I think it would be very interesting to host international students for a homestay. My parents hosted students from -what was it- China and Japan? It was after I left the house, but being that our home was a 2 minute walk to school (which you could see from the kitchen window) it was super convenient for them. They provided most meals, did laundry, drove them around sometimes when the bus service didn't connect or another homestay parent wasn't able to carpool. Overall I think it was a pretty good deal and experiences for both host and students. Certainly not without its cultural differences, or the odd misunderstanding here and there. But by and large I remember all three students they hosted, one of which attended my wedding in 1996, and I know they learned a lot about us -our day to day life, and our celebrations- while here.

I feel like this may be a good idea for us to look into, especially in that my partner speaks fluent Polish and understands limited Italian. Be better if we knew Asian languages, but certainly there are students from all areas of Europe and elsewhere that are interested in coming to Canada. In fact I was searching and there's not only a big range of nationalities but ages as well. Anywhere from teenagers up to late 30s -young families, wanting to explore other countries. THAT'S kind of cool, and ballsy!! You have to figure it would be cheaper for them to travel this way as opposed to getting a hotel. Perhaps that's part of the allure.

I found one particular homestay in another province that's been run for multiple generations. Since the 50s the house has invited international students to live there. The kids were raised alongside this constant influx of people, varying cultures, always learning about other countries. Kind of cool, I think- not for everyone of course. But it all depends on how you had it set up- are they private self contained suites? How long is their stay? What are their needs? Yada yada yada. On average sounds like compensation is roughly 700 bucks a month room and board. Looks roughly consistent across Canada- some larger cities with higher rents may be a bit more. The young family I noted above was willing to pay 1200/mo for a short term 4 month stay.

Something to think about, certainly. I think it would be interesting to at least try once.