Seagull Canoe Outfitters Job Description

*What will it be like to live and work in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota? This will help you get a glimpse into life as a Seagull Canoe Outfitter employee and what will be expected of you if you are hired.

Seagull Canoe Outfitters

12208 Gunflint Trail

Grand Marais, MN 55604

Phone: 218-388-2216

Fax: 218-388-9431

Email: seagull@seagulloutfitters.com

Website: www.seagulloutfitters.com

Seagull Canoe Outfitters is looking for students to work in our canoe outfitting business and resort on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park. We are located on the end of the Gunflint Trail on Seagull Lake near the Ontario border. We are located 55 miles from the harbor town of Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Seagull Outfitters has the reputation of being one of the very best outfitters in the Canoe Country. We are looking for energetic, positive, enthusiastic, and well-groomed students to assume responsibility in the roles of store clerks, shuttle van drivers, shuttle boat drivers, cabin cleaners, and general outfitting workers.

In the past, employees have been interested in the outdoors and active in outdoor activities. The lifestyle on the Gunflint Trail is going to be quite different from that of the college atmosphere. You should be prepared for this and if you enjoy being outdoors, fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, reading and exploring, you will find plenty to do during your off time. So if you think that this description fits your idea of fun, we invite you to apply.

We are open May through September and try to hire those who can be with us the longest period. Our starting salary is $1400 per month and we provide the housing and utilities.

During the fall of 2004 and spring of 2005, we added a wonderful new staff housing development right on our property that will only leave you a three minute walk down to the outfitting building where we work. This building is designed to hold a maximum of 10 staff members. The staff building is split directly in half so that the living/common area is separated from the sleeping quarters.

The common area is the living room and dining room, kitchen and bathrooms. This is a very spacious area where staff members will most likely hang out and talk when not working, and watch a movie or play cards. And of course the kitchen area is also very spacious with an island counter in the middle, plenty of counter space along the walls and a sit up kitchen bar. When you see the pictures online you will grasp a better understanding. There are also 3 full size refrigerator/freezers and one large deep freezer for all of the staff to share. As you may have guessed, you do provide your own food, so prepare for that. Many of the staff members will choose to prepare their meals and eat together. This is often easier than everyone preparing their own separate dinner. You will want to be prepared to cook your own meals though, as this is your responsibility. There are two bathrooms and they are nice and big with toilet, sink and shower in each one.

The common area has a phone with local phone service. You can use a calling card for long distance calls back home. The phone also has voice mail so that friends and family members can call you and leave messages if you miss their call.  This will be something that the staff members will share and will have to work out amongst themselves. Remember, you will still have to use a calling card, but it will be much better then having to sit at the pay phone outside the store while fending off the mosquitoes which was the way it has worked in previous years.  This option will still be available if you have to use the phone at any certain time. More information about this can be given during your interview and once you are hired.  Cell phones unfortunately do NOT work in our area.  Depending on your server, they will work on a day off in our local town of Grand Marais, 55 miles away. In addition, staff have access to wireless satellite internet down in our store area.  If you have a laptop, bring it as it will allow you to stay connected with friends, family and the world.  Since only satellite internet is avaialble in our area, this cannot be used to download movies like netflicks.  The system won't handle it.

The other half of the staff building is split up in to six separate dorm-like rooms. They all have their individual doors that are accessed from the outside so to provide you with plenty of privacy if you so choose. The dorm rooms will have a set of bunk beds, two dressers and a desk, much like a dorm room in college. This is mainly the area you will spend sleeping and reading if you wish. Otherwise, the commons area will provide you the opportunity to socialize with the rest of the staff members if you choose. The dorms are designed for two people per room, and that will be figured out upon arrival in the spring.

That pretty much does it for the staff quarters. It is a beautiful new building and all of your cooking utensils, pots and pans and plates, etc. will be provided. There is a stove/oven and a microwave with a couple of toasters for your cooking. All of the dishes are provided, but you will be responsible for your own food. We expect that you will treat it with care and respect the property.

The staff schedule is six eight hour days per week with some staff starting at 6:30 AM and some coming on at 10:30 AM to work until we close the store at 7:00 PM.  We post a 2 week schedule which allows you to plan for friends or family visiting as well as allowing you to enjoy a day off with another staff person. 

For those who are outdoorsman and enjoy fishing, there is a staff boat that we provide for staff to use during their off hours. You will be responsible for the gas for the boat, but otherwise you will have the opportunity to use it for your fishing needs. This boat is shared between all of the staff members, so you will be expected to be courteous and first ask everyone else on staff if they have any conflicting plans. This is a wonderful way for you to get out and experience some of the world class fishing that the Boundary Waters and especially Seagull Lake has to offer.

Also available during your off time is access to our fleet of canoes, tents, sleeping bags, Duluth packs and all other camping equipment. To help encourage you to get out and be active on your days off, we offer this to all staff members because it is important to know the area you work in and talk about day after day. We do ask that before you come back to work following your day off, you must clean the equipment that you use. This has seemed fair to past employees and has worked well for all involved. We want you to be active and enjoy your time here. More detailed information will be provided upon your hiring.

Our staff have typically been runners, mt. bikers, fishermen/women, and generally well adapted to a quiet lifestyle without TV and radio. Town is 55 miles, one way so trips there are usually for groceries and a pizza fix.

We hire folks for store clerking, packing up outfitting food and gear, launch boat drivers, shuttle van drivers, and general work. We do a lot of cleaning packs, tents, bunkhouse rooms, cabins on Saturdays, boats, canoes, vehicles, etc. Some staff fall into a particular job (especially store clerks) but most do a little bit of everything. No special skills are needed but we give serious consideration to those with a proven work history and a positive attitude towards work and life.

We work hard at Seagull which is why we have one of the highest percentages of repeat and referral customers in the outfitting industry. Our customers mean everything to us and we pay very close attention to the way they are taken care of while with us here at Seagull. We expect that you will be willing to do the same if hired to work with us. We are very particular about the way our facilities and equipment look to our guests so you should be comfortable with that concept. We also have a lot of fun and many of our staff return for a number of years while in college and even afterwards. It is a unique place to work, live, and play. We invite you to join us.

Interested students should download the application that is found on our website and fill it out and email it back to us. You can also print the application out, fill it out and mail it to us as well. Whichever you prefer is fine with us. Don't delay, we are hiring NOW and generally hire on a first come, first served basis based on our staffing needs. Thanks for your interest.

Deb & Dave

Seagull Outfitters