Tech firm helps find isolation accommodations
Backpacker College’s platform is being used by foreign students, agricultural and front-line workers
KITCHENER—With leisure travel on a pandemic pause, accommodation marketplace Backpacker College has turned its attention to helping others in need of an affordable place to stay.
The Kitchener tech firm is working to connect farmers and processors with accommodations that can be used by temporary foreign workers required to isolate for two weeks upon arriving in Canada.
The private, furnished rooms or apartments, many equipped with kitchens, are typically a cheaper option for employers than hotels. They allow newcomers to spend their isolation period away from co-workers already living in seasonal accommodations.
In Ontario, short-term rentals for leisure travellers or parties are currently banned, but exceptions are being made for those in need of housing.
Along with finding available space in university and college residences (many of which are currently closed), Backpacker College partners with sites including Expedia, Airbnb and Booking.com to find accommodations near campuses across Canada. Accommodation providers pay a fee when a guest books a room.
When the pandemic struck, “we looked at this as a challenge and an opportunity,” said president and chief executive officer Rob Evans. “Who still needs rooms, and how can we help the situation?”
The platform has been used by front-line workers looking for an alternative to home during the crisis, and by foreign students still in Canada who suddenly found themselves homeless as residences closed.
Evans became aware of the need in the agricultural sector in speaking with an acquaintance whose family has a large farming operation in southwestern Ontario. Employers are often booking rooms for a month to ensure flexibility.
Keith Robbins, general manager of Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, said Backpacker College provides his members with options if they need to isolate new workers on arrival, or if workers need to isolate in the future.
Backpacker staff help to arrange the rooms and co-ordinate accommodation details. “This allows choices and options for our 350 growers who produce a number of vegetable crops for processing. It was great that they reached out to us to offer their assistance and help,” Robbins said in an email.