Located in the northern part of the Greater Toronto Area in the Region of York, and five minutes by car from Lake Simcoe and one of the largest tourist areas in southern Ontario. We are located in the ice fishing capital of Canada, yet an hour from the centre of Toronto.
Our home is situated on ten very private acres in a rural area and would suit someone that loves winter sports. There is plenty of opportunity for snowmobiling, ATVing, snowshoeing, hiking, skiing, ice fishing, photography, writing or painting. If you like to read, there are five book cases full of books of various genres. Our place is very quiet. Wildlife abounds even in winter.
Our bungalow is modest, but features two bedrooms, two four-piece bathrooms and an office as well as a beautiful view from every window. Our office is fully functional and available for you to use. The heat is geothermal, and there are solar panels on the roof that should be kept clear and there is a long handled rake to do that. We have high speed Internet (broadband) and satellite TV, as well as a long distance phone line with free calling across Canada and into the U.S.
We have two cats that love attention and love people. They are allowed to go outside while you are home but there are restrictions on the time that they can go out and the time that they must be brought in. Normally, they will be waiting at the door. They cannot tolerate cold, but love to go out for some air. When you leave the property, please make sure they are inside even if the weather is nice because there are predators that would love to have kitties for lunch.
They both love to be brushed and will bug you until you give in. One is shy but very sweet and the other is full of fun, thinks he is a dog, and if you are male, you will not be able to do any “guy stuff” without him. He will pound on the windows to remind you that you forgot him. He is a lady’s man too, and he believes that the female of the species is to cuddle him, pet him and tell him how handsome he is. He will purr and ‘paddle’ with his front paws when you do, all the while lying on his back with all fours in the air.
The laneway is 700 feet long, so clearing snow by shovel is not an option. We will pay for one snow removal per month and anything else will be up to you. The cost is $50 per snow clearing. Normally we can handle the snow ourselves but the winter of was an exception.
This assignment would be appropriate for a couple. We think it would be overwhelming for one person. We would appreciate references and a current police check. We also ask for the standard house sitting contract found on the house sitting site to be signed and completed by all of us. It is important that we have non-smokers. This would not be a good assignment for party people. We cannot accommodate children or pets and ask that only the housesitters we choose occupy the house. It is important that the cats are the priority. We don’t expect the house sitter to spend all day waiting on the cats, however, we would appreciate it if house and cat sitting was the main focus versus sight-seeing.