Spring Thaw
A weekend writing retreat in Ontario
Wildflower bush in front of a purple wall.
Longing for a weekend of writing, laughing and lake-gazing?
This is a weekend for folks who want to escape the city, snip the ties on their responsibilities and create some beautiful, focused time to write. We’ll gather at a barrier-free, 600-acre property in the deep woods — eight participants and two facilitators — and we’ll write. In silence and in laughter, in circles and all alone, we’ll find words and sentences to move our stories out into the world.
Participants may have projects on the go, or may simply arrive with big open hearts and the desire to create.
Here’s how it works:
We’ll start this experience with a pre-retreat workshop on Zoom to start the sweet work of building community. We’ll get to know each other, talk through the details of the weekend, and start writing.
Then we’ll gather on a Friday afternoon between 3:30-5pm to start slowing down and transitioning out of our usual lives, into something softer. We’ll have a big group meal that evening, and then a workshop to help us land.
Our time from there will be a mix of writing workshops, group meals, free time, with luxurious silent writing periods on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. We’ll wrap up on Sunday after lunch, between 1-2pm.
To help create a community of care (and because we all know the real party is in the kitchen), each participant will be asked to help plan, bring, and prep one meal for the group. We'll distribute all food restrictions and sensitivities beforehand to make sure everyone will be able to enjoy what we make. We’ll take everyone’s “kitchen comfort levels” into account — if you just want to chop carrots and wash dishes, that’s wonderful.
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Are excited by the idea of quiet time, heart connection, and creative self-reflection.
Want to share their ideas and their writing with others.
Appreciate communal atmospheres and feel drawn to forming connections with others. (That said, this is an introvert-friendly space, and there will be lots of time to do your own thing.)
Want to know where their writing will go if they eliminate distractions and just keep writing.
Are craving some time away from social media and buzzing telephones.
Feel aligned with our fundamental beliefs.
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Might prefer to go to a spa. This retreat will involve focused writing and lots of introspection, as well as helping out with some meal preparation and cleanup. This isn’t a space to be catered to; it’s a space to actively co-create.
Are working on a writing project they’re not motivated by, like something for work. This retreat is built on the love of words, and tapping into the heart of our writing processes.
Believe that their writing can only thrive in a critical writing environment. We believe that writing flourishes with heavy doses of kindness and support.
Don’t want to share their work with others. There will be lots of opportunities to share, and while it’s totally fine to pass from time to time, we’re looking for participants who are excited by sharing, even when it’s a little squirmy.
Honestly can’t go a day without checking Twitter.
Where we’ll be:
On June 7 to 9, Chris & Mari will be leading a retreat at Sumac Centre — a barrier-free, 600-acre property in the deep woods north of Kingston, Ontario. You can find it on a map here. It’s remote enough to be incredibly quiet, with private lakes and many trails to explore, starry skies, and lots of opportunity for wildlife sightings. There will be a mix of shared and solo rooms with semi-private bathrooms and lots of common spaces, including a meditation room and two screened-in porches.
Read about accessibility features at this venue.
Read the Healthcare Harm Reduction Policy for the retreat.
Details:
Friday June 7 – Sunday June 9
Plus a pre-retreat session via Zoom on Monday June 3, 7–9:30pm
With Chris & Mari at Sumac Centre
To make transit easy and sweet, we’d be happy to connect those wanting to carpool so you can coordinate rides together.
Chris
Mari
Prices:
The total price for this retreat is:
$795 for a bed in a room shared with one other person. These are twin beds. When you sign up, you’ll be asked for a $195 deposit for this option.
$895 for a bed in a private room. When you sign up, you’ll be asked for a $295 deposit for this option.
For full transparency, we make our retreat budget and balance sheet available.
Your payment will be separated into two parts:
Registration deposit, which covers a portion of the creative writing facilitation, payable to Firefly to confirm your spot.
Balance payment, which covers the balance of the creative writing facilitation plus accommodations, payable to our travel agent partner Joseph Machado at Merit Travel once your registration has been confirmed.
All new in-person retreat participants will have a chat on the phone with one of the facilitators before their registration is final. We like connecting to make sure it’s the right fit.
Once your registration has been confirmed, in compliance with TICO regulation, our travel agent partner Joseph at Merit Travel will contact you for the balance of the payment ($600 plus applicable taxes).
Wendy Reis, Merit Travel
1-866-341-1777, extension 5320
wreis@merittravel.com
TICO registration #4499356
If the price is a barrier, don't hesitate to apply for financial aid.
See our financial policies.
Sign Up Here:
Questions?
There’s an FAQ with loads more info.