By Nick Stewart
Soaking in an outdoor pool in Timmins during winter may seem an odd idea to some, but Richard Lafleur is confident his hotel’s new Scandinavian-style spa will be able to convert critics.
Lafleur is currently midway through the construction of a $2 million expansion, which includes the new 5,000-square-foot outdoor spa at his hotel, Cedar Meadows, located two kilometres west of the city.
The spa will be one of just a few of its kind in Canada, making Cedar Meadows a relatively unique offering in the North, he says.
“We have to be different, because we don’t want to go head-to-head with the big chains, at least not directly, anyway,” Lafleur says.
“I have to offer something outside of the ordinary. Otherwise, I might as well just go and set up shop next to the rest of them.”
The hotel’s rustic appeal has already earned some points with clients. Lafleur expects the new spa expansion will be an added bonus to the covered wagon ride through the 200-acre property to feed moose, elk and bison.
With this style of spa, the sauna is used to trap heat in a person’s skin before they venture into the pool for a refresher. Should the colder temperature prove too daring, a hot tub and whirlpool will also be available. An equal amount of time is then spent relaxing in both, with the previous two steps to be repeated as desired.
While a firm believer in its appeal, Lafleur says not everyone has bought into the concept of lounging in an outdoor pool in the middle of December.
He admits that it sounds unusual and that people have openly wondered about the wisdom of the idea, but he’s certain it will be refreshing enough to act as an unconventional draw.
“People tell me I’m crazy, and I am. But while I’m a dreamer, I’m a realistic dreamer, and I make sure that these things are possible.”
In order to keep the facilities warm in the dead of a Northern winter, a wood gassification boiler will be used. By heating wood and the resulting fumes to nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the process consumes any excess smoke.
This not only halves the amount of wood used, but provides an environmentally-friendly solution.
Construction of the spa is just part of the $2 million in expansions underway at the hotel, assisted by a $900,000 loan from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. The project also includes the construction of a 1,000-square-foot luxury suite, as well as 20 new double rooms, bringing the hotel’s number of units to 49. This larger size will allow the hotel to feature new card-locked doors and 42-inch flat-screen televisions in each of the new rooms. It will also add 12 staff to the 25 already employed.
While the resort was initially designed to cater to casual travelers, weddings and snowmobilists, its unique nature-based appeal has become particularly attractive to business travellers. With a growing interest in regional mining activity, this demographic now makes up 75 per cent of the hotel’s business, providing Lafleur with the incentive he needs to finally push the project forward.
As the result of constant customer demand, a new 13,000-square-foot exercise facility is being built, complete with exercise bikes, elliptical trainers, multi-station gyms and treadmills.
“This kind of exercise site is easily the number one thing requested by my business clients,” he says. “A lot of these people are really into fitness, so it allows them to keep up the healthy part of their routine while they’re away.”
The expansion will also tend to the work aspect of business travel, adding a new conference room to the facility.
While several such rooms already exist on site, the new one will allow for up to 40 people to make use of amenities such as Internet and presentation screens. Lafleur is still on the fence as to whether videoconferencing capabilities will be incorporated.
Much of the foundation and groundwork for the expansion was built late last year, with work starting up again in May. The structures, roofing and windows will be completed in the coming weeks, leaving internal workings such as electricity and plumbing to be finished in time for a September unveiling. A manager has been hired to oversee the project, with up to 20 local sub-contractors handling the construction and installation.
While Lafleur says $2 million is a relatively small sum given the extent of the proposed expansion, years of advanced preparation have allowed work to progress “very efficiently.”
When the hotel was first built in 2000, plans were already in place for much of the current expansion, with infrastructure for water, sewer and even parking for 100 rooms.
Although it took a little longer than expected Lafleur says the project is moving forward and will be completed by fall of this year.
