Summer Student - Parks & Roads

Town of Oakville; Oakville; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A municipal government organization in Oakville is looking for part-time summer students for various duties related to parks and maintenance operations. Responsibilities include grounds maintenance, assisting with horticultural displays, and working in urban forestry or harbours. Applicants must be full-time students for September 2026 and hold a valid Ontario G2 license. This position offers valuable experience in municipal services and a chance to work outdoors during the summer.

Qualifications

• Valid and unrestricted Ontario Driver’s Licence Class G2 required.
• Ability to understand and follow verbal and written instructions.
• Experience in parks operations and/or maintenance is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Perform daily grounds maintenance in parks and urban areas.
• Assist with general maintenance in harbours and sports fields.
• Participate in horticultural maintenance and urban forestry tasks.

Skills

Customer service skills

Ability to work in varying weather conditions

Good interpersonal skills

Education

Post-secondary full-time student status for September 2026

Job description

Job Details

Part-Time (Non-UnionT)

Posting Status

Open to all current Town of Oakville employees and external applicants

Duration

Approximately four (4) months. Applicants are expected to fulfill the entire contract period, commencing May 4, 2026 and ending September 4, 2026.

Orientation & Training

All successful applicants are required to complete mandatory orientation modules and attend a mandatory in‑person driver training session on Saturday April 11, 2026 or Saturday April 25, 2025, prior to the commencement of employment.

Closing Date

Applications for this position must be received at oakville.ca by no later than 11:59 pm on January 31, 2026.

Summer student positions are responsible for various duties related to the Town’s Parks and Open Spaces and Roads and Works departments. Applicants may be hired to work in the areas listed below. Preferences for job assignment will be requested and taken into consideration, however, there is no guarantee that applicants will be assigned to their preferred job or that assignments will not change over the summer based on operational need.

Job Responsibilities

Cemetery Services

Cemetery maintenance including daily grounds maintenance, marker installations and assisting with interments.

Harbours

General maintenance of harbour areas including dock installations and repairs, launching of boats, waste tank pump‑outs, etc.

Horticulture

Horticultural maintenance, planting and maintenance of horticultural displays.

Sportsfields

Sports field maintenance including daily maintenance, inspections and repairs.

Environmental Services (Sanitation)

Daily waste collection in parks Town-wide. Opening/closing and cleaning of park washrooms.

Technical Services

Inspection or repair of playgrounds and trails. Assist staff with special event setup. Litter, brush and garbage control and pick‑up.

Turf

Involved with all aspects of the daily grass cutting town wide.

Urban Forestry

Involves the watering, pruning, removing, planting, mulching, weeding, staking and de‑staking, and maintaining young trees on a scheduled basis.

Works Operations

• Assists staff with basic roads and works maintenance operations;
• Performs safe and efficient operation, care and maintenance of tools, equipment and vehicles as required;
• Picks up debris and litter from roadsides, creeks, parking lots, etc;
• Hand shovels hot/cold asphalt; rough rakes; sweeps and cleans up for asphalt repair;
• Prepares ground by hand digging, raking and laying sod;
• Collects leaves, limbs and brush; rakes and cleans up areas;
• Hand digs and back fills where necessary for storm sewer, catch basin and manhole repairs and assists in the placement of pipe, manholes and catch basins.

Fleet Operations

• Assist mechanics with maintenance of equipment;
• Sharpen lawn mower blades;
• Clean shop i.e. sweep and wash mechanic bay floors;
• Pick up and rope off vehicles at local dealerships;
• Power wash equipment;
• Drive to vendors to pick up parts for stores.

Qualifications

All applicants must provide confirmation of post‑secondary full time student status for September 2026 and/or acceptance into full time studies in September 2026.

• All applicants selected for an interview will be required to hand in two professional reference contacts at the interview.
• A valid and unrestricted Ontario Driver’s Licence Class G2 required (Ontario Driver’s Licence Class G preferred) with a driving record that demonstrates responsible and safe driving behaviour. Note: Applicants with 6 or more points are ineligible for consideration. Successful applicants will be required to provide the Corporation with a copy of their drivers licence and all new hires will be required to pass a Town administered road test as a condition of employment.
• Ability to deal with the public courteously and effectively.
• Ability to understand and carry out verbal and written instructions.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Any experience in parks operations and/or maintenance will definitely be an asset.
• Ability and willingness to work in varying weather conditions.
• Willingness and ability to work shifts, weekends, in addition to having the flexibility to work to weekly schedules and to take on additional workload as required.

Note: Work is performed in varying weather conditions, successful applicants will be required to provide their own green patch work boots and raingear.

DATED: December 1, 2025

The town’s recruitment software includes elements of artificial intelligence to assist in the screening and short‑listing of qualified candidates.

This job profile reflects the general requirements necessary to perform the principal functions of the job. This does not include all of the work requirements of the job. Applicants are required to demonstrate through their application and in the interview process that their qualifications match those specified. Applicants may also be required to undergo testing.

We thank all applicants and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.