Wild Soul Retreat
October 2 - 5, 2026
Come Away with me for a weekend of LUXURY in the WILD
October 2-5, 2026 season
Imagine Knowing how to access your deepest creativity
Join Integrative Happiness Coach, Jaclyn Foster, as you relax in the restorative power of the natural world, on the serene banks of the French River in Northern Ontario. For 3 nights and 3 days, let your soul “speak its truth under quiet, inviting, and trustworthy conditions,” for as Parker J. Palmer said, “If we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we’re waiting for may well emerge.”
Witness your soul come alive, just being here.
Creativity as your healer
Come with your celebration, your grief, your traumas, your wounds. Come with what needs to be alchemized into what ignites your fire, again. Come because you need a magical getaway, an escape from the noise of your everyday life. Now more than ever.
We all have questions about the things that have happened to us.
Questions like:
Why did this happen to me?
What did I do to deserve this?
Who am now that I have lost that person/job/situation or my life as I knew it?
Why did I get sick?
Why me?
We rage against the machine, the loss, the situation we have found ourselves in and 20 years later, our body screams the tale. Chronic fatigue, chronic pain, depression, anxiety. Numbed out or frazzled, we often find ourselves in the crux of somewhere between the two. Stuffing down the grief until we cannot keep going. Here is where you transform your suffering into joy, doing into being, grief into meaning.
Using the inherent wisdom found in our four seasons, Chinese Medicine theories, and the ancient wisdom of creative geniuses such as Julia Cameron, Rick Rubin, Mary Oliver and Rainer Maria Rilke, I will share my decades of experience working with people in how to live the questions by showing up for ourselves first as creators.
“We actually transform the world from within our hearts.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
Creativity as your birthright
Your birthright speaks to your natural inheritance as a creative. We simply must sit with ourselves and learn how to activate your unique spark to allow the creativity of our universe to unfold from within us. No one else has your unique point of view to make your mark on the world. Creativity is your personal “how” you show up in your world, your unique how to be here. We create to come alive, to return to ourselves and our inner knowing. In this space you learn to hear the whisper of your soul amongst the trees, the river, the great Canadian Shield. Experience the joy of belonging to nature, returning to her sacred wisdom, and finding yourself within the cycles. The Lodge at Pine Cove will not just light your digestive fire with its scrumptious food, it will also place you back in your body, in the time you’re living now, into presence. No matter what trial you face, or what journey you’ve been on, this is where you come to return to yourself, to approach living the questions from a deeper understanding and using your creativity to do it. Find out how creativity returns your power, reminding you that you were always whole.
Your Guide
Dr. Jaclyn Foster
Licensed Integrative Happiness Coach, Writer. Chiropractor, Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy. And so much more.
Dr. Jaclyn Foster
Licensed Integrative Happiness Coach, Writer. Musician. Chiropractor, Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy. And so much more. Jaclyn isn’t your average healer—she’s a soul-stirring, spine-aligning, cappuccino-making powerhouse who sees through your BS and lovingly calls you into your greatness. Jaclyn has certifications in Chinese Medicine and anatomical acupuncture, plus licensed training in Hypnotherapy and NLP. This means she’ll guide you into your unconscious, rearrange the mental furniture, and help you remember your creative power—if you want to say yes. With bold East Coast authenticity and a deeply compassionate heart, she blends soul healing with practical “let’s fix this” energy. Jaclyn’s mission is clear – she is here to help you remember why you are here – now. She will show you how to access your innate creativity by locating and affirming your unique story, and your personal inner compass. She is here to teach you how to create authentically from your unique self and purpose; guide you towards feeling whole from the inside out; show you how to have more meaningful connections in your relationships; most importantly, she guides you to see the big picture and hear your soul’s sacred wisdom. Outside the office, Jaclyn is a devoted mama, a perpetual learner, and a low-key philosopher whom you’ll hear quoting Carl Jung and Rilke. She writes creative non-fiction on her Substack and hosts a monthly live virtual Wild Soul Journaling Circle. (howtobehere.substack.com) and reconnects with herself at her grand piano. Her greatest intention is helping people break through blocks to feel like themselves, again. She’s not here to fix you—she’s here to remind you that you were always whole. If you want to create from your soul and enjoy this wild, beautiful ride, Jaclyn’s your girl. You can read more about Jaclyn and her offerings on howtobehere.com
2026 All-Inclusive Package Options
“What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”
Mary Oliver, American Poet
Wild Luxury All-Inclusive Fees
Contact laura@frenchriver.com or info@frenchriver.com
1. Cottage-Share Package
$1564 + Service Charge (15%) + HST (13%) Per Person
Based on having a luxurious private bedroom in a two- or three- bedroom (first-come, first served) shared cottage with a shared 3-piece bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and screened-in porch overlooking the water.
Tuition includes accommodation and all chef-prepared meals, including three dine-in dinners, two lunches and three epic breakfast hampers delivered to your cottage, each morning. This all-inclusive price also includes a guided boat tour and access to Kayaks, canoes and Hiking trails (this is optional and included in the price).
2. Private Cottage Package
$2008 + Service Charge (15%) + HST (13%) Per Person
Based on having a private cottage (first-come, first served) private 3-piece bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and screened-in porch overlooking the water. Tuition includes accommodation and all chef-prepared meals, including three dine-in dinners, two lunches and three epic breakfast hampers delivered to your cottage, each morning. This all-inclusive price also includes a guided boat tour and access to Kayaks, canoes and Hiking trails (this is optional and included in the price).
All cottages include:
• Complimentary fine teas and locally roasted Ashanti coffee
• Natural soap, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion
• Delivered Hamper breakfast
• 5-star quality sleep systems
Cancellation policy
What else is included in my all-inclusive 3-night and 3-day- retreat?
This retreat will balance solitude with connection. Meals together. Quiet spaces to retreat to. A library for reading in solitude. A kayak to meander on the French River. Throughout the weekend, Jaclyn will host four 90-minute group workshops where you will learn how to tap into your soul’s deepest creativity to learn how to use it to heal your deepest wounds, to embrace the wisdom of the universe in all of nature’s offerings and take home the TOOLKIT for creative mastery.
Jaclyn will teach you about The Purpose and Power of your own Creative birthright; The Alchemy of Creative endeavours; and The TOOLKIT for Creating the “what and who” you crave. In the final workshop you will create your Soul’s vision board, casting a powerful net over the future you desire for your creativity and your life.
We will enjoy a riverside bonfire on Friday night and enjoy a guided boat tour of the pristine French River, including a geographical history lesson delivered to you straight from our owner and host Alex Strachan, who began this dream retreat location 26 years ago. Hypnotherapy meditation sessions will be offered throughout the weekend, including during the workshops. 1-1 sessions will be available on a limited basis and will be offered to the first 5 registrants. Details to be discussed upon booking.
Wild Soul Retreat Schedule (coming soon)
Retreat Schedule
Useful information
Fishing
The French River, was a larder for millennia, for the First Nations peoples that fished its rich waters. Today, sport fishing is one of the French River’s main activities and attracts fishers for; muskellunge, northern pike, walleye (or pickerel as it is known in Canada), large and small mouth bass and other varieties of fresh water fish. Ask us about hiring a guide, bring your own boat or rent one from us.
Bird Watching
French River is home to many species of birds including; various warbler migrations, sandhill cranes, many species of duck, bald eagles, ospreys, merlins, coopers hawk, merlins, pileated woodpeckers, blue herons and many other varieties. Birding on the French River is a joy.
Hiking
Hike at Lodge at Pine Cove, on our well marked trails. From a 20 minute stroll to a 3 hour hike across the rugged Canadian Shield, you will find plenty of trails to interest you. Beaver ponds, large channels, cranberry bog, huge pine trees and plenty of flora and fauna. Hike Pine Cove and discover the French River.
Kayaking
The French River is an incredible kayaking destination. Huge expanses of flat water that you can paddle for hours, whilst exploring wild shorelines, islands, bays and channels. Bring your own kayak or we can outfit you with one. Discover the French River and it will keep you coming back for more.
Upcoming Events
May 18th to May 22nd, 2026 season
Body & Soul Retreat
Saturday May 23rd to Thursday May 28th, 2026 season
French River Writing Retreat
A Creative Writing Retreat at the Lodge at Pine Cove
June 21st - June 24th, 2026
Explore the Historic French River with your Camera
This retreat is about creating a narrative of the historic French River with your camera.
September 7 - 10, 2026
Wild Calm: Forest Bathing & Restoration Retreat
September 24th - 27th, 2026 Season
River Within
September 27th to 30th, 2026 season
Sights & Sounds of the French River
October 2nd - October 5th, 2026
Wild Soul Retreat
Come Away with me for a weekend of LUXURY in the WILD
Join the family
From time to time we will interest you with developments at the lodge – projects, competitions, the river & the environment.