• Your bedroom will be completely private with a door that fully closes. It will have a bed and a desk with a lamp on it. There will also be a place for you to hang your clothes and store your belongings.

• Your homestay host will respect your privacy and will not go into your bedroom without permission, unless it is absolutely necessary.

• Students should clean their room and empty the garbage at least once a week.

• Your homestay family will give you items like hand soap, towels, pillows, bed sheets, etc. Most students will have to change their own sheets.

• Students should not leave a lot of money in their room. It is very easy to open a bank account in Canada.

• Please do not eat or store food in your bedroom as this may attract insects and cause a bad smell.

• Please advise your Host Family of any food allergies.

• It is important to tell your hosts the foods that you like, and the foods that you don’t like. Do not worry; they will not be upset to hear that there is something that you do not like. But you must keep in mind that hosts will cook Canadian style food.

• Students usually prepare their own breakfast and lunch. Your Host Family will provide you with food to prepare your lunch; you can take your lunch to school on weekdays. Canadian lunch is usually sandwiches, a fruit and a drink.

• Food between meal times is considered snacks. If your family is enjoying a snack together, then they will include you.

• Students may also wish to purchase specialty foods/brand name items at their own expense.

• In North America, the biggest meal of the day is the evening meal. This should be a well- balanced meal. Breakfast is the smallest meal. Possible breakfast choices are: cereal, toast, eggs, fruit, etc.,

• You should phone your host (by a set agreed upon time, for example, 5:00) to tell them if you are not going to be home for dinner. If you come home late for dinner, your host will leave food in the fridge that you can heat up in the microwave.

• Laundry and laundry detergent is included in the price for homestay.

• Students are responsible for washing their own clothes. You should make sure that you fully understand how to use the machine.

• Some hosts may feel that their machine may be difficult to use and will therefore want to do it themselves.

• It is normal for students to do their laundry once a week.

• You should only do the laundry if you can do a full basket. This is because it takes a lot of electricity to run the washing machine. Hosts will not want you to use it if you only have a few pieces of clothes to wash.

• If your host lives in an apartment building and there is only coin laundry available, your host will pay for your laundry. You should not be charged for using laundry facilities.

• Students are responsible for their own toiletries such as: bath soap, toothpaste, shampoo, make-up, lotions, deodorant, etc.,

• Many families in Canada do not have large hot water tanks; therefore, some hosts may ask you to take showers for no longer than 15 – 20 minutes. This is because you might run out of hot water and will have to wait for the water to heat up again.

• Water pressure or temperature may decrease if the dishwasher or the washing machine is running. For this reason, it may be necessary to schedule when you will take your baths or showers.

• Please make sure you close the shower door or curtain to prevent water getting on the floor. Canadian bathrooms do not have drains in the floor.

• For safety reasons, please dry the floor and sink area after every use so that others will not slip as the floor can get very slippery.

• It is common for most houses in North America to take part in an energy conservation program.

• Here are some common ways to save energy:

• Turn lights out when you are not in a room

• Wear long sleeve clothing or sweaters in the home during winter time

• Keep showers to a reasonable length (15 – 20 minutes as a maximum)

• Hosts keep the temperature of their home at a reasonable level during the winter time.

• Most families in Toronto recycle – hosts may have separate places to put paper, tin cans, and plastic items. Your host will explain this to you after you arrive.

You will get a key to your Homestay house. It is important that you take special care of the house key as it is a means of getting into the house and your host trusts you with it. Please make sure you lock the door when you leave the home. This is very important for safety reasons.

If you wish to invite a guest to visit your Homestay, you must have your hosts give permission in advance. Guests are not permitted to sleep overnight in Homestay without permission from the host. If you plan to stay away from the house overnight then please inform your host at a reasonable hour so that they will not expect you.

It is very common in Canada for rooms to be in the basement of the house. Canadians feel that the basement is another usable space in the house. It is common to have bedrooms and family room in basements. Basements are often cooler which is very nice in the summer season.

Toronto’s public transportation system, the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission), is safe, reliable, and widely used by students across the city. The TTC includes subways, buses, and streetcars. PRESTO cards are used to pay fares and can be purchased at subway stations or Shoppers Drug Mart locations.

OISE, where you will have your classes, is very well connected to Toronto’s public transit network. The OISE building is located directly above St. George Subway Station, allowing you to access the school directly from the station without needing to go outside. This makes travelling to and from school easy and convenient in all weather conditions.

Many local buses also stop nearby on Bloor Street and Harbord Street, providing easy access to different areas of Toronto and the University of Toronto campus.

PRESS HERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE LOCATION OF YOUR CLASSES (OISE) & HOW TO GET THERE

If you would like to request a change of homestay, please follow these steps:

1. Speak with your Group Leader, Activity Leader about the issue as soon as possible.

2. Clearly explain the reason for your request and any concerns you may have.

3. Program Staff will review the situation and contact you with the next steps.

Smoking/Vaping

For health, hygiene and fire safety reasons, smoking/vaping is not permitted in homestays. You must smoke outdoors only.

Alcohol

You must be 19 years old to consume alcohol in Toronto, Ontario. Therefore, all TAP students are not permitted to consume alcohol at anytime during their time in Toronto, this includes while in your Homestay.