ST. PAUL – During the Oct. 12 Town of St. Paul Committee of Whole meeting, council heard about a project being proposed in Saddle Lake – the Whispering Wilderness Healing Retreat.
The healing retreat will be a place where people can come immerse and connect with nature," Ben Whiskeyjack told council. “I am here to talk about how the Town of St. Paul and Whispering Wilderness Healing Retreat can both benefit by engaging in a mutually supportive relationship,” he explained.
The healing retreat will be located in Saddle Lake on a large portion of land. About half of the land is densely forested, said Whiskeyjack. The healing retreat will offer physical, mental, and spiritual benefits.
Man-made parks, healing retreats operated by Indigenous people, and walking trails have become more popular around the world for people looking to enhance their holistic health, said Whiskeyjack, explaining he wants to bring that same idea to the region.
The retreat will be a “place where art and nature coexist.”
The project has already been in the making for many years, with Whiskeyjack telling council he has made significant financial investments in the project.
A road leading to the core areas of the healing retreat has been built, for example. An eight-acre portion of land bordering a small lake has also been developed. Trees seeded by Whiskeyjack are now about five feet tall. Two kilometres of walking trails have also been developed.
There are still some areas that need completion, such as more walking trails to be built through the area, construction of a dirt bike trail and the purchase of 10 dirt bikes to be used on a rental basis.
There are many more areas that need to be developed including more road development, as well as two gazebos.
Whiskeyjack said the healing retreat will be “open to everybody,” and anticipates people from around the province and the world would come to visit upon its completion.
“It could take a year… or two years,” or even more, but Whiskeyjack said he’s hopeful the project will continue to move forward.
Town of St. Paul CAO Steven Jefferey said he plans to meet with STEP Economic Development Alliance Linda Sallstrom, along with Whiskeyjack, to better understand how to accomplish the vision.
In a follow-up interview with Lakeland This Week, Whiskeyjack said that there are many things that can be accomplished through the healing retreat. Currently, while the land is not fully ready for visitors, he uses it every day.
“I go for walks... immersing in nature is empowering me [and] it’s good for my holistic wellness – the mind, body, and spirit,” Whiskeyjack said. “I became a much stronger person... forward-thinking person... and I’ve become a visionary.”
After the healing retreat is open, Whiskeyjack has other dreams to pursue, noting the healing retreat won’t be operated solely by him, but by his family.
"It’s all about connecting, healing, and learning from nature. The natural world has incredible healing powers [and] people should know more about that. It’s incredible,” said Whiskeyjack.
Currently, he is in the process of preparing comprehensive funding proposals to be submitted to funding agencies, and provincial and federal governments. So, an exact timeline is not yet known for completion of the project.
"But I’m going to work hard, and my family, we’re going to work together to make this happen.”
