🌿 The Gloria Berger Healing Haven

As I spoke with my friend about the future of the land, one vision returned to me again and again: this place could become The Gloria Berger Healing Haven, in memory of my mother. Perhaps the most meaningful way to honor her life is by creating a sanctuary where countless others may find what she embodied — safety, renewal,and love.

The land itself is already extraordinary — 185 acres of forest, river, waterfall, trails, and secluded beauty, bordered by crown land yet close to Parry Sound. It could be a world-class destination for those seeking deeper healing. But more than that, it could be a living memorial, a place where love, compassion, and community thrive.

The goal is to make this haven as beautiful as possible, because true healing and deep rest bloom in environments that are as natural, harmonious, and life-giving as the nature that surrounds them.

Our vision is cozy and warm spaces.

The long-term goal is to place the land into a trust, so it will remain a protected healing center for generations to come.

We are envisioning the creation of a 3,000-square-foot True North Log Home lodge, which we hope to begin building in the spring of 2026. This lodge will serve as the central hub for community meals, workshops, and gatherings. We plan to add saunas and hot tubs as soon as possible, making the land a true haven for healing and renewal in every season.

Healing Lounge ~ always warm and cozy

🌟 A Model for Generations

The Gloria Berger Nature Haven could stand as a beacon: proof that when people come together with love, vision, and shared purpose, they can transform a piece of land into a sanctuary that heals lives and inspires the world.

Back field, beaver pond, stunning forest, 2300 feet of river frontage, surrounded by Crown Land

🌳 Forest & Breath — Come Breathe It In

Two-thirds of this land is forest — a living, breathing medicine. Through transpiration, trees release water vapor into the air; a single mature tree can give off tens to over a hundred litres of water a day (amount varies by species, size, and weather), and the whole forest together cools and moisturizes the air, creating a restorative microclimate. At the same time trees produce oxygen through photosynthesis, helping to freshen and purify the air you breathe. Come — breathe it in. The forest itself is one of the most healing modalities we offer.

🌍 True Community

True community isn’t just people living side by side — it’s people united by a common purpose. At Healing Havens, that purpose is simple and profound: to create spaces where one can stay as long as they wish, embraced in safety, love, and dignity.

We imagine havens that feel like a five-star spa for the soul — where rest, nourishment, and renewal flow freely, and where every person knows they belong. This shared vision is what binds us together and makes Healing Havens more than an idea — it’s the seed of true community taking root.

🌟 Some of What You Will Experience

🌿 Healing & Renewal

• Sound healing, reiki, essential oils, mineral baths, sadhu boards

• Cold plunges, sauna, breathwork, yoga, meditation, journaling, rest

• Various types of bodywork and one-on-one consultations

🔥 Connection & Conversation

• Fireside chats exploring personal and interpersonal issues, passions, and dreams

• One-on-one counseling in a safe and supportive environment

🌲 Nature & Movement

• Hiking, canoeing, swimming, snowshoeing, star gazing

• Strength training, soccer, frisbee, rebounding

• Nature observation and grounding/earthing practices

• Time with horses

🎶 Expression & Creativity

• Storytelling, talent sharing, ecstatic dance, campfires, singing

• Art projects, movie making, and movie nights

🌱 Community & Service

• Spiritual teachings and wisdom sharing

• Beautification projects: gardening, landscaping, firewood gathering, trail making

• Helping locals and giving back to the wider community

🥗 Nourishment

We recognize that healing happens not only in the mind and spirit, but also in the body. One of the greatest gifts we offer is healthy, home-cooked meals prepared with love and care.

Nutritious food restores energy, balances the nervous system, and supports the body’s natural ability to repair and renew. Just as importantly, it removes a burden that weighs heavily on many people’s daily lives — shopping, cooking, and preparing meals. When that responsibility is lifted, guests can finally exhale, letting go of the endless “what’s next?” cycle that so often keeps them from resting deeply.

🌙 The Gift of Deep Sleep

Everything we do is designed to guide you toward one of life’s most powerful medicines:

peaceful, restorative sleep. From nourishing meals to time in nature, from breathwork and movement practices to the soothing rhythm of fireside connection — every element works together to help your nervous system unwind and settle.

When the body is able to drop into deep rest, the mind quiets, stress hormones release, and the body shifts into repair mode. Memories are integrated, the immune system strengthens, and energy is replenished.

So often, people struggle to sleep because they are surrounded by noise, stress, and daily triggers. Here, wrapped in the stillness of forest and sky, you can finally let go. The air is pure, the nights are dark and quiet, and the land itself seems to cradle you.

In many ways, everything we offer — community, nourishment, connection, nature — is

simply preparing you for this: the chance to sleep deeply, peacefully, and without worry.

🌞 Feel Good Hormones

Here, hormones work in harmony — nature, movement, community, and purpose combine to create a balanced and deeply fulfilling inner state.

Serotonin (happiness & satisfaction): Flows when you accomplish meaningful tasks —

planting a garden, gathering firewood, cooking a nourishing meal, building a firepit or simply watching the stars. The sense of accomplishment is tied to community and nature.

Dopamine (reward & motivation): Comes not from endless scrolling or consumer purchases, but from learning a new skill, finishing a trail, sharing a song around the fire, or contributing to beautification projects.

Oxytocin (love & connection): Rises naturally through authentic conversations, shared

meals, and safe spaces where people feel truly seen and supported.

Endorphins (joy & pain relief): Released through dance, laughter, hiking, cold plunges, or that glowing warmth after sitting in the sauna.

🌟 Calling the Guardians

We are seeking Guardians — those who feel called to see this vision grow and expand into something truly world-changing. Guardians are not just participants; they are the heartbeat of this movement.

Becoming a Guardian is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to co-create something extraordinary. Guardians will be remembered as the first circle of visionaries — the ones who believed in the dream and helped bring it into being. This is more than joining a project; it’s stepping into a living story where everyone finds their role and contributes to a shared vision of healing, beauty, and community.

Together, our Guardians are shaping a legacy — not just for this generation, but for all who will come to rest, heal, and find themselves on this sacred land.

Join us, and let this be the beginning of your legacy — a legacy of compassion, community, and transformation.

Gloria Berger was a truly beautiful woman who embraced the divine feminne so beautifullly. In a sense, the land has always needed the divine feminine. Well, this world truly needs the divine feminine ~ healing arises naturally when we are embraced by the Divine Feminine, and this haven I envision will be a living example of that truth — a sanctuary of softness, nurture, and renewal.

🔥 Fire as Healing & Transformation

Fire has always been at the center of human life — a source of warmth, light, and protection. But beyond its practical gifts, fire holds a deeper medicine: it is a mirror of transformation. Watching flames dance, we are reminded that what seems solid can be released, reshaped, and turned into light and heat.

Here, on this 185 acres of nature, fire is woven into the rhythm of our days. The simple act of gathering firewood from the forest is itself a healing ritual. Each piece of wood carried to the hearth

Chiminea on porch of bunkie by the falls

is a reminder of our connection with the earth, of the cycles of giving and receiving.

Then, as we build the fire with our own hands, we see creation come alive before us — the spark, the flame, the warmth spreading outward.

Fire teaches us presence. It requires tending, patience, and care. Sitting by the fire, we can let go of what no longer serves us, symbolically offering it to the flames, and at the same time receive back clarity, energy, and renewal. It is a place of gathering, of storytelling, of quiet reflection — where community bonds deepen and individual hearts are restored.

To work with fire is to work with transformation itself. And here, fire is not just part of survival — it is part of healing.

Our neighbors have a goat farm who love visitors.

Reconnect with that sense of adventure

Every day is an adventure ~ with 185 acres to explore, rivers to paddle, Crown Land to adventue on, wood to collect, stories to tell, we reconnect with and learn to follow our spirit moment to moment. Joy is like a pearl necklace that runs throughout our days.

🌙 The Gift of True Rest

Rest is not a luxury — it is essential for healing. Yet in our modern world, true rest is rare. Even our weekends, our so-called “days off,” are often filled with errands, screens, and distractions that keep us from ever dropping fully into peace. Our traditions remind us that Sabbaths are meant to be days of rest, but few people ever taste what a true Sabbath rest feels like.

At Healing Havens, this is the essence of what we do: we help people rediscover rest. On

the land, you can find your perfect rest spot — whether it’s a hammock under the trees, a fireside chair, a bed in the lodge, or a quiet patch of moss by the river. Each space is designed to cradle you, allowing your nervous system to finally let go of survival mode.

When the body and mind release their grip on constant doing, a new state emerges — a deeper self that is nourished, whole, and ready to step into transformation. Rest becomes the soil where new life grows. And in that stillness, you discover that you are not just surviving anymore — you are becoming.

🌱 A Vision for the Front Field

When I saw a recent aerial photograph of the front field — now mostly covered in weedy grass and difficult to walk through — I was reminded of the vision I have carried for it. In my mind, this field has always been so much more: a vibrant, living landscape where beauty, purpose, and community come alive.

Perhaps this is the perfect place to begin. We can start working on this project together — shaping the land into something both functional and healing. Whoever feels inspired to join is warmly invited to come up. We’ll clear, plant, create, and dream, side by side.

With 2,300 feet of river frontage that has hardly been used, we envision creating campsites by the water — peaceful places for guests to camp, reflect, and fall asleep to the sound of flowing water. These riverside campsites will give everyone who comes here a direct experience of nature’s healing rhythm.

🌙 If you feel that quiet yes inside, it may be the land calling you home. Every great movement begins with a few who listen deeply and say, “I’m in.”

You are invited to become a Guardian — to walk with us, dream with us, and help this vision bloom.