Chapter 3 – The Offer: Heart Over Money

Sometimes it takes heart over money. When it came time to submit our offer on the property, we didn’t have the highest bid, but we had something else: a commitment to preserve the lodge’s history and restore its purpose — to create a peaceful retreat for family, friends, and anyone seeking to escape the complexities of life.

The property had already lived many lives. Built in 1945 by Jack and Adrien Freeman, it passed through families and eventually became a healing lodge used by Indigenous organizations. It had stood through decades of storms, neglect, and silence, yet it still carried a powerful sense of spirit and belonging.

We knew our proposal wasn’t the strongest financially. The lodge was remote, off-grid, and challenging for most banks to finance. But we believed our intentions mattered. We weren’t interested in subdividing or commercializing the land — we wanted to revive it as a family retreat, keeping its legacy whole and authentic.
Days went by without a word.

Then the call came.

Our offer had been accepted.

When I spoke with ONWA’s Executive Director, she told me something that stayed with me:
“Your offer was slightly less than another one we received,” she said, “but I liked your story.”
That moment reinforced everything we hoped this project would represent. In a world driven by numbers and profit margins, heart still counted for something.
For us, this wasn’t just a transaction; it was an act of stewardship — a promise to rebuild with respect, to preserve what had been sacred to others, and to breathe new life into the land.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, when the real challenge begins: Finding the right financing to bring our dream to life.