Riverside Retreat

Riverside Retreat

The Drag River meanders in Haliburton County from Canning Lake to the north for a few short kilometres south to where it joins the Burnt River. Surrounded by white pine, balsam fir, cedar and birch trees, the area is home to a range of wildlife. And two acres on the Drag River is where author Ruth E. Walker has cottage property that is open to private retreats, May to late September.

Escape to write in The Rustic

The knotty pine ceiling, walls and floors in the open-concept 600 sf building inspired the name. It may be “rustic” but it has a full kitchen (fridge, propane stove, microwave, coffee maker, kettle, dishes and utensils), propane furnace and 3-piece bathroom with a charming clawfoot bathtub. Bed linens and towels are provided.

Gazebo overlooks the river
Harvest table

The large pine harvest table is ideal for spreading out materials while working on projects. An outdoor deck and attached screened gazebo offer lovely views of the river; on cool or rainy days, the screened front porch is a great alternative.

Patio doors to the deck

Sleep on the queen-sized memory foam mattress of the comfortable sofa bed; settle into a rocking chair to read, reflect or write.

While there’s no cell phone signal, limited WiFi is available and there’s a landline with a Canada/US-wide calling plan. Library branches in Minden and Haliburton Village have high-speed internet access, as do local coffee shops.

The Workshop bunkie sleeps 2

The Workshop is a charming insulated bunkie with a writing desk, dresser, double bed and 1860s handcrafted single bed. The 15 x 20 foot building is finished in tongue & groove knotty pine with a “workshop themed” décor. Bathroom facilities are located a short walk away in The Rustic but a nicely finished outdoor privy is a nearby option.

Ruth’s personal cottage, The Cozy, is right next door should you have any questions or need assistance. She’ll be “in residence” and working on her own material during the times The Rustic is available for retreats.

Haliburton is Nature’s Work of Art

View from Rail Trail bridge
Rail Trail over the Drag River

Haliburton County is home to lakes, rivers and diverse wetlands nestled among forested highlands and meadows and valleys. Walking and hiking trails, ATV and snowmobile trails, parks, campgrounds and towns and villages offer plenty of activities for all four seasons. #MyHaliburtonHighlands

Lazy river ride to Milburn Bridge

Riverside is 15 minutes from the town of Minden, 25 minutes from Haliburton Village and 75 minutes from Algonquin Park. Two hours from the east end of the GTA, the property is mostly level with a gentle slope to the river. There are three steps up to the front porch of The Rustic and access remains at that level for the interior.

Firepit

An onsite firepit, BBQ, floating tubes for a lazy river ride, and various outdoor and indoor games are available for use.

Choose a self-directed retreat:

  • use of The Rustic
    • $325/weekend +HST (Friday noon to Sunday 4 p.m.)
    • $495/week +HST (Friday noon to Thursday 4 p.m.)
  • use of The Rustic and The Workshop bunkie
    • $475/weekend +HST
    • $645/week +HST
  • additional person $75/weekend & $150/week +HST (maximum 3 people)
  • $100 deposit in advance serves as a security deposit & is refunded after the end-of-stay inspection

Choose a supported retreat with the following options:

  • 1-hour consultation/feedback sessions $40 +HST (includes reading/review of material)
  • other supports such as daily writing prompts and/or accountability check-ins, coaching can be negotiated
  • informal/impromptu visits with Ruth no charge

Send queries to info@writescape.ca. Include preferred dates as some dates are not open for booking.

Spring Thaw registration

SPRING THAW 2019

CHOOSE a 3-day retreat from April 26 to April 28  

OR a 5-day option: 3-day retreat plus 2-day extend-your-pen option April 26 to April 30

To secure your spot with a non-refundable deposit. Go to Section 1

To pay the full amount on registration. Go to Section 2

 To pay the balance due by March 30.  Go to Section 3

Writing Organization Discounts for members of WCDR, WCSC, WCYR, SOH, etc. Other groups please query.

NOTE: HST is added at the checkout on PayPal

Section 1

$250.00 Deposit 3-day option

$250.00 Deposit 5-day option

Balance due: March 30

Section 2

3-day option April 26 to 28 – full payment

$925.00  Full Fee no discounts

$895.00 Full Fee with Writing Organization discount only [WCDR etc]

$865.00 Full Fee with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

5-day option April 26 to 30 – full payment

$1350.00  Full Fee no discounts

$1320.00 Full Fee with Writing Organization discount

$1290.00 Full Fee with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Section 3

3-day option April 26 to 28 – Balance after deposit paid – Due March 30

$675.00  Balance due no discounts

$645.00 Balance due with Writing Organization discount only [WCDR etc]

$615.00 Balance due with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

5-day option April 26 to 30 – Balance after deposit paid – Due March 30

$1100.00  Balance due no discounts

$1070.00 Balance with Writing Organization discount

$1040.00 Balance with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

MAIL IN REGISTRATION FORM PDF

When payment is received, a Writescape representative will contact you by email to confirm your registration. Thank you for registering with Writescape.

If you need further details or have  questions, please contact Writescape at info@writescape.ca or write to

Writescape
101 Morningside Drive
RR3 Havelock ON K0L 1Z0
 
$1 test
 

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Your deposit is non-refundable, but 50% of your deposit (i.e., $125) may be used for a future Writescape retreat.
For cancellations before our full fee deadline – MARCH 30, 2019, all but your deposit is refundable.
After our full fee deadline, any refund of the remainder will be at the discretion of Writescape organizers.
We understand that life happens—we wouldn’t be writers if we didn’t. But by the time you have paid your deposit, we have already long been working on making your retreat a fantastic experience, and are committed to the resort. Nonetheless, we will do our best to work things out should you have to cancel.
For retreats, any cancellation on our part would have to be the result of a serious problem—nothing short of a natural disaster or epidemic is likely to cancel our retreat. In that case, a rescheduling acceptable to you would be in order, or a full refund if we are unable to reschedule. We reserve the right to make changes to the program [example: replace a facilitator] at any time.

Registration for Turning Leaves 2018

Registration for TURNING LEAVES from November 2 to 4, 2018.

Note: Writing Organization Discounts are offered to members of WCDR, WCYR, WCSC, HHWEN, SOH, TWUC, PWAC, MAA and CAA. Other groups please query.
NOTE If you have attended 5 or more Writescape residential retreats, you qualify for a special one-time $100 discount for this retreat. When you register, be sure to note it in the comments so we can adjust your full payment.

 

  • To secure your spot with a non-refundable deposit. Go to Section 1
  • To pay the full amount on registration. Go to Section 2
  • The balance is due by September 1. Go to Section 3
  • To register for the day rate. Go to Section 4.

Please note that HST will be calculated at checkout. HST # 821104853RT0001

Section 1 

Non-refundable deposit

$250.00 Lakeview Room Single Occupancy  FULL

$250.00 Landview Room Single Occupancy Deposit

$250.00 Landview Room Double Occupancy Deposit    Note: If you have a preferred roommate, please enter the name of your roommate in the comments section on the PayPal screen or email us at info@writescape.ca. If you don’t have a roommate, we will do our best to accommodate you but can’t guarantee double occupancy.

Section 2 

Lakeview Room Single Occupancy  FULL

$895.00 Full Fee Lakeview Room Single Occupancy

$865.00 Full Fee Lakeview Room with Writing Organization discount [WCDR etc]

$835.00 Full Fee Lakeview Room with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Landview Room Single Occupancy

$865.00 Full Fee Landview Room Single Occupancy

$835.00 Full Fee Landview Room Single with Writing Organization discount

$805.00 Full Fee Landview Room Single with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Landview Room Double Occupancy

Note: If you have a preferred roommate, please enter the name of your roommate in the comments section on the PayPal screen or email us at info@writescape.ca. If you don’t have a roommate, we will do our best to accommodate you but can’t guarantee double occupancy.

$795.00 Full Fee Landview Room Double Occupancy

$765.00 Full Fee Landview Room Double with Writing Organization discount

$735.00 Full Fee Landview Room Double with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Section 3

Lakeview Room Single Occupancy FULL

$645.00 Balance Lakeview Room Single Occupancy

$615.00 Balance Lakeview Room with Writing Organization discount [WCDR etc]

$585.00 Balance Lakeview Room with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Landview Room Single Occupancy

$615.00 Balance Landview Room Single Occupancy

$585.00 Balance Landview Room Single with Writing Organization discount

$555.00 Balance Landview Room Single with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Landview Room Double Occupancy

$545.00 Balance Landview Room Double Occupancy

$515.00 Balance Landview Room Double with Writing Organization discount

$485.00 Balance Landview Room Double with Writing Organization AND alumni discount

Section 4

Day Rates

(complete weekend program except for breakfasts and accommodations)

$475 Day Rate

$445 Special Day Rate with writing organization discount

 
PLEASE NOTE: When you hit the “Add to Cart” button, the PayPal order will show up at the top of the column to the right. To be taken to PayPal to finish your purchase, click on the yellow PayPal button. You can use a credit card on the PayPal site – you do not have to have a PayPal account.
 

MAIL IN REGISTRATION FORM PDF

When payment is received, a Writescape representative will contact you by email to confirm

Glentula – Directions


DCP10782
Glentula, nestled in five acres of mixed Ontario forest, is the home of Gwynn Scheltema and Don Anderson. Glentula means “peaceful hollow”. “Glen” meaning “valley or hollow” comes from Don’s Scottish heritage. “Tula” is from Gwynn’s roots in Zimbabwe, Africa, based on the Ndebele word for “peace” or “quiet”. Glentula is the perfect place to write.

The front shade garden offers a gazebo beside the rock garden, the tea stone and sunken bench under the maples, or a muskoka chair on the pink granite surround of the camp-fire pit. Wander the garden paths, have a swing or just enjoy the dappled shade beneath the tall trees.

In the back garden. the large deck overlooks a flower edged lawn, a campfire pit and entrance to the magic children’s wood with its surprises, as well as views down over the footbridge to the water of Burnt Point Bay on Lake Seymour.

Lake Seymour is part of the Trent River Waterway System, between the locks at Hastings and Healy Falls. At the water’s edge, sit in the gazebo, lie in the hammock or sunbathe on the dock. Enjoy watching pleasure craft, explore the river mouth and beaver dam, or just enjoy the quiet lap of lilypads as kingfishers, osprey and heron dive for fish. Then wander back to the house through the woodland trails.

Directions to Glentula

For your GPS, enter: 101 Morningside Drive, Havelock

From the South West (1½ hours from Oshawa)

  • Take Hwy. 401 east to Hwy 115. Proceed north on Hwy 115.
  • After approx 45 minutes, at Peterborough, Hwy 115 becomes Hwy 7. Continue east on Hwy 7 to Havelock (35 mins.).
  • At Havelock follow map below.

From the East (3 hours from Ottawa)

  • Take Hwy 417 west to Hwy 7 just west of the Scotiabank Place.
  • Proceed west on Hwy 7 to Havelock.
  • At Havelock follow map below.

From the North West (45 mins. from Peterborough)

  • At Port Perry take Hwy 7A east to Hwy 35.
  • At Hwy 35 turn south for a kilometre, then east on the continuation of Hwy 7A to Hwy 115.
  • After approx 15 minutes, at Peterborough, Hwy 115 becomes Hwy 7. Go east to Havelock (35 mins.)
  • At Havelock follow map below.

From the South East (45 mins from Brighton)

  • Take Hwy 401 west to Brighton.
  • Take Regional/County Rd. 30 north to Campbellford
  • At the lights at the bridge in Campbellford, turn west on Bridge Street (RR 30 cont) to Village of Trent River (15 mins)
  • At Trent River, follow the map below

map to glentula