Once upon a time, I was at the height of my professional career teaching English in high school and Singing at L.U. I maintained a small private studio, performed regularly and managed to read at least one good novel a week. I loved my work, colleagues, students and life in general. One day, I collapsed at work. Life as I had known it ceased to exist. I began a long, sometimes difficult, sometimes beautiful journey of discovery and wellness.
For two months mobility outside my home was restricted to a wheelchair. For many more years I required a cane to maintain balance. Although there were many physical limitations for several years, what I found most disconcerting was what I referred to as 'brain fog'. My excellent memory, the ability to make sense of anything I read or heard was greatly impaired. I struggled to retrieve simple words like 'tomato' from my memory bank. I could not follow a conversation and frankly, I didn't have the energy to do so. Energy was at a premium and a whole day would find me focused on a doctor's appointment or preparing a meal. Any activity, mental or physical, completely exhausted me. I was incapable of carrying on a conversation.
No one could diagnose it and because of that, it was concluded that it was all in my head or I was conning everyone. Intuitively, I chose to work with my chiropractor and his assistant and found a medical doctor who was comfortable with alternative healing. Together we journeyed through the maze of symptoms and therapies that were the least invasive for my battered body. After a thorough physical and tests it was discovered that I had active Epstein-Barr Virus which explained some of my symptoms, certainly the fatigue, but not all.
I would become incredibly weak and disoriented upon entering commercial buildings with fluorescent lighting or electronic devices. I wore dark glasses with shields above and on the sides to minimize the effects
At this stage I would never go alone anywhere. I would build my whole day around a grocery shopping trip for
My greatest moment of hope occurred in January when Ron took me to the
A friend of my daughter's gave me the name of a magazine that seemed to address the symptoms of my illness, M.E. Canada. M. E stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis. It encompasses five illnesses that elicit many of the same symptoms and affect the same parts of the immune and neuro systems: chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivities and candida. I was experiencing all of the symptoms except fibromyalgia. I had minimal pain and it was not chronic. I give thanks for this reprieve every day. What was important to me was that I discovered that I was not alone and I was not crazy as the insurance companies and their paid medical practitioners wanted me to believe. Furthermore, I discovered that there was a legal firm in
The Epstein-Barr Virus was no longer active.
It was clear; we had to relocate to the country .Thus began a search that spanned several years. We needed property that was at a high elevation to be above the effluent stream, and it had to be away from hydro and microwave towers. In October 1998 by accident, we found our once-in-a-lifetime property and the rest is history.
Ron, a designer and problem solver extrordinaire, was in his element researching, discovering and devising ways to accommodate my illness and still meet standards set out by CMHC and the municipality. When Ron designs a home he gets to know his clients, their dreams, needs and lifestyle and then he examines the property thoroughly. His designs take everything into consideration. Our home and business is a perfect example of this.
The building site is 400' higher than
The building is constructed mostly of pine with poplar logs on the outside walls of The Grotto and is a timber frame post and beam construction. All our windows and kitchen cabinets are recycled. We are completely off-grid using solar and wind energy. In winter our south facing windows provide optimum passive solar heat. We have an outdoor furnace that pumps hot water through the perimeter of the building and heats a large indoor pool that sits beneath the floor of The Grotto and acts as a heat sink. We also have a large radiant heating fireplace on the main floor that supplements the outdoor furnace. We have used no toxins in the construction or maintenance of the building. During the design and construction phase we consulted with Helmut Ziegh at the Bau Biologie Institute in
At the onset of my illness, I chose to address the healing of Body, Mind and Spirit. I had the time to do this and I soon realized that my life depended on it. I will not delve into this part of my journey at this time. However we plan a retreat/workshop in the very near future which will address these techniques for those who might benefit from them. I embraced my illness for what it had to teach me. What was I to learn from this?
The site for Taiga Ventures addresses every aspect of the illness: Body, Mind, Spirit. We sit majestically in a forest clearing at the top of a glacial esker, secluded from the rest of the world but with a spectacular view of it. We are confessed gluttons of pure, fresh air and water..
The mind becomes creative when it is clear and a new problem requires a unique solution.
Writing, involvement in community, provincial and national organizations, a new business that requires new contacts, marketing on a string, networking, programming all require intellectual involvement and acuity.
The Spirit is fed through the God within, the Body and Mind and through its connection to nature, natural processes, and through gratitude for a journey of purpose, learning and love.
Taiga Ventures is the child of this union. It begs to be shared and experienced. To make the most of your experience the parking areas are away from the building site. For those who are able to make the five minute walk to The Grotto, we encourage you to do so. For those who cannot, we will shuttle you to and from the site. For the comfort and safety of all, we are a fragrance free venue. For those who are uncomfortable with driving, we can arrange in town pickup and return with Prestige Limousine service. A ten passenger limousine or a fourteen passenger van will make your group traveling economical and enjoyable. There will be no need to worry about night driving, inclement weather or a designated driver.
Our meals are catered by Lori Paras of the Ruby Moon Catering and her menu is available online at www.rubymooncatering.com. Her meals are wholesome and healthy, using local produce when in season and top meat selections from reputable local butchers. Did we mention that they are home cooked and mouthwatering?
We welcome your groups to our facility for meetings, conferences, retreats, parties, weddings, etc. we can seat 80 for dinner or we can organize the room to suit your needs.
We have the space indoors or out and the expertise to provide team/corporate development for your business.
You might wish to include a hike or skiing or perhaps a guided night walk in the wilderness, a bonfire ......
There are so many options to make your event unique and memorable. We will work with you to design the right combination of activities for your group. You will have exclusive use of the facilities while you are at Taiga Ventures, so that all of our attention will be focused on you.
Above all, it is the healthiest conference centre in the world and it is right here.
