Are you looking for your next big family adventure? Becoming a host family for an international student is full of adventure, learning, and memory-making for all! Harmony Homestay hosts welcome these students into their homes for a semester or the entire school year and show them what life is like in Canada. Keep reading to learn about our host family network, the communities our homestay hosts live in, and which Canadian communities are looking for new hosts.
Our host families in Thunder Bay, Ontario
International students looking for a sunny homestay in Canada look to Thunder Bay, Ontario. It receives an average of 2,200 hours of sunlight each year, earning it the prestige of the sunniest city in Eastern Canada. Thunder Bay is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, a gateway to 500,000 square kilometres of Canadian wilderness with over 150,000 lakes and rivers.
If you’re not big into the outdoors, there are still plenty of opportunities in and around Thunder Bay. Enjoy indoor activities like swimming, bowling, and indoor sports, or explore the community on foot to find more treasures.
As a homestay host in Thunder Bay, Ontario, your student may enjoy exploring:
- The Terry Fox Monument – to learn about his epic fundraising journey across Canada
- Lake Superior – Explore the world’s largest (82,100 km2) freshwater lake and the coldest and deepest (1,332 feet) of the Great Lakes.
- Sleeping Giant Provincial Park – for great hiking and views
- Wild Goose Beach – to explore over 121 km of coastline along Lake Superior
- Amethyst Mine Panorama – to prospect for your own amethyst stone, the official stone of Ontario
- Canada Games Complex – for swimming fun in the complex that hosted the 1981 Canada Summer Games.
Harmony Homestay has many families registered as family hosts in the Thunder Bay area (and we’re always looking for more).
Our host families in Surrey, BC
Surrey is one of BC’s largest cities (with over 610,000 residents as of 2023). It’s the largest city by land area in BC. Surrey is one of Canada’s most culturally diverse cities, making it a popular place for international students to visit.
Surrey is connected to the Tri-Cities, New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver, and Richmond by the Skytrain public transit system. Its location makes it easy for your students to explore the area independently and return home safely.
When you host an international student in Surrey, here are a few ideas of places to visit:
- Surrey Libraries– to get books for pleasure reading or learning more about Canadian topics that interest your student
- The Honeybee Centre – to learn about local honey-making
- Skytrain – your gateway to exploring beyond Surrey’s borders into New Westminster, Burnaby, Vancouver, and Richmond.
- Surrey Festivals – for great family fun for occasions like Earth Day, Vaisakhi, Canada Day, the holiday season, and more
- Indoor activities – for indoor fun like axe throwing, bowling, swimming, sports, and more
Our host families in Langley, BC
Langley, BC, has a unique selling point: it’s in the middle of the Lower Mainland of BC. This city’s prime location provides easy access to Vancouver and the coast, and to fun and adventure further in the Fraser Valley. International students living in Langley get to explore the entirety of Greater Vancouver.
Langley has around 29,000 people and over 346 acres of parkland to explore. International students enjoy the small-town vibe with its unique heritage feel.
When you host an international student in Langley, you can introduce them to:
- Fort Langley Heritage Site – to learn about the settlement of the area
- Stroll down historic Fort Langley – for window shopping and weekly farmers’ markets
- Willowbrook Mall- for shopping at the city’s largest shopping centre
- Krause Berry Farms – for fresh berry picking and buying artisanal goods
- Indoor sports – check out local places for indoor go-karting, parkour, and trampolining.
Become a host family Network in these cities…
Harmony Homestay is looking to expand! We have our eyes set on a few communities in BC and Ontario and are looking for new homestay hosts in these cities:
- Thunder Bay, Ontario: Thunder Bay is known as an affordable place to live, and people are flocking to the area. We’re actively looking for new hosts in this area.
- Coquitlam, BC: Coquitlam is between the mountains, ocean, and Fraser Valley. This city is currently home to over 43,000 families, and has many opportunities for international student homestays.
- Maple Ridge, BC: A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, many families in Maple Ridge embrace the great outdoors. Homestay hosts in this city share their love for nature with international students.
Discover endless possibilities and adventures as a host family Network
Are you interested in sharing your home with an eager international student? Do you live in one of the communities we’ve mentioned? Apply to become a host family with Harmony Homestay today.
Opening your home to a student is a rewarding experience for your whole family. Benefits include:
- Exposing your family to cultures and traditions from all over the world
- Sharing your family’s culture and traditions with others
- Playing a part in a life-changing experience that will leave a mark on a young student’s life
- Making new memories that will last a lifetime
- Earning a monthly financial compensation for hosting a student
Curious about what it’s like to be a host family? Learn more about what to expect as a host family.
Are you ready to get started? Submit your host family application online today.
