Garden Assistant

Canada Summer Jobs (9-week contract)

Hours: 30 hours/week

Location: Shelldale    Anticipated Start Date: June 2026

Current Vacancy

What We Live By:

• Our Vision: A community without barriers to health and wellbeing.
• Our Mission: We work with our community to promote and sustain health and wellbeing for all.
• Our Values: Compassion, Social Justice, Courage, Integrity, Adaptability.

Guelph Community Health Centre prioritizes people who face barriers to health and accessing services, and people who identify as:

• Homeless or at risk of homelessness
• Living on low income
• Newcomers to Canada with language barriers
• Having moderate to severe mental health and/or addiction issues
• Having moderate to severe disabilities
• Indigenous First Nations, Inuit and Métis
• Black, mixed race and racialized populations
• Experiencing intersectional oppression
• 2SLGBTQIA+
• Vulnerable children and their families experiencing conflict, isolation or attachment struggles

Eligibility

This position is funded through the Canada Summer Jobs Program. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of employment
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person with refugee protection status (international students are not eligible)
• Have a valid Social Insurance Number and be legally entitled to work in Canada

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in all garden daily activities, including site and office work, and sub-project activities (gardener registration, filling water tanks, composting, watering, weeding, plant staking, etc).  

• Assist in gardening activities, especially with those in the community who use wheelchairs and seniors. 

• Assist in the daily preparation of the gardening tools.

• Keep the garden shed, shelters, plots and surrounding areas clean and neat. 

• Greet the community and provide assistance according to their needs (garden inputs available in the shed). 

• Have expressed interest in learning how to grow food, and participate in every stage of crop production from seed to harvest to market.

• Assist with Shelldale Farm Park's other project activities.  

Qualifications & Skills

• Demonstrate flexibility in Job responsibilities (like to work outdoors in a family-friendly environment) 

• Willing to work hard to gain agricultural knowledge and skills, and transfer those skills to the gardeners.   

• Excellent communication skills, flexible, work with a team in the garden and in kitchen activities.  

• Enjoy working with people – a quick and continuous learner willing to follow instructions.  

• Preferred experience in producing local and fresh food (vegetables and herbs) 

• Preferred experience in community work.   

• Preferred Resident of Onward Willow  

We know that experience comes in many forms. If you have some of these qualities and are excited about this opportunity, then we want to hear from you. Please visit our website www.guelphchc.ca and apply using the online application tool. In your application, please include a resume and cover letter outlining how your skills, qualifications, and experience meet the position requirements.

Guelph Community Health Centre is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including individuals from priority populations who may identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit and Metis individuals, and members of Black and other racialized communities.

We thank, in advance, those who apply, but will contact only those who qualify for interviews.

If at any stage in the selection process you require accommodation, please let us know the nature of the required accommodation.