Become a Rugged Apprentice

In the Village of Teslin, Rugged Apprentices will be working on a disc golf course, trimming fairways, improving paths, enhancing safety, and overall making the course as playable as possible. It’ll also help Teslin with their broader goal of creating more recreation options for both locals and visitors.

The community gardens in Dawson City have seen better days. That’s why Rugged Apprentices will be replacing the garden beds with new materials, making this outdoor space safer and more accessible for visitors and locals.

Rugged Apprentices in Mayo will fix up nature trails in the area. The group will clear trails, build benches, and install look-out points, all in the name of giving visitors and locals more access to Mayo’s abundant nature.

Continuing the work of last year’s Rugged Apprentices, this year’s crew will be beautifying Merv Tew Park in Carmacks. Trail maintenance, signage installation, and cleaning up the community’s disc golf course will all help Carmacks look and feel its best.

Okay, let’s talk about the green stuff. And no, we don’t mean the Yukon’s lush scenery. We’re talking dollars. As a Rugged Apprentice, your only expense will be your transportation to and from the Yukon. Any accommodation or expenses you require before 11 am on September 12th or after 9pm on September 15th will be your responsibility.

There’s a lot of work that goes into keeping the Yukon’s parks and trails flawless. That’s where you come in! As a Rugged Apprentice, you’ll be building fences, cleaning up trails, improving parks, maintaining heritage sites, installing new signage, or widening footpaths.

We like to keep things classic and cozy up here, so your accommodations will be quaint, with some shared bedrooms and facilities. But if sleeping alone is absolutely required, we will do our best to accommodate. Also, if you want to arrive early or stay beyond the program, you’ll have to book yourself some extra nights.

We’ll be solving problems that have been identified by local municipalities and organizations. Addressing maintenance issues raised by locals, we’ll improve walking conditions and recreational infrastructure, all in the name of making these areas more enjoyable.

No one wants a hangry volunteer. But with breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided during all program days, everyone will have plenty of energy. Plus, volunteers will get a light meal when they arrive and a meal during the final day party. We’ll also make every effort to accommodate any special dietary requirements.

Eager beavers are our favourite type of beaver. But in this case, you’ll have to wait a little longer for more deets. An itinerary will be shared with all volunteers closer to the program start date.

The short answer? Not really! The slightly longer answer? You don’t need to be a certified apprentice and no specific requirements are needed. That said, most projects will take place on uneven terrain, so a willingness to help and being fairly fit is a necessity. You must also be 19 years of age and be legally allowed to work in Canada to be a Rugged Apprentice.

11am on Tuesday September 12th, 2023. That’s when you must be there by, but we do highly recommend arriving the day prior (or even earlier) to account for possible travel delays. This will also give you extra time to do some exploring.

Hit the road or take to the skies—it’s up to you! There are plenty of ways to get to the Yukon, but if you choose to fly, we’d highly recommend booking flights through the Yukon’s airline, Air North. That is, if you want to take advantage of our sweet hookup: We have an agreement with Air North that includes promotional discount codes, which we’ll share with successful applicants. But if a road trip is more your speed, you can also get to the Yukon by taking one of the territory’s main highways.

The Yukon has tons of great hotels, motels, guest houses, inns, and campgrounds. Explore this list to find some great places to stay. And as soon as you’re accepted, we recommend booking any extra experiences and accommodations you’d like to have for before and after the program ASAP—they fill up fast at that time of year!

Yes, we’re big fans of the buddy system. During registration, just write your name and the names of your travel buddies on the form. But remember: you must sign up separately. We’ll try our best to make sure you get to work on the same project. And you might even end up being roomies.

No, you won’t need a work visa to volunteer in the Rugged Apprentices program. You do, however, need to be able to legally work in Canada.

All communication will be in English. However, if you know a different language, we’d love to learn how to say “hello” and “look, there’s an elk!”

Safety isn’t just first. It’s second, third, fourth, fifth—you get the picture. That said, accidents can happen. If you do get hurt during your time in the program, you’ll be covered under the Yukon’s Workers Compensation and Safety Policy as a Volunteer with the Government of Yukon.

The Rugged Apprentices program will take place every two years, with the next program being held from September 9-12, 2025. Exact dates will vary each year, so keep an eye out on our website for specific date details so you can start dreaming (and booking!) as soon as dates are announced.