How women have used the Nurtury over the past couple of years... We have put on a number of customized weekends for women and their friends, colleagues and relatives in our unique facility. Below you'll find a few examples of how women have used the Nurtury to create for themselves a one-off experience. As you'll see, for some the experience hasn't stopped here...

women's working group   This group of academics needed a place to workshop ideas after a conference in their field took place at McGill University. Just an hour out of Montreal, the Nurtury provided the perfect place for them to escape for a weekend of creative thinking and programme planning before they headed home to their various universities across North America. Getting here was made easier when the group of 8 rented a minivan from the airport.  Our high speed internet connection made coordinating with colleagues in the US via Skype possible for the 2 days of meetings.  And the Nurtury's spatial layout was equally conducive to accommodating whole group meetings and smaller break-out sessions. By combining intense working sessions with rejuvenating walks in the woods and fine dining, this group managed to get a lot accomplished while also enjoying some down time together.

women's card playing group For some time now a group of women in the Pointe Claire area have been meeting on Fridays to play cards together. This past Spring they made a full weekend of it - playing card games that ranged from Wizard to Five Crowns to Salad; enjoying strolls round the property and conversation round the dinner table between sessions. The competition was fierce. The prizes - courtesy of Debbie "the Trickster" Trickie, who alongside Kathy "Cool Hand" McKnight, organized the weekend - were worth fighting for. This was a great example of how the Nurtury can be used by a group of women who want to get away from it all and spend a weekend getting pampered in the hospitality department whilst enjoying an activity together.

women's band jam   This past summer 8 friends who had in common a love of music and a desire to jam together booked the Nurtury for a weekend. What began as an idea between two women who occasionally get together to play guitar and flute duos, and wanted to add a bit of oomph to their sound, soon gathered momentum. First, a couple of clarinet players who hadn't touched their instruments since high school band days signed on. Next, a piano player with full band scores at her fingertips (!!) generously came forward. Recruiting in a women's hockey locker room brought a singer and a percussionist on board. And, to borrow from The Partridge Family, it really came together when a xylophonist played along. This is how it can happen: it only takes a whim of an idea and a bit of application to create a fantastic weekend activity for you and your friends. Not only did these women have a terrific time playing together over the course of their weekend...They've put together a Montreal-based practice schedule and are continuing to play as The Elegant Hedgehogs.

women's 'words and walking' weekend   This autumn Pat Machin, who had run our collective writing weekend with us, gathered 6 friends who all share a love of books and built a customized experience called 'words and walking'. Activities ranged from a lively fireside discussion of favourite books, to making beaded jewelry while talking books, to exploring the ambulant realm of walking philosophy while...Yes, you guessed it, yet more book talk! By combining good food and good book talk with invigorating strolls along the country lanes and forest trails surrounding the Nurtury, this group of friends found a way to enjoy both alone time and communal time - leaving the Nurtury after their weekend away both relaxed and refreshed. The proof that their self-styled weekend was a success... They're doing it again next year, same time same place!

women's film and book club weekend   This winter 6 members of wine women and philosophy got together to do one of our wwp weekends. Four of them had already attended a wwp book and film club...Sharing their adventure with other members at our bi-monthly salon evenings resulted in 2 more women signing on for the experience. Together, they approached us to run a book and film club weekend especially for them. They were keen to build on the philosophical formation that they have all been exposed to at the salon evenings and wanted to use this opportunity to work some of these ideas into our generosity-themed book and film club weekend. For more details on how this customized book and film club weekend went, please visit our blog.

Join us at wine women and philosophy...the spa that ignites your creative and reflective side.

What Others are Saying "Girls getting together for a weekend away is the greatest thing!! The food was wonderful, the house spectacular, and, oh yes...the cards were good too!" Kim Jessee attended the customized card playing weekend in April 2010