investStratford

Together, our passion is to serve in the people business. We are delighted to share this place with you locally and beyond. At our Retreat, it is our commitment to wrap you in our forest of comfort, cleanliness and hospitality. Not only do we provide our motel guests with an array of outdoor activities and amenities to enjoy, we also like to give the local community a chance to enjoy our property and all it has to offer as well. The addition of our Guided Nature and History tours has allowed us to share our property with many locals. If you're looking for unique, secluded, & scenic accommodations in Stratford Ontario close to The Stratford Festival, you've found the right place.

Address

2941 Forest Road,Stratford, Ontario

Grant Amount

$18,000

Total Project Cost

$25,450

"The idea of a guided nature and history tour throughout the grounds of The Forest Motel & Woodland Retreat was conceived 16 years ago when the property was purchased by the current owners, Kim and Conroy Schelhaas. Due to busy summers and sparse, quieter winters, it was next to impossible to implement this program until the assistance of Invest Stratford.Thanks to their assistance, the Forest Motel and Woodland Retreat can now implement and offer many outdoor opportunities such as informational hiking, snowshoe and cross-country ski tours, to local Stratford and Perth County residents that we never had in place before. It also opens up a new opportunity for tourism in the future allowing travel to a natural area that conserves the environment, encourages health & well-being of the participants through exercise & fresh air, and sustains the history of the area and outdoor education for many future years ahead."

Kim & Conroy Schelhaas

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Project Summary

We offer Guided Nature and History Tours through hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing experiences with self-guiding tour brochures or with a nature and history tour guide has been the project goal.

All tour programs are operational and will be a part of the tourism experience available to all visitors of Stratford, as well as locals, in all seasons, over the years to come.

Key Impacts

• The Forest Motel & Woodland Retreat will be known as a wetlands conservation, nature preserve, and forest protection property that teaches stewardship and conservation of our natural resources.

• The Forest Motel & Woodland Retreat is working in conjunction with the Avon Trail, Tourism Perth County, Tourism Stratford and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority in educating the general public and our Stratford guests about the importance of our natural resources.

• The trail program, now a slow roll out because of the Covid-19 situation, will employ 2-3 full time personnel in the future in providing tours and maintaining the trails and the program.

• The programming is being tailored for Scouts, Guides, youth groups and school groups as an avenue of environmental and historical education.

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Forest Motel & Woodland Retreat

Address

Grant Amount

Total Project Cost

Project Summary

Key Impacts

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