Ontario Parks Student Summer Jobs
Duties
Student Jobs at Ontario Parks give students the opportunity to spend their summer adventuring within Ontario’s forests, beaches, rivers, and lakes while gaining job skills and experience. Build your skills, make new friends and gain valuable work experience while working in some of Ontario’s most beautiful locations.
Ontario Parks protects ecologically important spaces throughout Ontario – from the shores of Lake Erie up to the boreal forests of Northern Ontario. It takes lots of people working together to preserve these spaces while welcoming visitors from Ontario and beyond. Every summer, Ontario Parks hires 1,600 students to help with this important work.
Student summer jobs at Ontario Parks include many different types of work. Here are some of the most common types of positions that provincial parks hire for:
Available at most parks:
Gate Attendant – Welcomes visitors, issues park permits, and responds to customer inquiries. Gate Attendants welcome everyone into a provincial park.
Maintenance Worker – Provides services to ensure parks are maintained, cleaned, and ready for guests.
Park Store Clerk – Assists in maintaining park stores and gift boutiques. This position involves managing rentals, providing customer service, handling money, and performing clerical work.
Administrative Assistant – Assists with clerical work and park administration. This position plays a key role in assisting with finances and scheduling.
Discovery Ranger – Assists in delivering park educational programs to inform visitors about the natural and cultural resources found within the park. (Only available at parks with a Discovery Program)
Available at some parks:
Interior Ranger – Maintains backcountry hiking and portage trails, and remote campsites in parks that may only be able to be reached by boat, canoe, of on foot.
Trail Maintenance – Ensures backcountry trails and campsites are accessible and safe for users by removing brush, upkeeping trail surfaces, and conducting inspections.
Qualifications
Ontario Parks student summer jobs are entry-level positions, meaning students applying for these jobs are not expected to have extensive work experience. But these are some of the skills that provincial parks are looking for when hiring summer staff:
Interpersonal skills
Willingness to work as a member of a diverse team
Strong communication skills
Ability to collaborate and work on a team
Organizational skills
Ability to follow instructions and ask for direction
Detail oriented and the ability to record information accurately
Time management and the ability to manage competing priorities
Willingness to learn
Analytical skills
Ability to problem solve
Adaptable
Strong problem solving skills
Trainings and certifications
An Ontario Driver’s G2 License (asset)
First Aid (asset)
Eligibility
There are four eligibility requirements for student jobs with Ontario Parks:
Student Status: You must be enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary institution (currently or for the upcoming fall semester) OR you must have graduated within the past six months (for example, if you graduated in December 2024, you could apply for and start a summer student position up until June of 2025). Your school does not need to be located in Ontario to be eligible.
Age: You must be a minimum of 15 years of age. There is no maximum age limit.
Residency: You must be a resident of Ontario during the term of employment.
Work status - eligibility to work in Canada: You must be legally entitled to work in Canada. You are also required to have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN) upon being hired. If you do not have a valid SIN and would like to obtain one, review the Government of Canada website (Opens in a new tab).
We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace. Ontario Parks welcomes all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service. Everyone at Ontario Parks – no matter their role – shares a desire to protect our natural spaces. Your work here makes a real difference.
How to Apply
Apply now! February-May: Hiring managers begin reviewing applications and interviewing applicants. Hiring is ongoing until all positions are filled. Apply early for your best chance to work at your preferred park!
May-June: Summer positions and training begin
To apply online, go to our Student Summer Jobs at Ontario Parks website
For more information, join our Summer Jobs @ Ontario Parks webinars. These are virtual events that students can join to learn about Ontario Parks summer jobs, the application process, and a question-and-answer period. Students are required to register online; these links can be used for promotion:
- February 20 from 5 PM-6:30 PM student sign up here.
- March 19 from 5 PM -6:30 PM student sign up here.
- Promotion of one-on-one career counseling sessions. Students can book a 15 min chat with an Ontario Parks staff to ask job specific questions.
Additionally, you can find more information on career opportunities at Ontario Parks by visiting OntarioParks.ca/careers or by sending an email to OntarioParksJobs@ontario.ca