True North Destinations
True Wellness and Updates!
Hi Everyone,
Thank you for another amazing season at True North. We celebrated so many special memories with you all and are grateful for your continued business and support.
This season we added new Electra Cruiser bikes with some fun local routes to enjoy during your stay, we are excited to have this new activity for years to come!
Guests now have Laundry facilities between the hours or 6-9 pm daily, please inquire at the office for access and pricing information.
We have new Wellness practices available during your stay. Private yoga and sound bath sessions with myself starting 2024, I look forward to connecting and sharing True Wellness with you!
See our True Wellness & Signature Practices page for more details.
The Pointe Platform is scheduled to be completed for the 2024 season, this new location will be home to all yoga and sound bath sessions but also available to be reserved by guests to experience its serene, peaceful spa like environment.
The Pointe Platform will be an adults only location onsite.
Stay tuned for more exciting details for The New Signature Experience Peace at The Pointe this upcoming season!
Our rates have adjusted slightly for the 2024 season and will now include BBQ and Propane supplies.
Our calendar is live with bookings for 2024 available now, online.
We will be closed for the winter season this year, starting Sunday, December 3rd, 2023.
Reopening Friday, April 5th, 2024.
'Tis The Season Reminder: Gift Certificates are now available for purchase for the Holiday Season!
Stay Tuned for our New Signature "Dome" Collection, a True North collaboration with Epiphany Co.
See you all in 2024,
Tanya & Team True North
Winter 2023 Season, Wellness & Yoga
Hi Everyone!
Wow, what a ride these past few years have been. I wanted to take a moment to give thanks and express sincere gratitude for everyone a part of this Journey the past few years. You all know who you are, family, friends, staff, and of course our guests along the way.
Opening a business is not for the faint of heart, operating one through covid has been a whole other ball game! As we begin to see what life and the world now looks like post covid, we all have a bit of time to exhale and take a look around us. Most of us have been putting our heads down and just focusing on getting through, while others are trying to keep their heads above water. Some have made out okay, while others have not.
One thing I know for sure is that when the focus is on wellness, practiced gratitude and really embracing the life and moment around you, at the core of all things-it's a game changer health & happiness.
True North began with a feeling, a sense of wellness and peace when being near the ocean and the mountains of The Cape Breton Highlands. A practice of pause, homecoming (literally & figuratively) and a time to recalibrate... or as often said around home, Finding your bearings.
The truth is, it always existed and has now manifested into a space that enables others to experience and a team of amazing individuals.
For the upcoming 2023 season Wellness will be at the forefront of The Dome Experience at True North, incorporating our wellness weekends as well as Highland Hatha Yoga & Sound Healing Retreats for guests.
We are also offering Winter wellness free to the local community. Weekly Karma Hatha Yoga Classes online via zoom with myself. Attendees will need a yoga mat, block and reliable internet. Zoom links will be sent and you can practice from the comfort of your own home.
A 12 week program beginning the week of December 12th 2022 through March 3th 2023, the program is free to everyone.
Please email reservations@truenorthdestinations.ca to sign up and receive weekly schedules as well as zoom links for classes.
Lastly, True North will not be open for this upcoming Winter Season. The domes will be closed for the season starting Sunday, November 27th 2022 and will reopen for March Break Fun on Friday, March 3rd 2023.
Keep an eye out for our Ski and Snow shoe packages with North Highlands Nordic!
Sincerely,
Tanya
The Winter Dome Experience at True North
Travel tips and other important information!
We are very excited to be hosting our first off season/winter weekends guests this year at True North. Our area and accommodation is very unique and remote so we have decided to pop on here and share some tips with you!
Food: All restaurants in Pleasant Bay are now closed for the season. We are now offering Charcuterie Boxes that can be pre ordered and in your dome upon arrival! Another option for guests travelling to us through Cheticamp to stop in for groceries at the local grocery store or restaurants for take out.
The domes are equipped with cook top range and cooking supplies for you to cook your own meals! (no ovens)
BBQs will not be on decks this time of year and must be requested in advance.
Timmons Store is the town general store that is open until 5 pm daily in the offseason and serves as a small grocer and Canada Post. You can stop in there to grab any snacks or treats you may want during your stay.
Timmons store is closed on Sundays.
Gas: When travelling to Pleasant Bay ensure that you have a full tank of gas.
There are gas stations in Cheticamp and Cape North, both are approx. 35 mins from True North in either direction During the off season (November through April) these locations can close quite early (as early as 5 pm)
Cheticamp has a pay at the pump 24 hour gas option.
Drive with caution, winter tires are a must in the mountains.
Cell Service: There is no cell service in Pleasant Bay, we know! Crazy! We ask that all guests ensure their wifi calling is enabled and our site is equipped with a pay phone at the office in the event of an emergency.
You will have cell service in Cheticamp and Cape North, south and North of us 35 minutes in either direction.
Winter Activities: All activities added on to your reservation are self guided.
North Highlands Nordic X Country ski, located in Cape North have a clubhouse, where you will check in and be sized for your boots and skis before hitting the trails! Snow shoe rental are available through North Highlands Nordic as well.
Onsite Snow Shoes are general two sizes and can be added to your done stay, guests must come into the office to choose their size. Recommended trails in the area are MacIntosh Brook Trail, Benji's Lake Trail (staff pick!, Dawn's favorite) and the Skyline Trail. All trails are within 15 minutes of the domes!
*Please note that the Cape Breton highland trails are not supervised this time of year. There are emergency huts, with phone for emergencies located near the skyline trail and another on the top of The North Mountain.
Dome Tips:
Remember you are Winter Glamping, but we have made some upgrades to enhance the winter dome experience for our guests!
All hot tubs will be run on 240v, upgrading them from the soft spa category
New larger fireplaces will be installed mid November for extra warmth
Oceanside fire pits are available for guests use.
Keep dome heat pump at a consistent temperature to avoid fluctuations.
Wear our homemade slippers to keep toes cozy and warm!
Bring sandals or flips flops to wear when you head out to the hot tub (or sauna, if your in a Nordic Dome)
Allow the Sauna to preheat for a minimum 15 minutes before entering * Nordic Domes only
Always wear your robe outside, brr!
Off season Office Hours:
Fridays 4-8 pm
Saturdays 4-8 pm
Emails will be checked daily throughout the week and we ask that all guests cancel reservations via email only, to ensure confirmation.
Cancellation Policy: Our policy has changed for our off season and winter weekend stays. Cancellations must be made one week in advance, if not guests are subject to the full charge of stay.
We look forward to hosting you!
Tanya
IMPORTANT LOCKDOWN INFORMATION!
Good morning Guests,
We have been in communication with our local MLA in regards to possible lockdown extension dates and timing of public announcements for directives from public health and our NS premier so we can provide the best customer service to our guests and avoid the midnight hour changes that happened recently.
We are told to expect a lockdown extension.
We will be waiting for an official announcement before reaching out to any guests with reservations from May 20th through May 31st.
We will contact you with the email addresses we have on file.
We will not be taking any new reservations at this time, as we have a priority list for those guests who have chosen to wait list their reservation for later this season.
Guests who are on the priority list will be contacted by telephone once we are given directive and date that lockdown measures will be lifted.
Our office will remain closed until lockdown is lifted.
We thank you all for your continued support, understanding, patience and most importantly for doing your part for the safety of our province.
We look forward to hosting everyone as soon as we can.
Tanya
IMPORTANT RESERVATIONS ANNOUNCEMENT!
In light to today’s announcement from Premier Rankin & Dr. Strang of the order restricting non essential travel between communities in the province, we will be pushing our opening date to the tentative date of May 20th, 2021.
We ask that you practice patience these next couple of weeks as I personally make my way through each reservation and contact you directly.
We are asking that you do not send emails as previously asked of you while our office has been closed in the off season for reservation changes.
We will contact you directly with the email addresses we have on file regarding your reservation.
We want to thank all guests from HRM who followed their initial restrictions, cancelling and/or rebooking for next season!
We also want to thank everyone who filled those cancellations locally who we will begin contacting in the upcoming weeks.
In the event that these restrictions are in place for longer than May 20th we will begin contacting guests with reservations after that date, shortly before to process these changes.
We are hopeful for opening and looking forward to a wonderful June summer and fall season, as the province ramps up vaccinations.
We are extremely disappointed that we are here in this situation again, a whole year later.
We wish everyone health and safety as we all work through this upcoming month of restrictions.
We thank you all for your continued support and patience.
Sincerely,
Tanya
FAQ's
Welcome February!
We are popping on here to answer some of the most common frequently asked questions we receive.
1: What is your cancellation policy?
Our cancellation policy is very flexible. At time of booking a 20% deposit is charged to secure your reservation. Reservations that are cancelled outside of one week of scheduled arrival, the 20% deposit is fully refundable.
Reservations that are cancelled within one week of scheduled arrival is subject to the 20% deposit.
Reservations that are cancelled within 48 hours (for any reason) is subject to the total cost of the reservation. In light is travel restrictions and Covid, it makes it difficult to re book a dome last minute. We thank you for you understanding on this matter.
2: Are you Pet Friendly?
We are no longer pet friendly. Last year we gave it a try and decided to allow pets. We got to meet lots of amazing pets (even introduced a few to my English Bulldog Ruby) Unfortunately, due to costs from some damages and extra cleaning we incurred, we have made the tough decision to no longer allow pets. We thank you all for your understanding on this matter.
3: What domes are cliffside? Where are the Nordic Spa Domes located?
Seaspray domes & Driftwood domes are cliffside. The Nordic Spa domes are located in Seaspray 1 and Driftwood 3.
4: What are check in and check out times?
Check ins can start at 4 pm and check outs are at 10 am. Due the the extra steps and precautions relating to Covid 19, we are unable to accommodate late check outs. If you are hoping to check in early, give us a call at the office and we will let you know if you dome is ready for you and will happily allow you early access. Please check in with the office before making your way to your dome.
5: Do we allow single night stays?
Yes, we do! While we do have a two night minimum during our peak season ( June 15th through September 15th) and on all weekends throughout the season. Guests can book single night stays online during the Low season May to June 15th and September 15th through October 31st.
*We also allow for single night bookings during peak season if there are any remaining between reservations*
6: What are your office hours and contact information?
*As of Sunday Jan 31st, 2021 the toll free number and office number will not be open. If you would like to make changes to an existing reservation, make a new reservation or have any questions please email us at reservations@truenorthdestinations.ca and allow up to 48 hours for reply. Our onsite office will reopen Saturday May 1st, 2021 with both local and toll free phone lines open from 9 am and 5 pm. We look forward to hosting all of our guests this upcoming season!
In season, May through October the office is open 9 am through 5 pm. This past year we have had to, at times, change up our hours due to Covid and staffing issues. We will always be sure to update information on our social media pages to keep everyone in the loop.
During the season both the local number and toll free numbers are open to calls during office hours.
Offseason: November through April, the onsite office is shutdown as is the local number (902 224 3055) I work from my home office where I can be reach through the toll free number (1 833 223 6637) during limited times of the day and typically reply to emails (reservations@truenorthdestinations.ca) within 48 hours.
Winter Weekend Hours: Fridays and Saturdays 4-8 pm
7: How many people can stay in a dome?
Occupancy per dome is 4 guests, or 5 guests (only if the 5th guest is a small child, as a children's cot can be provided). Each dome is equipped with bedding for 4 guests, a queen size bed and a queen sofa bed. An additional option for a Child's cot is subject to availability. If you are 5 adults, you will need to book two domes due to our occupancy capacities. We cannot allow guests to bring their own bedding and set up air mattresses etc. We thank you for your understanding on this matter.
8: Can we set up tents onsite?
Unfortunately, no. The green space on site is for yard games, and the fire pits are located in the oceanside green space. We do have a campground in Pleasant Bay; MacIntosh Brook Campground. It's a beautiful location and a short five minute drive from us.
9: Are you open during the winter?
Yes we are open Weekends only!
10: Do we have a cancellation or waitlist?
At this time we do not have a cancellation or waitlist. We encourage all guests to check in periodically with our online availability calendar and booking system to see any new openings that may arise.
We thank you all for your continued support. We look forward to hosting all of our new and return guests this season and working towards enhancing the dome experience at True North with each passing season.
The system is correct in showing our available dates, however it will not allow you to book the dates consecutively that are not in the same dome. We are currently down to limited availability and there are several single night stays open between current reservations.
For example, on our end we have a single night on October 6th (Boreal Dome), single night on October 7th (Highlander dome) and a single night on October 8th (Driftwood dome)
The calendar shows availability on October 6th 7th and 8th but when guests search for a two night stay or three night stay it shows nothing is available. This is because there are only single nights between existing reservations remaining in different domes. Our system will not allow you to book consecutive night stays in different domes.
When this happens, in order to secure the dates, you will have to search the dates as individual single night and book them in that fashion. This means you will have to move domes during your stay. We hope this helps our guests better navigate our online booking system.
Sincerely,
Tanya
COVID 19 Response *Updated Information, 2021 Season*
Hi Everyone,
We hope you are all well. This post is to inform all guests and potential guests of our new operating plan and changes to the dome experience here at TND in light of operating rules and regulations as we work our way through living with Covid-19.
Staff: Each day staff are tested for body temperatures before starting their day. We are able to maintain 2m distancing between each staff member and all staff have PPE. We have equipped housekeeping with a new hand washing/sanitizing station. Staff can gather outside respecting the 2m distancing.
Check ins: Check in information is send to the email addresses we have online, including your key pad entry code 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. We cannot allow for early check ins, due to cleaning/disinfecting procedures in place and the time it will take for housekeeping to complete all domes, thank you for your understanding. Check ins being at 4 pm. The office will be open for check ins, please remember that there is only one person allowed in the office at a time.
Check out and Payment processing: Check outs will be processed in person and via email. We will email guests check out information and receipts. Late check outs will not be permitted this season due to the cleaning/disinfecting procedures in place and the time it will take for housekeeping to complete all domes, thank you for your understanding. Check out is 10 am.
Acceptable forms of payment are Visa, Mastercard and Debit. We do require a credit card on file for incidentals and guests can come into the office during office hours 9 am to 5 pm to make payment. We can also process over the phone payment of your stay and email you a receipt.
We will accept cash but would prefer not to at this time.
Housekeeping: At True North we are very proud of our provided amenities to enhance your stay. After reviewing the procedures for accommodations given by the tourism industry, housekeeping will look a little different this season.
Each dome has been equipped with a housekeeping sign. If you are staying for longer than one night and need new towels or linens we ask that you hang the house keeping sign outside your door for us to see. The Housekeeping signs will need to be out and visible between the hours of 9 am to 12 noon, to ensure staff is able to provide you with what you need.
Guests will also have to bag their soiled towels/linens in the bags provided and lay them outside their door if new items are needed. House keeping will then bring fresh, new supplies to the requested dome and place it outside your door for you and take away the soiled items.
Guests will need to provide an accurate number of guests so all domes can be stocked with extra supplies based on number of people in the dome and length of stay.
All domes will be equipped with broom and swiffer for any spills during stay.
Housekeeping will be cleaning/disinfecting all domes upon final departure of guests.
All domes will also be sanitized with Sanifog after each check prior to staff entry and new check in arrivals for the safety and peace of mind of everyone. Every dome is now equipped with Active Pure Technology for an added layer of air quality and protection for our guests!
Housekeeping will not be entering domes when occupied by guests.
Maintenance can enter domes for emergency issues but guests will have to exit the dome while maintenance is inside.
BBQs: Each dome is equipped with a small BBQ, propane is available for a small fee and guests are able to take the propane with them when they leave.
Sunset Viewing Deck: This onsite feature will not be available this season 2021. Thank you for your understanding as we manoeuvre through these Covid times and place priority on certain site features before others. The good news is the sunset views from your own private decks will be just as good! There will be chairs on the decks of each dome.
Fire Pits: Fire pits will be accessible for guests to use. In accordance with the social distancing rules of 2m and out door gathering of different households at time of stay. We have two ocean side fire pits, please be mindful of your times so other guests can enjoy as well. Chairs will be around fire pits with sanitizing spray for guests to use before each use. Use at your own risk.
Fire wood is for sale on site by my niece and nephew in a bin outside the office. Please keep in mind that in the event of a fire ban, the fire pits won’t be open for use. This will be posted on the door of the office daily for guests to be aware of.
Dome Stays: Dome reservations are available to single house families, or bubble house families. We ask that guests stick to their own domes and decks. In the event of gathering, adhere to the outdoor Gatherings limit established by the province at time of stay. Limit gathering to outdoor spaces only (decks and fire pit areas) and not inside domes.
Hot Tubs: Hot tubs are available for guests to use during their stay. We reviewed the CDC protocols for hot tub use. Maintaining proper sanitizing levels kills any and all bacteria and virus, its business as usual and we go to great lengths to ensure top quality in our hot tubs. Ph balancing, alkalinity, calcium, chlorine testing will be completed daily. Shocking and water replacement are all procedures we have to ensure the safety of our hot tubs. Water is tested and maintained daily and this season we will also be implementing replacements/chemical sanitizing of filters after each check out. Hot tubs will also be sprayed with Sani-fog for guests peace of mind.
Laundry: We typically offer laundry in the evenings from 6-9 pm once staff has completed their time in our housekeeping building. We are not able to offer laundry temporarily for this season, in light of staffing and monitoring needed for sanitation after each use. Thank you for your understanding.
Office & Onsite Maintenance: Someone is available 24 hours a day during your stay onsite, please review the contact information found inside your dome. We ask that guests enter the office from the ramp side of the deck, wait in the designated spot before entering and exit straight down the stairs when leaving. There will be arrows to direct you.
The office is open from 9 am to 5 pm (in season) and in the event of after hours check ins or emergencies, guests will need to send a message to reservations@truenorthdestinations.ca or call the toll free number 1 833 223 6637. These will go directly to maintenance in the event they are needed.
We thank everyone for their continued support. We are working hard to provide safety and peace of mind for all guests to fully relax and unwind during their stay with us.
We look forward to seeing you all soon.
TND
