Looking for a summer adventure? Applications for the 2025 season are currently open!
Calling all Ontario students looking to make an impact!
Do you love spending time outside?
Are you passionate about protecting Ontario’s natural landscapes and cultural heritage?
If you want to spend your summer making the world a better place, then this is the job for you!
Don’t miss your chance to apply for a student summer job with Ontario Parks this year –
take your first step towards making an impact:
When do I apply?
Applications are now open for the 2025 season.
Applications are reviewed on a first come, first served basis. The first round of applications will close on February 18, 2025. Apply early to increase your chances of being selected!
Who can apply?
To be eligible for a student summer job with Ontario Parks, applicants must meet the following criteria:
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. Some positions may require you to be over 16 years of age.
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.
What parks should I apply to?
No matter which parks you apply to, you’re bound to have a memorable experience and make lifelong friends!
Here are a few things to consider before you choose your parks:
Most of our northern parks offer staff housing
This summer, take a break from city living and spend your summer working in one of the province’s most beautiful settings: northern Ontario!
Going north to work gives you the chance to make lifelong friends in the land of endless boreal forest, stunning hiking trails, and serene beaches.
Find out which northern park could be your home this summer using our Hiring Map.
Many parks do not provide staff housing
If you apply to a park without staff housing, you must be able to commute to the park. You can find the parks within commuting distance of where you live using our Park Locator.
We recommend that applicants state in their cover letter which parks they require staff housing for and which parks are within commuting distance of where they live.
Please note that applicants may only select a maximum of 5 parks to submit their applications to. Multiple applications will result in only the most recent submission being considered.
What jobs should I apply for?
Ontario Parks offers a wide range of student summer jobs across the province!
Use our Hiring Map to see which parks are seeking applicants for which jobs.
Available at most parks:
Available at some parks:
Let’s take a deeper dive into these jobs:
Gate attendant
Love talking about your favourite parks and sharing which hiking trails are bug-free? (Spoiler alert: none.) You may be a good fit for the gate attendant job!
Gate attendants are the communications nexus for the park, welcoming visitors, issuing park permits, handling customer inquiries, and conveying important information to park staff. They also process payments and provide retail services (like showing visitors their favourite park merchandise item!).
Gate attendants are usually strong communicators, good at prioritizing tasks, and detail oriented.
This job is available at most parks. Please check our Hiring Map.
Maintenance worker
Maintenance workers work together to keep the park clean and well-maintained. While there are facilities that need to be cleaned every day – like comfort stations and privies – every day also brings something new – like clearing trails, building picnic tables, or supporting ecological integrity projects, like planting Marram Grass to restore sand dune systems.
If you love working with your hands, being outside all day, and working closely with your team, then this may be the job for you!
This job is available at most parks. Please check our Hiring Map.
Discovery ranger
Discovery rangers have a huge impact on park visitors because they help visitors connect with nature and their parks.
They do this by:
- delivering education programs
- monitoring species at risk
- engaging visitors in community science
If spending your summer sharing your passion for the natural and cultural heritage of a park with visitors sounds like your dream job, then the Discovery ranger job may be the right fit for you!
This job is only available at parks with a Discovery program. Please check our Hiring Map for availability.
Park store sales clerk
Park store sales clerks provide retail and equipment rental services and process payments, often in a park store or rental building. Like gate attendants, park store clerks also provide communication between staff members, different departments, and park visitors.
If you’re passionate about park merchandise or outdoor activities like canoeing, kayaking, or stand-up paddleboarding, listen up! As a park store sales clerk, you can share your passion with park visitors, while also using your communication and administration skills.
This job is available at most parks. Please check our Hiring Map for availability.
Administrative assistant
Administrative assistants often work behind the scenes with other senior administrative staff to keep the park running – from staff schedules to balancing shifts, administrative assistants can work on a variety of tasks in the park office, gatehouse, park store, and other areas of the park.
If you love to organize and have a sharp eye for detail and correctness, this job may be a good fit for you!
This job is available at most parks. Please check our Hiring Map for availability.
Interior ranger
Want to spend your summer working in the backcountry?
We’re talking canoe-tripping, hiking with heavy backpacks, clearing trails, and other manual work.
The reward?
Seeing some of the most beautiful and behind-the-scenes places in parks! If this sounds like your ideal workday, then the interior ranger job may be a good fit for you.
This job is available at some parks. Please check our Hiring Map for availability.
Trail maintenance worker
Trail maintenance workers maintain backcountry trails and campsites by removing brush, upkeeping trail surfaces, and conducting inspections.
If you love being outside, don’t mind bugs and the occasional bad weather days, and working with your hands, this job may be a good fit for you!
This job is available at some parks. Please check our Hiring Map for availability.
Still not sure what job suits you best?
Take this quiz to figure out which Ontario Parks student summer job might be right for you!
How do I apply?
Apply for a student summer job with Ontario Parks by visiting the current job posting.
Once there, select which jobs you are interested in and which parks you would like to apply to (up to a maximum of 5 parks).
You must attach one document with your application. We recommend you attach a cover letter and resume to support the information you provide in your application. The cover letter and resume document you attach should not exceed five (5) pages combined.
We recommend stating in your cover letter the following information:
- which parks you are interested in (up to a maximum of 5)
- which jobs you are interested in
- which parks you require staff housing for
- which parks you live within commuting distance of
To learn more about the application process for student summer jobs with Ontario Parks and to get tips to improve your application, visit the Summer Employment Opportunities webpage and the Ontario Parks Careers webpage.
Please note that multiple applications will result in only the most recent submission being considered.
Have more questions?
Book a one-on-one virtual meeting with Ontario Parks staff!
Our staff come from a variety of departments, with experience in enforcement, administration, the Discovery program, and park management.
During your informal 15-minute chat, you can ask questions on navigating the application process.
This is also your chance to get the scoop on what it’s like working and living in a park from staff who have been there.
Applications for the 2025 season are currently open!
Wondering what could come next in your career? Visit our careers page to find out where a student summer job with Ontario Parks can lead you.
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We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful, and equitable workplace. We invite 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 website 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.