Looking to spend the summer as a camp counselor in Canada? In no particular order, here are 13 summer camps and 7 placement agencies that hire international staff.
Notes: All of the information in this post was sourced directly from the websites linked. Eligibility will vary depending on the work VISA you will need to obtain.
Many Canada summer camps do their international staff hiring via a placement agency.
Camps You Can Directly Apply To
All camps listed below mention that they directly hire international staff or allow you to apply from another country via their staff applications. Camps who only hire international staff through a placement agency have NOT been included.
Province: British Columbia.
Eligibility: Varies depending on position you apply for.
Length: Summer, exact work dates unknown.
What's Provided: Room & board, all meals, snacks, transportation to the city, possible travel/living reimbursement (work wages not stated).
Notes: This is a religious Christian camp.
Location: Camps across Canada (link brings you to the British Columbia page).
Eligibility: Ages 18+, be proficient in English, and have a strong faith in Jesus.
Length: Summer, exact length unknown.
What's Provided: Not directly listed on website.
Notes: This is a religious Christian camp. Their international staff are referred to as 'volunteers' so you will most likely not be receiving a working wage.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: May vary depending on job applying for.
Length: June - August.
What's Provided: Room & board, meals, and compensation.
Notes: There is no 'international staff' page, but their current staff are mainly from Canada and the USA.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Ages 18-30 , or 18-35 for citizens from Chile, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland.
Length: 7 1/2 weeks, late June - early August.
What's Provided: Room & board, food, buses to and from town, and compensation.
Notes: This is a Jewish camp.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Unknown.
Length: Summer, exact work dates unknown.
What's Provided: Room & board, meals, laundry, and salary.
Notes: This camp does not have an 'international staff' page but shows international staff on their videos.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Ages 17+.
Length: Counselor contracts are late June - early August.
What's Provided: Room & board, food, working wages, and possible end of season bonuses.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Age depends on position you are apply for, minimum age is 17.
Length: Summer time, exact work dates unknown.
What's Provided: Accommodation and food (work wages not stated).
Notes: There is no 'international staff' page, their FAQs mention staff from around the world.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Ages 19+.
Length: Late June - late August.
What's Provided: Accommodation and food (work wages not stated).
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Ages 16/17+ depending on job.
Length: Mid-June - mid-August.
What's Provided: Room & board, food, laundry, and salary.
Notes: Their website mentions their international staff come from: the USA, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico.
Province: Ontario.
Eligibility: Ages 18+.
Length: Summer time, exact work dates unknown.
What's Provided: Accommodation and food (work wages not stated).
Notes: Staff application allows you to apply from countries outside of Canada.
Province: Quebec.
Eligibility: Not stated.
Length: Mid-June - mid-August.
What's Provided: Accommodation and food (work wages not stated).
Notes: This is a Jewish camp.
Province: Alberta.
Eligibility: Ages 16+.
Length: 2-4 months in May- August (winter placements also available).
What's Provided: Room & board (paid & volunteer position available).
Notes: This is a Christian camp. The staff pages does not mention international staff. However, in the application you can apply from the following countries: Canada, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Qatar.
Province: Prince Edward Island.
Eligibility: Ages 16+.
Length: 8 weeks, end of June- August.
What's Provided: Not listed on website.
Notes: This is a non-profit Christian camp. No mention of international staff, but the application lets you apply if you are from Canada or the USA.
Placement Agencies
These placement agencies are third party companies that charge a fee to place you in a summer camp and assist with all the other details. The program costs listed are what you will pay them for their assistance. Other costs such as visa fees, background checks, plane tickets, etc... are completely separate.
Location(s): Across Canada.
Eligibility: Ages 19-30, are currently a student or intending to study within one year of your travels, and be a citizen of a visa-exempt country.
Length: 8-10 weeks.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, food, accommodation, $1600 CAD in work wages, 24hr emergency support, health insurance, orientation, support with travel, visa application, bank account, and more.
Program Cost: £429.
Location(s): Across Canada.
Eligibility: Ages 18-29, from one of the 50+ listed countries found on their website, and fluent in English.
Length: 8 weeks, June - September.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, 1 week of training, room & board, 24hr emergency support, visa assistance, and transportation to camp.
Program Cost: $295.
Location(s): Across Canada (They also have USA and other international placements).
Eligibility: Ages 18+ and fluent in English.
Length: 8-10 weeks.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, room & board, food, health insurance, $2,000-$2,500 CAD in work wages, 24hr emergency support, and assistance with visa and getting a social security number.
Program Cost: $545 in total for program fees.
Location(s): Across Canada (They also have USA placements).
Eligibility: Ages 18+ and a citizen of the UK, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Germany, Finland, or Denmark.
Length: 8-10 weeks.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, $2,000 CAD in working wages, medical insurance, food, accommodation, 24hr support, and assistance obtaining a work permit.
Program Cost: £449.
Location(s): Across Canada (They also have USA placements).
Eligibility: Ages 18+ and from a visa exempt country.
Length: 8-10 weeks.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, all meals, accommodation, medical insurance, 24hr help line, assistance with work permit or visa, flight assistance, and $1600-$1900 CAD in work wages.
Program Cost: £309-£329.
Location(s): Across Canada.
Eligibility: Ages 18-27.
Length: June - August.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, all meals, accommodation, up to $1900 CAD in work wages.
Program Cost: €49 to register, total price not posted (which usually means the price is high).
Location(s): Across Canada.
Eligibility: Ages 18-27 and from one of the 30 countries that have a bilateral youth mobility agreement with Canada.
Length: 8-10 weeks.
What's Provided: Guaranteed placement, $1400 CAD minimum in work wages, room & board, insurance, transportation to camp, and a police certificate.
Program Cost: €499 for their 'early bird' special.
Conclusion
There are many summer camps across Canada. While many do hire their staff through a placement agency, there are a lot that you can directly apply to. If you find a camp you want to work with, I recommend reaching out to them and seeing if they hire international staff directly before going with a placement agency. This could save you a good chunk of money.
Good luck in your search and I hope you have a great summer season!