Outdoor Instructor/Guide Survey

Welcome, current & former Wilderness Professionals!

Who are we & what are we doing?

Stemming from a collective need for better employment standards, sustainable wages & a unified voice, we created CANOPA, a Nonprofit, community-driven association for Outdoor Professionals. We are a small grassroots volunteer board made up of current and past Outdoor Professionals: business owners, professors, researchers, students, teachers, and guides, all passionate about the outdoor industry are looking to better understand the barriers instructors face in the industry.

Aim

Stemming from systemic barriers to entry and industry-wide challenges Outdoor Professionals face in the field, we are looking to make the industry more equitable, diverse, and sustainable for employees.

Survey objectives

We are collecting data in four categories: wages & costs incurred by outdoor professionals; education gaps within the field, specifically around employment standards; and suggestions for what we can collectively do to improve the industry for employees.

What are we going to do with the data?

1) Share it with the community over social media

2) Work with the community to improve wage transparency, create educational resources to help outdoor professionals navigate the industry, and grounded in your responses, generate some next steps to make this industry more sustainable for everyone.

3) Create a localized space (website) for outdoor professionals to congregate, educate, communicate, share, and support one another.

Disclaimer

This is not part of a thesis or company assessment - we are all retired from the industry. It is 100% confidential. We really just want to make things more sustainable for the next generation!

Want to help?

We are also looking for folks to help with:

- Creating educational resources for new and weathered staff alike
- Advocacy work at all levels to create a more sustainable industry for instructor/guides

If you are keen, please reach out:

canadian.outdoor.instructors@gmail.com

Thank you so much for filling out our survey!

Question Title

* 1. IDENTITY
How do you identify in the Outdoors Industry?

Wilderness/Outdoor Guide (not education focused)

Outdoor Instructor

Outdoor educator (formal teaching degree)

Forest School(™) educator

Wilderness Therapist (degree in social work, counseling or psychotherapy)

Camp Counsellor (residential or tripping)

Support Staff (logistics/ base staff)

Manager

Owner

None of the above

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following do you believe has the greatest impact on your wages and overall experience in the industry?

Age

Education Level

Certification level

Skill level

Years of experience

Skin colour

Nationality

Gender identity

sexual orientation

Reputation

Professionalism

None of the above

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. Current age

Under 18

18 - 25

26 - 33

34 - 45

>45

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* 4. Where do you live?

NWT

PEI

USA

Other (please specify)

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* 5. Do you identify as a minority or marginalized person?

Yes

Other (please specify)

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* 6. Do you identify as:

Non binary

Female

Male

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. EDUCATION
Are you currently a student?

High school

College/ CEGEP

University - undergrad

Masters

PhD or postdoctoral fellow

Question Title

* 8. What is your highest level of education?

Highschool

CEGEP

College

Undergrad

Masters

PhD

Post Grad

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* 9. Are you currently enrolled in/ or a graduate of a post-secondary outdoor program? If so, which one?

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* 10. Entering the industry, were you well equipped with information regarding wage standards and labour laws (minimum wage, overtime exemptions, room & board deductions, etc)?

Yes

Unsure

Other (please specify)

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* 11. Entering the industry, were you equipped with information regarding industry work safety and/or insurance? (loss of work in the case of illness or personal injury, cost of evacuation, etc.)

Yes

Other (please specify)

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* 12. Entering the industry, were you equipped with tools to secure stable work in the outdoor sector following graduation?

Yes

Other (please specify)

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* 13. Did you graduate with student debt?

No - I was on scholarship

No - I worked and paid for everything

No - family helped

Yes - more than 20,000

Yes - less than 15,000$

Yes - less than 5,000$

What is student debt?

I don’t want to talk about it

Question Title

* 14. CERTIFICATION
What certifications and/ or training have been most valuable to you?

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* 15. Which certification have been the least?

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* 16. Are you a member of any of the following Associations/ Organizations? (choose all that apply)

Outdoor Council of Canada

Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario

The Interpretive Guides Association

Paddle Canada

Sea Kayak Guide Alliance

Whitewater Ontario

The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides

The Canadian Avalanche Association

The Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors

Canadian Ski Patrol

Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance

Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors

Canadian Federation of Outfitter Associations (Hunting and fishing Association)

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

* 17. What benefits, that you are aware of, do they provide? (choose all that apply)

Standardized training/ certification

Pro deals

Insurance

Guidance or mentorship

Community

Ability to negotiate an increased per diem rate

Other (please specify)

None of the above

Question Title

* 18. Would you want your national certifying body to become more involved with wage standardization?

Yes

It should be between the guide/instructor and their employer

It should be decided by a separate association/ guild/ union

It should be decided collectively but not officially/ inforcably

It should be left up to supply and demand

Question Title

* 19. What is your average cost of certifications/ year?

$500 or less

$600 to $900

$1,000 - $2,000

$2,100 or more

Other (please specify)

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* 20. Are your certifications &/or training paid for by:

School

Employer

Parents

Self (out of industry earnings)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 21. SUSTAINABILITY OF INDUSTRY
How many years/seasons have you worked in this industry?

This will be my first one!

<2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

10+ years

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 22. Are you still employed in the outdoor sector?

Yes - full time

Yes - seasonally while I’m in school

Yes - seasonally I am on EI during the off season

No - I have moved on

Occasionally - as supplemental income but another job supports me

Occasionally - my parents/ partner support me

Question Title

* 23. If no, what was your reason for leaving? (Choose all that apply)

Low wages/ insufficient income

lack of wage transparency

Inability to find off season work/ year round work

Pressure from family

Starting a family

Lack of upward mobility

Poor working conditions (ie. Harassment, discrimination, racism, toxic work culture, gaslighting)

All of the above

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 24. What is/ was your starting per diem in this industry? (ballpark)

Intern (no pay but food, beer, community, and a swanky PFD was included)

Intern (as a part of an university or college educational program)

Less than 40-70$

Around 100$

142.60$

150$ or more

Other (please specify)

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* 25. What do you currently make?

$100 or less

$110 - $140

$142.60 - $200

$210 - $300

$310 - $400

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 26. What was your gross income from your most recent (pre covid) season of work? (without deducting gear, taxes, travel, certifications, etc.)

< 5,000$

5,000 - 10,000$

11, 000 - 20,000$

21,000 - 35,000$

36,000 - 45,000$

46,000 - 55,000$

> 56,000$

>75,000$

None of the above

Question Title

* 27. What is your average yearly cost of industry necessities (gear, insurance, transportation, certification)?

$500 or less

$600 to $1000

$1,100 - $1,500

$1,500- 2,000

3,000 - 5,000

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 28. TAXATION
During your time in the industry did you:
File Income Tax and Claim all earnings?

Yes - to both

Yes - I filed Income Tax

Other (please specify)

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* 29. Include a T777 or T2200?

Yes

What the heck is this

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* 30. Collect EI?

Yes

My company actively prevents folks from qualifying

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* 31. Pay for private insurance?

Yes

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* 32. Have health benefits?

Yes- from employer

Yes - from family/ spouse

Yes - I have my own

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* 33. Have personal injury/illness coverage (in the case of your own injury or illness)?

Yes - provided by my employer

Yes - private

No idea but gosh, I hope so

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* 34. Are you charged/ deducted for room and board by your employer?

Yes - it is a room with a roof and working electricity and a washroom

Yes - it is a tent platform and a canvas tent

Yes - it is space to pitch my own tent

No - I can pitch my tent for free

No - accommodations are provided for free

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 35. SUSTAINABILITY
What changes would you most like to see in the Outdoor Industry for employees?

Wage transparency

Increased wages

Per hour in lieu of per diem rates

A centralized website or Industry Wiki that provides info on: companies that are good/not good to work for, certs that are worth/ not worth it, wage structure to follow based on experience and certification, labour laws (ie minimum wages), tax tips, personal insurance (if you get injured or sick)

Education

Mentorship

A professional association/guild/ union that formally advocats for instructors

More support regarding wage structure from national certifying bodies

Please elaborate or include helpful resources already using

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* 36. What information would you have wanted to know more about at the beginning of your career?

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* 37. what would make the industry more sustainable for you?

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* 38. Do you know someone else who is already collecting this data? Are you interested in volunteering to help improve transparency and wage fairness in the Outdoor industry? Please Reach out!

Did you hate the survey or think we should pack our bags for the Mission to Mars? Let us know!

Contact us directly at canadian.outdoor.instructors@gmail.com.

Outdoor Instructor/Guide Survey

Welcome, current & former Wilderness Professionals!

Question Title

* 1. IDENTITYHow do you identify in the Outdoors Industry?

Question Title

* 2. Which of the following do you believe has the greatest impact on your wages and overall experience in the industry?

Question Title

* 3. Current age

Question Title

* 4. Where do you live?

Question Title

* 5. Do you identify as a minority or marginalized person?

Question Title

* 6. Do you identify as:

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* 7. EDUCATIONAre you currently a student?

Question Title

* 8. What is your highest level of education?

Question Title

* 9. Are you currently enrolled in/ or a graduate of a post-secondary outdoor program? If so, which one?

Question Title

* 10. Entering the industry, were you well equipped with information regarding wage standards and labour laws (minimum wage, overtime exemptions, room & board deductions, etc)?

Question Title

* 11. Entering the industry, were you equipped with information regarding industry work safety and/or insurance? (loss of work in the case of illness or personal injury, cost of evacuation, etc.)

Question Title

* 12. Entering the industry, were you equipped with tools to secure stable work in the outdoor sector following graduation?

Question Title

* 13. Did you graduate with student debt?

Question Title

* 14. CERTIFICATIONWhat certifications and/ or training have been most valuable to you?

Question Title

* 15. Which certification have been the least?

Question Title

* 16. Are you a member of any of the following Associations/ Organizations? (choose all that apply)

Question Title

* 17. What benefits, that you are aware of, do they provide? (choose all that apply)

Question Title

* 18. Would you want your national certifying body to become more involved with wage standardization?

Question Title

* 19. What is your average cost of certifications/ year?

Question Title

* 20. Are your certifications &/or training paid for by:

Question Title

* 21. SUSTAINABILITY OF INDUSTRYHow many years/seasons have you worked in this industry?

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* 22. Are you still employed in the outdoor sector?

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* 23. If no, what was your reason for leaving? (Choose all that apply)

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* 24. What is/ was your starting per diem in this industry? (ballpark)

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* 25. What do you currently make?

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* 26. What was your gross income from your most recent (pre covid) season of work? (without deducting gear, taxes, travel, certifications, etc.)

Question Title

* 27. What is your average yearly cost of industry necessities (gear, insurance, transportation, certification)?

Question Title

* 28. TAXATIONDuring your time in the industry did you:File Income Tax and Claim all earnings?

Question Title

* 29. Include a T777 or T2200?

Question Title

* 30. Collect EI?

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* 31. Pay for private insurance?

Question Title

* 32. Have health benefits?

Question Title

* 33. Have personal injury/illness coverage (in the case of your own injury or illness)?

Question Title

* 34. Are you charged/ deducted for room and board by your employer?

Question Title

* 35. SUSTAINABILITYWhat changes would you most like to see in the Outdoor Industry for employees?

Question Title

* 36. What information would you have wanted to know more about at the beginning of your career?

Question Title

* 37. what would make the industry more sustainable for you?

Question Title

* 1. IDENTITY
How do you identify in the Outdoors Industry?

* 7. EDUCATION
Are you currently a student?

* 14. CERTIFICATION
What certifications and/ or training have been most valuable to you?

* 21. SUSTAINABILITY OF INDUSTRY
How many years/seasons have you worked in this industry?

* 28. TAXATION
During your time in the industry did you:
File Income Tax and Claim all earnings?

* 35. SUSTAINABILITY
What changes would you most like to see in the Outdoor Industry for employees?