operate as a team player, initiative, mature judgment, relationships with co-workers, management and guests, flexibility and willingness to learn.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP:

Reports to the Operations Manager.

Job Qualification:

Experience in adventure programs, motivating staff and maintaining a safe environment

Experience with first aid, rescues and emergency procedures

Energetic, creative personality and a committed  team player

Industry recognized certification and /or training from previous employment are an asset

Current Standard First Aid and Current Basic Rescuer CPR (level C)

ORCKA Instructor in one of the following: Basic Canoe, Canoe Tripping, Moving Water Canoe, Moving Water Kayaking

Wilderness First Responder Certification (WFR)

Whitewater Rescue Technician Certification  (WRT)

Vulnerable Sector (VS) check and Criminal Record check (within the last month)

Current Bronze Medallion or higher is an asset

Experience in facilitating  knowledge of adventure based learning

Extensive work experience within a First Nation and/or aboriginal organization

Knowledge and experience working with Elders

Experience and understanding of First Nation protocols

Demonstrated office experience (i.e. email, fax, report writing, ordering etc) and computer skills (i.e. Micosoft Office, IMAC, Face Book, Twitter, etc.)

Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimum supervision.

They also must be willing to travel along the North Shote for the summer and must have a phone with an answering machine. Guides must have a professional attitude and be willing to learn and accept new ideas. Initiative is highly valued. Must be able to work long hours during rush periods and not be subject to burnout and moodiness. Must work well under pressure and be a team player. Guides must purchase an approved rescue PFD, a river knife, 4 locking carabiners, whitewater helmet, a whistle, an overnight river bag and a wetsuit or equivalent. When on multi-day duty must be willing to live out of a tent or vehicle for periods of time, and travel at odd hours. Guides must attend our annual training clinic and pre-train on every river that they work.

SCHEDULE:

Guides have varying schedule. Guides can expect work load to be less at the beginning and end of the season and may be asked to work more if needed during the busy part of the season. Efforts will be made to give guides their requested workload and days off however, consecutive days off are not guaranteed and if guides do take days off, opportunities to make up missed work are not guaranteed. No more than two days off will be guaranteed per week, to be determined 2-7 days in advance. Special occasion days off and special needs must be negotiated prior to signing contract in order to be guaranteed. Vacations are discouraged in July and early August.

About Great Lakes Cultural Camps

About GLCC

Our team is friendly, skilled and take’s pride in sharing their cultural heritage. Our team of adventure based educators provide awareness of traditional land based First Nation Lifestyles, and its transition to contemporary outdoor pursuits. Great Lakes Cultural Camps “GLCC” is a small family run business that focuses on all the details. GLCC expeditions and adventure learning programs are designed to provide participants with high quality, in-depth instruction in a range of indoor and outdoor adventure activities. Our programs are intensive adventure experiences geared to the abilities and interests of participants. We specialize in Ontario Recreational Canoeing & Kayaking Association (ORCKA), Paddle Canada (PC), Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA), Boreal River Rescue, National GPS, Leave No Trace (LNT) certification programs, backcountry and authentic First Nation Cultural Experiences. We also coordinate and offer a variety of other year round indoor and outdoor experiential learning activities. GLCC offers a complete wide variety of top of the line canoes, kayaks, and sup boards. We have all the equipment you need to begin your paddling experience on the North Shore. It’s all about high quality gear and superb instruction.

What You Can Expect

What You Can Expect From GLCC

Our adventures are fun, exciting, and challenging because they involve the active participation of each individual. If you wish to participate, you should be aware that very little will be done for you. Our friendly staff will take the time to share their knowledge and skills on how to live on the land. Consequently, your satisfaction will be enhanced knowing that it is your effort that leads you through the wilderness and your determination that helps your team. You will also derive satisfaction knowing that it is through your cooperating spirit that everyone in the group is able to accomplish their day-to-day goals. You can expect a safe environment, wonderful snacks, awesome pre-cooked meals, and a unique experience to remember!

It is mandatory participants and parents/guardians sign a waiver and fully completed. In addition, participants must be properly equipped for our adventure. Upon the confirmation fee deposited a gear checklist & waiver / Terms & Conditions will be forwarded. Failure to have the proper equipment will result in you not being able to participate. We adhere to a zero tolerance policy on all our camps.

Our Enthusiastic Participants

The key to a great trip is a group of participants who are highly motivated to participate. Great Lakes Cultural Camps is not the type of program where participants are sent against their own will. We only accept participants who express a strong desire to join our expeditions and contribute positively, which assures everyone of having the best possible group experience. You will return home with not only a variety of fascinating skills, but also with new friends and a true First Nation Cultural experience.

Safety Practices

All of our staff hold current first aid & CPR certificates, have experience working with children and youth, and have taken part in our extensive staff training. In addition, we ensure that staff carry a knapsack containing a fully stocked first aid kit, participant information, bear deterrent, a whistle, sunscreen and extra clothes.  All staff facilitating adventure programs, have related qualifications, training and experience. Proper safety equipment for all of our programs is used and regularly inspected (i.e. first aid kit, PFDs, water rescue equipment, personal locator beacon, GPS etc.).

Medical Training of Our Instructors

Great Lakes Cultural Camps requires all instructors to be trained at a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). Industry standard medical training for backcountry instructors is a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification. Wilderness First Responder certification means the instructor has passed an 80 hour intensive course, focused first on prevention and treatment of back country emergencies.

Instructor Student Ratio

For a backcountry adventure trips, the maximum instructor to student ration should be 1:6. Lower ratios mean a safer experience, better supervision, more opportunities to learn, and better interaction with role models.  In our water activities our staff to participant ratio is based upon the industry standard established by ORCKA (Ontario Recreational Canoeing & Kayaking Association) certification guidelines. Our student ratio is 1:5 in solo boating, 1:6 in kayaking, 1:8 canoe tripping. Our staff always work in teams of two or three. There are no individually facilitated programs. We have 2 instructors on all our programs and additional support staff larger groups.

Experience Level

The complex responsibility of leading wilderness trips and the maturity needed to work with people is best handled by older, more mature instructors who have been working in the outdoor adventure industry. It takes several years to gain the wealth of experience needed to become an expert wilderness instructor. Great Lakes Cultural Camps maintain program continuity, safety, quality and consistency by having seasoned staff.

Equipment - Great Lakes Cultural Camp Adventure Equipment

Great Lakes Cultural Camps uses high performance gear. All guests are outfitted with Coast Guard approved PFD’S (personal flotation device) Wetsuits, fleece jackets, splash jackets and helmets are all included in the price . Our gear is top of the line and in great condition. We wash and air the gear after every trip

Customize Your Program

We will custom fit any of our unique programs to meet your own personal needs including First Nation Cultural Education, Workshops, Corporate Team Building, Cultural Dance Performance, Group Size, Location, Time, Private Instruction and unique personal requests.  It’s your choice! Make your experience one to remember!

Prepare for an unforgettable cultural experience through the woods and mountains taking in unbelievable scenery! Our mobile unit can travel and deliver our programs almost anywhere.