We're hiring for a Sustainable Tourism Coordinator

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Location: Toronto, ON with on-trip travel to provincial and national parks

‍Employment Type: Full-time, summer contract (Canada Summer Jobs funded)

‍Dates: July 6, 2026 – August 28, 2026 (8 weeks)

‍Hours: 35 hours per week

‍Wage: $20.00/hour

‍Reports to: Chief Operations Officer

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About Parkbus

Parkbus is a Canadian social enterprise that has been connecting urban residents with nature since 2010. We operate eco-friendly bus services from city centres to provincial and national parks across six provinces, from Halifax to Vancouver. Over 15 years, we've served more than 120,000 passengers across 6,000+ trips while maintaining a 99% customer satisfaction rating.

In 2026, Parkbus is undertaking an expanded mandate through a formal partnership with VIA Rail Canada and Parks Canada as part of the Canada Strong initiative. Under a signed Memorandum of Understanding, we'll be providing sustainable transportation to national parks during the period when park entry fees are waived — ensuring Canadians from all backgrounds can take part in this national celebration of our natural heritage.

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About the Role

Under the mentorship and direct on-site supervision of our Chief Operations Officer, the Sustainable Tourism Coordinator will play a hands-on role in the national rollout of the Canada Strong Pass program. This program provides subsidized access to Canada's natural spaces for youth and underserved communities facing barriers to outdoor recreation.

This is a great fit for someone who wants real-world experience in sustainable tourism, community engagement, and operations — while spending part of their summer in some of Canada's most beautiful parks.

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What You'll Do

This role is split between weekend trip guiding and weekday office work. Most weekends you'll be out in the parks; weekdays you'll be supporting the program from our Toronto base.

On the trips (weekends):

• Guide groups of up to 54 passengers (full coach bus) on day and overnight trips from Toronto to provincial and national parks
• Lead the on-bus experience and on-site activities, keeping participants safe, informed, and engaged from pickup to drop-off
• Capture high-quality photos and video throughout each trip for use in Parkbus marketing, social media, and impact reporting
• Document each experience — trip notes, participant feedback, incidents, and highlights — to support program reporting and continuous improvement
• Act as the face of Parkbus for first-time visitors, newcomers, and youth facing barriers, helping them feel welcome and confident in the outdoors

In the office (weekdays):

• Coordinate the development and packaging of sustainable tourism experiences across Canada
• Conduct community outreach to non-profit organizations, Indigenous community groups, newcomer settlement agencies, disability service organizations, and youth-serving organizations to distribute subsidized trip opportunities
• Build and maintain relationships with provincial park authorities and Parks Canada representatives across the country
• Support targeted outreach to ensure youth facing barriers — including Indigenous youth, newcomers, youth with disabilities, visible minorities, and those from low-income households — can access Canada's parks this summer
• Assist with administrative coordination, program documentation, data tracking, and impact reporting

Must-haves for this role:

• Prior outdoor experience (hiking, camping, guiding, outdoor education, or equivalent) — this is not a role to learn the outdoors from scratch
• Comfort leading and speaking in front of large groups (up to 54 people)
• Valid Standard First Aid & CPR-C certification (or willingness to obtain prior to start date)
• Strong photography skills and an eye for capturing authentic moments
• Weekend availability throughout July and August

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Typical Week

One trip day per weekend (14–15 hours in the field, depending on destination), 10–12 hours creating content and social posts from the trip, and the remainder on outreach, admin, and program coordination. Total: 35 hours per week.

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What You'll Learn

You'll develop transferable skills that matter for any career path:

• Professional written and verbal communication
• Project coordination and time management
• Stakeholder relationship building
• Logistics and operations planning
• Community engagement strategies
• Database management and administrative systems
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Teamwork and collaboration

You'll also gain specialized knowledge in sustainable tourism, environmental stewardship, non-profit operations, and Canada's parks system.

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Mentorship & Professional Development

You'll receive weekly one-on-one mentorship with our COO, who brings over five years of supervisory and mentoring experience. Mentorship includes:

• Career guidance and professional goal-setting
• Skills development coaching
• Access to industry learning materials
• Introductions to professional networks in tourism, conservation, and community development
• Resume development, interview prep, and career pathway exploration

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Who We're Looking For

• Preferred education: College diploma or Bachelor's degree (or working toward one)
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Comfortable engaging with diverse community groups
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to juggle multiple priorities
• Enthusiasm for the outdoors, sustainable tourism, and Canada's parks
• Comfortable spending full days outdoors and travelling with groups

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Eligibility

This position is funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program. To be eligible, you must:

• Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of employment
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person granted refugee status in Canada
• Be legally entitled to work in Canada

Parkbus is committed to hiring youth facing barriers to employment. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous youth, newcomers to Canada, youth with disabilities, visible minorities, and young people from low-income households.

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How to Apply

Send your resume and a short cover letter (no more than one page) to help@parkbus.ca with the subject line "Sustainable Tourism Coordinator Application Toronto – [Your Name]". Apply by May 1st, 2026.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Parkbus is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to providing an inclusive, accessible recruitment process. If you require accommodation at any stage, please let us know.