Canada’s pristine landscapes offer unparalleled transformative opportunities.
Wellness continues to be a growing trend in the incentive industry, and groups are seeking out unique activities that go beyond the average yoga or spa experience. There’s high demand for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that will inspire wellness and provide transformational immersion in nature. Canada’s diverse and distinct range of destinations offer elevated wellness options to suit the needs of any group.
Winter Wellness in Fabulous French Canada
Wellness can mean many different things for different groups — for some it can mean venturing into the great outdoors and taking on exhilarating physical challenges, while for others it can mean finding peace and tranquility through stillness and relaxation. Whatever the preferences of your team, Québec has something to entice and inspire.
Adventure-seeking groups can meet the challenge of a thrilling ice-climbing excursion at Montmorency Falls, just a 10-minute drive from Québec City. Here they can push their personal boundaries with a challenging climb up a 393-foot ice wall, with expert coaching provided by adventurers such as François Guy Thivierge, who has climbed the highest peak in each of the seven continents.
For those looking to relax after — or instead of — such excitement, the Strøm Nordic Spa offers a serene escape, situated in the heart of historic Old Québec. The spa features an infinity pool situated on the banks of the St Lawrence River, where guests can soak while they watch frozen ice sheets float down the river before them. Facilities also include North America’s largest flotation bath, which provides multiple benefits such as relaxing tension and alleviating muscle fatigue.
Whether your team is discovering their inner tenacity or cultivating their inner calm, they will leave Québec with transformative memories.
Polar Plunge in Pristine Settings
Craft an inspirational experience that invigorates your team and shows how they can accomplish things they never thought possible, amid the breathtaking scenery of Alberta’s Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The wellness journey begins at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, a 539-room luxury resort originally built as a base for outdoor enthusiasts and alpinists over 100 years ago. Set among the spectacular mountain ranges and awe-inspiring Victoria Glacier, groups can enjoy seasonal alpine cuisine and restore their inner calm at the resort’s tranquil full-service spa.
The day can begin with a sunrise paddle on the glistening emerald waters of Lake Louise, or with a yoga session on the hotel’s Lakeview Terrace, overlooking one of the most spectacular and unique locations on the planet. Afterwards, challenge your team to put their resolve to the test with an exhilarating polar plunge in the icy waters of the lake.
Participants will be taught how to manage their exposure to cold temperatures safely by a facilitator trained in the Wim Hof method, a combination of specialized breathing techniques. Polar plunges are said to have a range of health benefits including reduced stress levels and a stronger immune system.
Your team will come away from the experience having learned to go beyond their perceived limitations and uncover their hidden strength both personally and professionally.
Forest Bathing and Foraging in a Luxury Wilderness Resort
Help your team disconnect, detoxify and experience nature in a new way, with a serene stay at the secluded Trout Point Lodge. Nestled within the untouched expanse of the Arcadian Forest in the UNESCO Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve, the eco-lodge offers five-star accommodations in three buildings set across a 120-acre wooded estate. East of Halifax, the Tobeatic Wilderness Area is so remote that there is no cell phone coverage, just the reinvigorating splendor of nature.
Here, groups can enjoy elevated versions of traditional wellness experiences — such as a massage in the middle of the forest, a replenishing session in an outdoor barrel sauna located on the dock, or blissful star-gazing from the comfort of an open-air wood-fired hot tub.
Trout Point Lodge has also made the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku a centerpiece of its wilderness offerings. Loosely translated as “forest bathing”, the practice involves a leisurely, meditative walk through the estate’s extensive trails taking in the verdant beauty of sugar maple, yellow birch and spruce trees. Participants are encouraged to open their senses and fully experience the sights, sounds and scents of the abundant forest. Studies have shown that the practice offers health benefits such as lower blood pressure and decreased stress levels.
Groups can also participate in a culinary hike guided by an experienced naturalist to look for edible delicacies such as burdock roots, cat tails and Indian cucumber. After exploring the forest around the Tusket River, the tour heads back to the lodge to cook the foraged bounty, offering a unique way to experience the land with all your senses. Teams will leave not only rested and restored, but better connected with nature and one another.
Sip to Sky in British Columbia’s Majestic Mountains
Fly your team in by seaplane to the tranquil abode of the Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, named for Clayoquot Sound, a series of remote inlets surrounded by old-growth conifer forest. Designated as a UNESCO protected Biosphere Reserve in 2000, the ecosystem’s temperate rainforest and alpine peaks provides habitats for around 300 animal species.
The lodge is a luxury settlement modeled after the style of the turn-of-the-century prospectors, featuring 25 well-appointed white canvas tents. Groups can spend their morning experiencing wellness activities such as a meditative contemplation of the sunrise in the stillness of British Columbia’s wilderness or a yoga class with their colleagues at the lodge. Rejuvenating treatments are available at the Healing Grounds Spa, a secluded sanctuary perched on the water’s edge where the rainforest meets the river and ocean. The spa offers a waterfront massage tent, wood-fired sauna, and deep cedar hot tubs with spectacular views over the sublime wilderness setting.
Afterwards they can enjoy the exclusive private experience of a 15-minute scenic helicopter flight to the peak of the towering Ursus Mountain, followed by some delightful refreshment as they take in the majestic views over Clayoquot Sound — all at 4000-ft above sea level.
All of this is just a flavor of what Canada can offer in terms of elevated, luxury wellness experiences that will inspire your team and invigorate your workplace culture.
For impartial insights and advice, and to learn more about the vast number of transformational incentives available in Canada, get in touch with Destination Canada’s Business Events team who will be able to help you personalize your incentive program for your team’s every want and need.
Looking to learn more?
Contact Jennifer Attersall—Director, Incentive Travel, Destination Canada Business Events.
E: [email protected]
T: +1 403-923-5972
For more information, visit businesseventscanada.ca
