Bring the
Black Folks
to Nova Scotia, Canada: A Black Travel Retreat Experience
An invitation:
Hey, you!
We want to invite you to spend 4 nights/5 days in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, on land that has held Black life for centuries. Long before Canada was “Canada,” Black folks were here, living, working, worshipping, building families, building communities, surviving policies and narratives designed to make us invisible. Nova Scotia’s Black history is Canadian history. It’s Black Atlantic history. It’s world history. It’s the afterlife of empire, war, and migration, and also the miracle of people making a life anyway. If not us, then who? You know how we do. African Nova Scotians are a distinct people with deep, deep roots, and we can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard folks question the existence of Black Canada like we’re a rumor.
In fact, we’re record. We’re lineage. We’re living community. This retreat is one of the ways we tell the truth, for the world to experience.
We’re gathering an intentionally small cohort, capped at 12 guests, for a retreat that holds restoration and education in the same hands. You’ll have a forest home base of cabins and yurts under tall trees. Slow mornings on purpose. Food that tastes like care. A full day on the Atlantic, because the ocean here is an archive. A day in wine country, because softness and celebration belong in the same week as learning. And a day devoted to African Nova Scotian heritage, guided by folks who know the stories from the inside. The real ones, with context, nuance, and respect.
It is a retreat, yes, but the word feels too small for what we’re actually doing. This is a return. A recalibration. A few days designed to let your shoulders drop while your understanding expands. We’re not pulling up to a wellness resort. We’re pulling up to the woods with our shoes off, sitting in hot tubs under a sky that still remembers stars, laughing late, eating well, and leaving with something more than photos. We’re leaving with truth, held gently. We’re leaving with a wider map.
We’re in some wild times, so if you’ve been craving community and beauty with receipts, you already know where to find us…
Bringing the people home.
Can’t wait to see you soon.
With care,
Vanessa & René
Date: August 27-31, 2026
Location: SEEK, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
Cohort Size: 8-12 people
Travel Operating Entity: Elevate & Explore Black Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia, Canada
Co-Hosted By: Vanessa Smithers & René Boudreau
Why Nova Scotia, & Why Now?
This retreat started as a sentence Vanessa kept saying out loud:
"I want to bring the people home; who can I do this with?"
As two African Nova Scotians, this isn’t a “we found a beautiful place and decided to host something there” kind of offering. This is lineage work. It’s memory work. It’s stewardship. It’s the decision to build an experience that honors where we come from, who has been holding the story, and what it costs to feel invisible while still being here.
This is personal.
If we’re being honest, the world feels and is especially heavy right now. The kind of heaviness that lives in the chest and shoulders. The kind of heavy that asks Black people to keep functioning while the ground shifts under us. We’re carrying grief, fatigue, vigilance, and the pressure to stay “strong” in a world that rarely offers softness without conditions. So we wanted to create a place where Black folks can literally retreat to. Somewhere we can exhale. Somewhere we don’t have to translate our lives, or earn our rest, or perform being okay. Somewhere we can be held by community, fed well, and reminded that we deserve the good, good things.
Nova Scotia offers refuge in a way that’s hard to explain until you’re here, and for many Americans, it also offers recognition. This coast is connected to your story, too. There’s something about the Atlantic that recalibrates people. That older-than-language water has a way of pulling you out of your head and back into your body. It brings a particular kind of peace, and for many of us across the diaspora, it also brings something ancestral, even if you don’t have the words for it. The Atlantic holds complicated memory, yes, but it also holds return. It’s the same Atlantic that touches the Carolinas, New York, and the Caribbean.
Borders change. Water remembers.
So many people genuinely don’t know Black history exists in Canada at all, let alone that African Nova Scotians are a distinct people with deep, deep roots. Canada will proudly speak about “the diaspora” in broad strokes, Caribbean communities, continental African communities, Black Americans, global Blackness, and still manage to erase the people who have been here for centuries. Part of this retreat is inviting Black Americans into that wider map, because Black history didn’t stop at the border, and neither did we.
The questions become: What about us? What about the communities that predate Confederation? What about the people whose churches, family lines, land, labor, and cultural memory have shaped this place loudly and continuously?
Attempts at erasure are always on purpose. They show up in education systems that barely teach Black Canadian history with seriousness or specificity. They show up in tourism narratives that sell Nova Scotia as quaint, coastal, and charming while ignoring the Black communities that have carried the province through 400+ years. They show up in the way “Black in Canada” gets diluted into a single pop culture reference point. And listen, Drake can be Drake, but he can’t be the poster child for what being Black in Canada means. Not when we have elders who’ve been holding lineages longer than the industry has existed. Not when we have communities built under pressure that still refuse to disappear.
Not when Black Nova Scotia exists.
Nova Scotia is home to 52 historically Black communities. Not all remain as they once were, but many still exist, and their presence is living proof that Black Canada has always been here.
Our ancestors didn’t endure what they endured for us to become invisible. They didn’t build churches, schools, families, and community structures for us to be reduced to trivia, a $10 bill, or Black History Month. They didn’t survive policies designed to displace them so that the next generation could shrug and say, “I didn’t know.”
We won’t have it.
So we built this retreat as part of an answer. A lived experience that pours in and educates at the same time. A few days held by the Atlantic, by community, by culture-keepers, by good food, by laughter, by depth. We are bringing a small cohort into a place that has been waiting for them, and we are doing it with intention: letting people rest, feeding them well, teaching them what was never taught. Sending them back to wherever they call home, with a broader map of Blackness and, hopefully, a more thorough appreciation for Black Canada.
The rest of the world deserves to know this place. We’re starting here. We’re starting with you.
400+ Years of Black History.
Been here, been it.
Before you decide whether this retreat is for you, take a few minutes to learn what most of the world has never been taught about Black Nova Scotia. The depth of this place is the whole point.
In the photo, from left to right, are: Alfred Skinner (George's son), John Skinner (Godfrey's son), George Skinner Jr., Isaac Dorrington, John Smothers (Smithers), and Arthur Henderson. Date: 1895 Photographer: William H. Buckley
Truro isn’t incidental.
Truro sits at the centre of Nova Scotia like a hinge. Long before it was marketed as a “hub,” it functioned as a place where roads, railways, and people moved through, and communities had to make themselves legible amid that movement. For African Nova Scotians, Truro is a historical crossroads where Black life has been built, defended, and renewed across generations, often under conditions that demand endurance without offering protection.
Community in Truro has meant neighbourhoods with names that hold whole worlds: The Hill, The Marsh, The Island. These are places where Black families put down roots, created networks of care, raised children, shared resources, and practiced faith and culture in a province where policy, economic exclusion, and social neglect repeatedly tried to make Black permanence feel temporary. The fact that these names still carry meaning is part of the record. It’s part of legacy.
Zion Baptist Church stands as a cornerstone of Black community life and continuity, a site that has served as a place of worship, leadership, gathering, and collective memory over generations. The legacy of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada’s only all-Black battalion in the First World War, also lives here, connected to place, labour, and the complicated reality of Black patriotism in a country that hasn’t always returned that loyalty with equity. Victoria Park, the massive green heart of Truro, offers something else entirely: space. Stillness. Land-based peace that lets people breathe long enough to process what they’re learning and what they’re carrying.
Both of our families are from Truro. So when we say “home,” we’re not reaching for metaphor. We mean elders, streets, church steps, and family names that have lived in the same area long enough to become part of the landscape. We mean being able to point and say, "My people were here. My people are here.”
The intention is simple, even if the story is not: to bring people home to a place they may not have known was waiting for them.
Our home for 4 nights/5 days is SEEK, an eco-minded forest property in Truro built from recycled shipping-container cabins and canvas yurts, sitting right on the edge of Victoria Park's 3,000 acres.
Tier One · Private Cabin
An entire cabin, just yours
A one-bedroom shipping container cabin entirely to yourself. Private outdoor hot tub. Air conditioning. Full ensuite bathroom. Queen bed. Kitchenette. Outdoor BBQ and fire pit.
The whole thing, yours.
Tier Two · Shared Cabin
Your own room, shared common space
A private bedroom with a queen bed inside a two-bedroom shipping container cabin. Air conditioning.
The bathroom is shared with one other guest or potentially a couple, as is the kitchen and living area.
An outdoor hot tub on the shared deck, a fire pit, and a BBQ are also shared.
Tier Three · Standard Yurt
A canvas yurt in the trees
A standalone yurt with a queen bed, wood-burning stove, soft linens, an outdoor BBQ, and styling that turns canvas into something beautiful. Power outlets for charging. No AC and no private hot tub, which is part of why this tier costs less; the canvas walls breathe with the forest, the evenings turn breezy on their own, and you sleep deeply. Bathrooms and full hot showers are in a clean, well-kept shared bathhouse a short walk away.
All accommodations include linens, towels, kitchenettes, fire pits, and direct trail access into Victoria Park. Pricing for each tier appears below.
5 days/4 nights, well held.
A full day on the Atlantic, and we mean a full day, because the ocean here isn’t background. It’s the reason a lot of us feel held when we arrive in Nova Scotia. Black folks across the diaspora carry a complicated relationship with this water. The same Atlantic that moved our ancestors against their will is also the water that has healed their grandchildren, and ours. We come to the beach to swim, nap on the sand, eat from a packed cooler, play music loudly, and let the salt do what salt does.
A day in wine country follows, with multiple stops and lunch en route. Another day is dedicated to African Nova Scotian heritage, led by local guides who know the story from the inside. Its depth tends to surprise people, even the ones who think they already know. Days run full. Evenings ease back. Fire pits. Hot tubs after dinner, hot tubs before breakfast, hot tubs whenever, honestly. A welcome BBQ on the first night, cooked by family, that turns strangers into people who already know your laugh. A farewell dinner with a closing toast that takes its time. Goodbyes that don’t quite feel like endings, because the province builds connection. The ancestors do too.
The full schedule, including timing, partners, and exact stops, is shared with confirmed guests.
Itineraries may shift slightly to preserve flow, weather, and a little bit of spontaneity.
A note on pace:
This is an active retreat. The activity level is high. Days are full of movement: walking, exploring, getting on and off a bus, standing for stretches at heritage stops, time on uneven beach terrain, and time on our feet at wineries. There’s space for solitude, and the evenings are softer, but the daytime arc is energetic by design. If you’re coming in seeking total stillness from sunrise to sundown, this particular cohort may not be the best one for you at this time. Please factor in your current energy and mobility when making your decision, and tell us in your EOI if there are any considerations we should keep in mind.
Two women, one shared intention.
Vanessa Smithers
Co-Host · Freelance Writer, Legacy Archivist & Narrative Consultant
Vanessa Smithers is a Toronto-based African Nova Scotian writer, narrative consultant, and legacy archivist with ancestral roots in The Hill, a historic Black community in Truro, Nova Scotia. With 20+ years of experience in community advocacy & education, her work is devoted to truth-telling, cultural memory, and language as legacy. This retreat is her way of turning a lifetime of attempted erasure into something tangible: an immersive, community-rooted experience that pours into Black travelers while centering Black Atlantic Canada.
René Boudreau
Co-Host · Founder, Elevate & Explore Black Nova Scotia Inc.
René Boudreau is an African Nova Scotian entrepreneur and founder of Elevate & Explore Black Nova Scotia Inc., a tourism company rooted in Mi’kma’ki, Turtle Island (Nova Scotia) that champions Black travel and community-centred experiences across the province. With 15+ years in nonprofit and community work, René is known across the East Coast for creating inclusive, culturally grounded tours, events, and retreats in partnership with local businesses and culture-keepers.
3 ways to arrive.
Pricing is per person, in USD. American guests, Canadian guests, international guests, all the same currency. (We explain why below the cards.) Vanessa has also stayed at SEEK multiple times and loves it.
Tier One
Private Cabin
A one-bedroom cabin entirely to yourself. AC, ensuite bath, queen bed, private outdoor hot tub.
Maximum privacy.
2 cabins available
Tier Two
Shared Cabin
A private bedroom inside a two-bedroom cabin. AC, queen bed. You share the bathroom, kitchen, hot tub, fire pit & living area with one other guest, or potentially a couple.
4 bedrooms available
Tier Three
Standard Yurt
A canvas yurt in the trees. Queen bed, wood stove, power outlets, outdoor BBQ, shared bathhouse with full hot showers. No AC or hot tub, which is reflected in the price. We encourage you to befriend folks so you can use their tubs! :)
The area is well-lit!
2 yurts available
Why USD for everyone?
The retreat is built to welcome American, Canadian, and international guests in the same room, paying the same rate for the same experience. We invoice every guest in USD because the CAD-USD exchange fluctuates daily, and a small cohort cannot absorb that risk. Pricing in USD also lets us be intentional about welcoming American guests, who form a meaningful part of the cohort and the cultural exchange we are building. Canadian guests are invoiced in USD; your bank or card handles the conversion at the time of each payment, at the rate in effect that day. Couples save $1,000 off the combined solo rate at every tier. You can pay your full retreat fee upfront or split it into three installments. Both options are available to all guests.
All payments are non-refundable.
Deposits, installments, and pay-in-full bookings. No exceptions. We make immediate commitments to our partners, vendors, and venue on your behalf the moment you book, and those funds cannot be recouped on cancellation. We strongly recommend travel insurance for every guest. Full terms appear in the participant agreement you receive with your registration packet.
Everything you need once you arrive.
Your retreat includes:
4-nights/5-days of accommodation at SEEK in your chosen tier
Daily breakfasts on-site, plus all lunches and curated dinners throughout the week (all gratuities are included)
A welcome BBQ on the first night, cooked by the family of the host, plus a celebratory farewell dinner with a closing toast
A full-day African Nova Scotian heritage experience with local guides
A full-day Atlantic Ocean beach excursion, where the water is the whole point, with packed coolers and group transport
A guided day through Nova Scotia's wine country with multiple stops and lunch on the route
Creative workshops led by African Nova Scotian artists and culture-keepers
Chartered ground transportation for all off-property excursions
A round-trip airport rideshare reimbursement of up to $160 CAD between YHZ and SEEK
A welcome basket of Nova Scotia–made goods waiting in your cabin (maybeeeee a custom hoodie)
Curated snacks & beverages in your mini-fridge (on us) to get you started
Access to SEEK's amenities: outdoor hot tubs (cabin tiers), fire pits, BBQs, kitchenettes, and trail access into Victoria Park
A private WhatsApp group for confirmed guests, opened ahead of the trip and active before, during, and after
A shared Google Drive folder where every guest contributes photos and short videos, building a collective record of the week
An optional pre-trip group call two to three weeks out, plus a suggested packing list
So you can plan accordingly...
We believe in being upfront about what your investment does and doesn’t cover.
Here’s the full picture.
What you cover separately:
Flights to and from Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ). We suggest booking sooner rather than later. With summer coming & the state of the world, you know what it is.
Travel insurance, which we strongly recommend for international and domestic guests alike
Alcohol outside of the welcome BBQ and farewell dinner. This includes alcoholic drinks at any meal outings during the heritage day, the beach day, the wine country day (beyond the included tastings), and at any restaurant we visit. You order what you want, and you cover that tab
Spa treatments, salon services, souvenirs, and any additional meals or drinks beyond what is included in your retreat package
Anything purchased from the SEEK cafe outside of meals already covered
If you are unsure whether something is covered, ask us.
From interest to arrival.
We’re opening an Expression of Interest to learn more about each guest before they confirm.
Here’s the path, start to finish.
Submit your Expression of Interest
The EOI is live, right here on the site. It’s short, and asks about your hopes for the trip, your dietary and accessibility needs, your tier preference, and what’s calling you to Nova Scotia. If you’re booking as a couple, each partner submits their own EOI; we want to know both of you as individuals before you arrive together.
2. We review, with care
Cohort 1 is small by design, just 12 seats. The Expression of Interest form closes May 11, 12 PM EST. After that, we’ll review every submission thoughtfully and assess for intention and group balance, with kindness and inclusivity guiding every decision. You’ll receive an email that week with your outcome: either a confirmation and next steps, or a note letting you know this cohort isn’t a go, and inviting you to be considered for the next retreat.
3. Registration, agreement, invoice
Selected guests receive a registration packet that includes their tier confirmation, participant agreement, and first invoice. Your spot is held once the $1,000 USD deposit is received and the agreement is signed within 48-hours. If we do not receive the information within this time, your space will be released, and we will call upon another person who has expressed interest.
4. Pay your way: plan or pay in full
You can pay in three pieces or settle the whole thing at once. The three-installment plan is due at booking, Installment 1 by June 15, 2026, and Installment 2 by July 25, 2026. Couples pay a deposit per person. If you would rather pay your full retreat fee upfront, you can do so; that option is also available at the time of booking. We accept secure online invoice payments via debit, major credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay. Buy-now-pay-later options (Klarna and Affirm) are available to Canadian guests only.
5. The WhatsApp, the call, the list
Confirmed guests are added to a private WhatsApp group for trip prep, ride coordination, and last-minute logistics. We host an optional group call 2-3 weeks before the retreat to introduce the cohort and move through final details. We also send a suggested packing list so you can show up with exactly what you need and nothing you don't.
6. You arrive
August 27 to 31, 2026. We see you in Truro!
Things you might be wondering.
We tried to leave nothing out. If your question isn’t answered here, email us at elevateandexploreblackns@gmail.com or hello@vanessasmithers.com, and we’ll respond directly.
Please don’t use Vanessa’s general booking link to ask about the retreat. Those call slots are reserved for potential freelance clients and scheduled consults. Retreat inquiries should come through email so we can keep everything organized, respond with the right details, and make sure client bookings stay protected.
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This cohort is for Black people, broadly and inclusively defined, who are ready to gather in community on land that holds our story. All genders welcome. You do not need to have traveled before. You do not need to have it all figured out. You do need to be willing to show up softly, and to share space generously with the other guests.
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We suggest this retreat for guests 19+ because the group dynamic, the depth of the conversations, and the pace of the days are designed with adults in mind. We’re also working within Canadian legal drinking age norms for certain parts of the itinerary, and in Nova Scotia that age is 19. If you’re slightly younger and feel strongly aligned, you’re welcome to submit an EOI and we can talk it through.
Driving note: you do not need to drive to attend. Once you arrive in Nova Scotia, group transportation for excursions is provided. If you plan to rent a car or drive yourself to/from Truro, you’ll need to meet your rental company’s age requirements (most require 21+ and may charge underage fees).
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Cohort 1 is intentionally designed for Black folks coming to Nova Scotia from somewhere else. The primary gap we’re trying to bridge is awareness. Too many people outside the province, and honestly outside Canada, don’t know African Nova Scotian history exists, or that it is living, deep, and foundational. This retreat is built as an immersion for people who need that context, and the investment they make helps us pay local guides, facilitators, and vendors so the benefit stays rooted here.
For this first cohort, we’re focusing on bringing people in from away and shifting how the world understands Black Canada. We also want to create opportunities for local folks to gather with us over time, and we’ll share those pathways as they come into focus.
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This cohort is being held as a Black-only space. Couple pricing is for Black couples sharing a room. We know this can be a tender ask. The intention is not exclusion for its own sake; it is about creating a particular kind of room where rest, story, and ancestral connection can move freely. Future retreats may have different framings.
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No pets at this retreat. SEEK does allow pets in some of their cabins on regular bookings, but for the cohort experience we’re running, we’re keeping the retreat pet-free for guest comfort, allergy considerations, and ease of group flow.
Service animals are absolutely welcome. If you will be traveling with a service animal, please let us know in your EOI so we can coordinate appropriately with SEEK and ensure everything is set up smoothly.
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Honestly and kindly. We assess for fit, intention, and group balance, with inclusivity guiding every choice. We are not looking for a particular type of person; we are looking for a healthy mix of people who will hold each other well in a small group.
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Secure online invoice payments via debit, major credit cards, PayPal, and Apple Pay. Standard for every guest, regardless of country.
Buy-now-pay-later options. Our invoice system offers Klarna and Affirm, both available for Canadian guests only. Unfortunately as Canadians using Canadian banks, neither platform extends these options to international or American guests; that is a limitation of the providers themselves, not of how we have set things up. American guests are welcome to use a credit card BNPL feature through their own bank if their card supports one.
One important note if you plan to use Klarna or Affirm. These platforms work by paying a vendor (us) the full amount upfront, then collecting from you in installments on their own terms. That means if you want to use Klarna or Affirm, you will need to choose the pay-in-full option at booking, not our three-installment plan. The buy-now-pay-later platform then handles the splitting on their side, and you make payments directly to them. This is actually a great option for guests who want a longer or more flexible payment timeline than the one we offer in-house.
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Fly into Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ). The drive to SEEK in Truro is about one hour. Aim for a flight that lands early enough to put you at SEEK by 5:00 PM Atlantic Time on August 27, since the welcome BBQ kicks off at 6:30 PM AT. You arrange your own rideshare in and out, and we reimburse up to $160 CAD round-trip ($80 each way) for that travel.
We strongly encourage carpooling.
Once the cohort is confirmed, we use the WhatsApp group to share arrival and departure windows so guests landing around the same time can split a rideshare. It cuts costs, lowers our collective footprint, and is honestly a nice icebreaker. Your first laugh of the retreat often happens in that first car. During the retreat itself, a chartered bus carries us to every off-property excursion, so once you are at SEEK you do not have to think about transportation again.
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Plan to be at SEEK by 5:00 PM Atlantic Time on August 27, 2026. The welcome BBQ kicks off at 6:00-ish PM AT, and we want everyone present and settled before we do the things. We understand that flight availability sometimes makes a 5 PM arrival tight; if your only realistic option lands you later, tell us in your EOI and we will work it out together. On the other end, plan to depart on August 31 at your own pace; SEEK check-out is at 11 AM. We share specific timing windows once you are confirmed.
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If you are travelling from outside Canada, yes, you need a valid passport. American guests need a passport (or a NEXUS card) to enter Canada by air. Depending on your country of citizenship, you may also need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a visitor visa. Check the Government of Canada website well in advance, since visa processing can take time. We are happy to provide a letter of invitation for guests who need one for their visa application; just ask once you are confirmed.
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Wi-Fi is available throughout SEEK and works well. Cell service in Truro is reliable on most major carriers. American guests should check with your provider about international roaming or pick up a local SIM if you plan to use cellular data heavily. The retreat is not a digital detox; we will not take your phone, and you can absolutely take photos and check in with home. We do gently suggest that during workshops and meals you let the phone rest in your pocket.
There are no TVs in the cabins or yurts. This is intentional. SEEK is built so the windows do the work televisions usually do; you'll be looking at trees, sky, and stars instead of screens. You are welcome to bring a laptop or tablet if you want to journal, watch something on Netflix in your cabin one night, or handle something for work that genuinely cannot wait. Wi-Fi supports it. Just know the room is set up to make you forget you brought the device.
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Only if you book the Shared Cabin tier as a solo guest, in which case you have your own bedroom inside a two-bedroom cabin, sharing the bathroom, kitchen, hot tub and living area with one other guest. Private Cabins and Yurts are not shared with other guests unless you are booking as a couple.
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Yes, of course. You’re an adult and you’re never “trapped” in the itinerary. If you need solo time, a nap, a quiet walk, or you want to skip an activity, that’s completely okay.
That said… the retreat is intentionally curated and the days are designed with a specific arc. So if you’re planning to regularly peel off and build your own separate trip alongside the retreat, this probably isn’t the right fit. The value here is in the shared experience, the group flow, and the fact that everything is organized for you.
We’ll also be doing a couple planned supply runs (and can coordinate essentials if needed), so you won’t need to be constantly “running errands” to feel taken care of.
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Late August in Nova Scotia is honestly some of the best weather of the year. Daytime highs typically sit around 20 to 25°C (68 to 77°F), with cooler evenings dropping to around 13 to 16°C (55 to 60°F). The Atlantic stays brisk year-round; ocean swims are quick and bracing. There is always a chance of rain on a given day, which is part of why every excursion has a plan B. Pack layers and you will be fine.
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The Private Cabin (Tier One) is a one-bedroom shipping container cabin with a private outdoor hot tub, a full kitchenette (kettle, coffee maker, microwave, mini fridge, dishes, utensils), climate control with air conditioning, a full ensuite bathroom, queen bed, an outdoor BBQ, and a fire pit. Linens and towels are provided. Wi-Fi is also available.
The Shared Cabin (Tier Two) is a two-bedroom version of the same shipping container build, with two private bedrooms (each with its own door and queen bed) and the rest of the cabin shared between two guests. That includes the bathroom, the kitchen, the living area, the outdoor hot tub on the shared deck, the BBQ, and the fire pit. If you are booking solo and the idea of sharing a bathroom with one other guest is a no-go for you, book the Private Cabin instead. If you are booking as a couple, you have the entire two-bedroom cabin to yourselves.
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Couples save $1,000 off the combined solo rate at every tier. Each partner pays their own $1,000 USD deposit at booking; the remaining balance can be split between you however you choose. Both deposits are non-refundable. In the rare case that one partner needs to withdraw, the deposit cannot be refunded, but the room can be rebooked at the solo rate; you would just need to let us know as early as possible.
Each partner submits their own Expression of Interest. We are bringing twelve individuals into a cohort, not six couples, and we want to know each of you. The EOIs do not need to be submitted at the exact same moment, but we cannot move forward with a couple's booking until we have heard from both partners.
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Breakfast every day on-site at SEEK. Lunches and dinners are curated through the week, with most meals coming from local Black-owned Nova Scotia kitchens, and additional included meals at restaurants on our excursion days plus a charcuterie evening at SEEK. Welcome baskets feature Nova Scotia–made snacks and drinks. We feed you well.
The first night is special. The welcome BBQ is cooked by family of the hosts, served warm and served generously, the way the meal would be served if you were dropping by their house instead of arriving for a retreat. It sets the tone for the whole week: this is a small, family-feeling gathering, not a catered event with you on one side of the table.
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Yes, and we want to know about them early. The EOI asks about dietary needs, food allergies, and any other food considerations. We work with our meal partners well in advance to make sure everyone is fed safely and joyfully. If you have very specific or complex needs, tell us; we would rather know now than improvise later.
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The welcome BBQ includes a one/two drink. The farewell dinner includes a closing toast. The wine country day includes wine, with included tastings.
Outside of those moments, alcohol is not included. If you order a cocktail at lunch on the heritage day, a beer at the beach, or extra glasses of wine beyond the tastings during the wine country day, those are on you. You are welcome to bring your own to SEEK; there is also a licensed cafe on-site if you want to grab something locally.
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Layers. Late August in Nova Scotia can swing from warm afternoons to cool evenings. Pack a swimsuit (hot tubs, beach day), a jacket or sweater, broken-in shoes for walking, sandals, sunscreen, bug spray, a reusable water bottle, and one slightly dressier outfit if you want to feel cute at the farewell dinner. We send a full suggested packing list to confirmed guests well before the trip.
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We want to be inclusive, and we want to be honest. SEEK is a forest-based property with gravel paths, uneven terrain, and outdoor stairs to some cabins and decks. The yurts have a short walk to a shared bathhouse. Excursions involve walking on trails, beach access, and time on a chartered bus. Cabins have full bathrooms with standard fixtures. If you have specific mobility, sensory, dietary, or medical needs, please share them in your EOI.
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No, and this is intentional. Cohort 1 is small, cozy, and built around comfort. The minute you bring a professional camera into a room, the room shifts; people start posing, performing, checking themselves. We do not want that for this retreat. We want you to laugh with ya mouth open. We want you to nap with your mouth open. We want you to be in your body without watching yourself from the outside.
You are absolutely welcome to bring your own camera or phone and document what you want to document, on your own terms. We will probably do the same. We will set up a shared Google Drive folder for the cohort, drop in our own photos and short videos as we go, and invite every guest to do the same. By the end of the week the folder becomes a beautiful, collective record of the trip from everyone's eyes, not one curated lens. The cohort WhatsApp group is the soft, real-time place for sharing too.
Anything that ends up in our future marketing will be drawn from those shared moments only with explicit consent from the people in the frame.
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Vanessa here: YESSSSS, PLEASEEEEE!!!
The Atlantic in late August is cold but very swimmable for most folks; some of us run in screaming, some of us wade slowly, some of us just sit in the wet sand. There will be lifeguards on duty at the beach we visit. We do not require swimming. If you do not feel safe in open water, the day is still beautiful from a chair on the sand.
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We have a small first-aid kit on hand and we can help you get to a clinic or pharmacy in Truro quickly. Truro has a hospital. If you fall ill mid-retreat and cannot continue with the group activities, you are welcome to rest in your cabin or yurt; we will still bring you food and check on you. Travel insurance handles anything more serious. Please disclose any health conditions we should know about in your EOI so we can plan kindly.
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For meals and services we cover, gratuities are included. You will not need to tip our chartered drivers, restaurant servers at our group meals, tour guides, or any vendor whose work is part of your retreat package. We handle that on the back end.
For anything you buy on your own, you cover the tip. If you grab a coffee at the SEEK cafe, order a cocktail at one of our restaurant stops, pick up a snack between meals, or buy a souvenir, the gratuity is your call. Servers and small business owners in Nova Scotia genuinely appreciate it.
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Cannabis is legal in Nova Scotia, and yes, you can choose to indulge. There are dispensaries in the province (including in and around Truro), so access isn’t the issue.
Our ask is about respect and group care. If you choose to use cannabis, please do so on your own time, during downtime, and in a way that doesn’t affect the group’s schedule, safety, or shared spaces. We won’t be building cannabis use into any group programming, and we ask that no one smokes it during workshops, guided heritage experiences, or while we’re in shared transportation. Whatever you decide to eat is your own business LOL.
Also, please be mindful of scent, allergies, and the fact that not everyone wants to be around smoke. If you have questions about what’s appropriate on-site, ask us and we’ll guide you.
Submit your Expression of Interest.
Cohort 1 is capped at 12 guests, by design. EOI closes 5/11/26, 12 PM EST.
If not now, then when?
52 to 4ever.
Truro is waiting. So are we.
Can’t wait to see you!
Please note that the operating entity of this retreat is Elevate & Explore Black Nova Scotia. Vanessa Smithers is a co-host. We are not working with a TICO travel representative, as this is not required for businesses operating in the province of Nova Scotia.