CanoëFor daughters, sons and loved ones
Give your parents a patient teacher, at their home
You answer the same questions on the phone every week. You fix the printer remotely, you reset passwords during dinner. You’d love to help more, but there’s the distance, the work, and the patience wearing thin. That’s exactly why we exist.
How to gift a lesson
- Book on their behalf: in the booking form, check « I’m booking for a loved one » and leave us your contact details along with theirs.
- Or call us: we take the time to understand the need, and we handle everything, including calling your parent to introduce ourselves before the first lesson.
- The first lesson is free. If they enjoy it, the next ones have simple prices: $50, $70 or $90 depending on length, no subscription.
What your parents get out of it
- Autonomy: fewer « can you help me with… », more « look what I did »
- Safety: spotting scams, protecting their accounts and passwords
- Connection: video calls with the grandkids, shared photos, messages
- A lovely encounter: a patient student, often the same one every time, who takes the time
After each lesson, your parent keeps simple notes written just for them, not a 40-page manual.
“My parents will never go for it”: we know
It’s the most common reaction, and it rarely lasts. Our teachers don’t show up with a binder: they sit down beside your parent, listen, and start from their questions, not from a syllabus. With the first lesson free, there’s nothing to lose in trying once.
You can also join the first lesson, in person or by phone, to make the introductions. Lots of families do.
What actually happens, from the booking to the end of the lesson
- You book online using your parents’ postal code. No need for their exact address at this stage: the form shows the times still free in their neighbourhood.
- We call to confirm, and that’s when we take the address, the floor, the door code if there is one, and what is going wrong right now (the tablet, the printer, a worrying email).
- Three days before, your parent gets a reminder text with the date and time. Nothing to prepare, nothing to install.
- The lesson lasts 1 hour, 1.5 hours or 2 hours, whichever you chose. The tutor works on your parents’ own devices, not on their own.
- Payment happens at the end, in person: cash, Interac transfer or card. The first lesson costs nothing at all.
Far away? We’ll keep you posted
Living in Toronto, Paris or elsewhere? Book from afar, and tell us at booking time if you’d like a short note after the lesson. With your parent’s consent, we’re happy to write and tell you how it went.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay for the lessons remotely?
Yes, easily: mention it on the phone or in the form. And the first lesson costs nothing, for anyone.
Is there a gift certificate?
Yes: write to us and we’ll prepare a lovely certificate to give, for one lesson or several.
My parents live in a residence, do you go there?
Yes, anywhere in Montreal: at home as well as in seniors' residences.
What if it’s not for them?
No commitment: the first lesson is free precisely so they can try without pressure. If it doesn’t click, it ends there, with no fees and no follow-up calls.
What time can the tutor come?
On weekdays lessons start in the early evening, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. depending on your parents’ neighbourhood, because the tutor arrives after their own classes. On weekends we travel from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Allow at least 48 hours between booking and lesson.
How long is a lesson?
One hour, an hour and a half, or two hours. For a first lesson we suggest an hour and a half: long enough to solve a real problem without tiring the person out.
My parents speak English, is that a problem?
Not at all: lessons are given in French or in English, whichever your parent prefers.
Gift the first lesson. It costs nothing.
Book for your parent in two minutes, or call us to talk it through.