The Honey House

A space for creativity and light

The Honey House, located on Mnidoo Mnis (Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada), is a former rural beekeepers' homestead now hosting leaders, artists and vacationers for experiences of connection to light, beauty and land on 69 acres of evergreen forest and limestone escarpment.The Honey House is located on Anishinaabe land. We are thankful to be here and we acknowledge the role of the Great Manitoulin Island Treaty, 1862, in allowing us to live and work here.For our photo album, visit our Instagram page: @manitoulinhoneyhouse

For Leaders

Host a workshop or retreat

Host your next small-group workshop, retreat or event at the Honey House. Our intimate, light-filled space can host groups of up to 10-25 people, depending on the activity.Different configurations of the space are possible, from open space for embodied practices, to a large long table for meetings or collective meals, to rows of seating for tiny stage performances or lectures. We make a great home base for exploration of the northern-most tip of the Niagara Escarpment and Manitoulin Island as a whole.We love collaborating to make magic happen, especially in the fields of education, the outdoors, personal development and the arts. We look forward to hearing from you!

For Artists

Space for your creative project

Undertake research or production projects in this inspiring and grounded space. We welcome any medium, including visual arts, crafts, land-based arts, theatre, movement/dance, writing, film and music.We'll arrange the space to accommodate your needs. We can also help you make connections with the local arts communities or a small audience to try out new material.If applicable, we will gladly assist in the grant preparation process by supplying quotes and/or letters of engagement. We are also available to brainstorm how your project can make full use of the space, both indoor and outdoor.

For Vacationers

An oasis of tranquility

Our space is available for short-term vacation rental through Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/50698741We pride ourselves on our 5-star rating and love offering our guests a warm and sweet Island welcome. We have everything you need, from a well-equipped kitchen to bed linens. The open-concept loft layout is built for connection, so bring your friends and family. Enjoy togetherness in the peaceful forested setting, with the opportunity to meet islanders and businesses connected to the Honey House.This is a perfect spot for a tranquil winter getaway. Our property connects with an extensive system of pristine winter snowshoeing trails, right out the door!

About Us

Access

Getting here
We are located rurally near Wewebjiwong / Little Current, Ontario, a town of 1500 people on Manitoulin Island. The nearest city is Sudbury, Ontario, about 150 km north-east of us.We are about 500 km north of Toronto, accessible by car year-round by following highways 400 N, 69 N, 17 W, and 6 S, and crossing the bridge to the Island after passage through the Lacloche Mountains.We are also accessible by car and ferry by following highway 6 N from near Hamilton, all the way up the Bruce Peninsula to the ferry terminal in Tobermory, Ontario. The ferry runs seasonally from May to October and takes approximately 1.5 hours. See here for information: https://www.ontarioferries.com/ms-chi-cheemaun/.The nearest airport is in Sudbury about 200 km away, with a few connecting flights daily to and from Toronto with both Air Canada and Porter.Accessibility
The main space of the Honey House is only accessible through a flight of stairs. Neither of our bathrooms are currently wheel-chair accessible.Our hiking and snowshoeing trails, available only in winter and the shoulder seasons due to the presence of poison ivy, are of moderate to high difficulty levels, due to uneven terrain, occasional obstacles, and steep inclines.We use only non-toxic, perfume-free cleaning agents, in consideration for our non-human neighbours, of which there are many, and for guests with environmental sensitivities.Connectivity
There is full cell phone service at our location.
The house is also serviced with a high speed (16 Mbps) wifi internet connection that works well throughout the house and in the yard.Accommodations
The possibilities for sleeping arrangements are as follows:

  • Bedroom A: queen bed & extra space for a second queen bed mattress.

  • Bedroom B: double bed

  • Loft: double bed & twin bed

  • Main room: couch & two extra spaces for cots, air mattresses, or our spare queen mattress.

  • Yard: space for up to 3-6 tents

In summary, we have three private bedroom spaces with 4 beds between them, and can sleep 4 singles or 3 couples plus a single. Plus, we have a spare queen mattress that can be put in Bedroom A or in the main room. With some flexible and alternative sleeping arrangements (like by bringing tents and/or extra mattresses), we can sleep up to 12 people at one time (for workshops or artistic projects only). Extra motel or hotel accommodations are available just 15 minutes away.More than space for sleeping and the availability of privacy, the availability of water is often the limiting factor in hosting groups. Our well and rainwater system cannot accommodate dozens and dozens of toilet flushes a day or multiple showers per day. Water deliveries to our large cistern are possible though costly, and can be arranged.

How the Honey House Came to Be

In a beautiful mixed forest at the foot of a limestone escarpment on Anishinaabe territory, not far from the Northern shores of Lake Huron on the largest freshwater island in the world, sits a house of golden light, tranquility and creativity.

The Honey House was imagined and built by Dan and Veronika, master beekeepers, in 1983. The honey shop and industrial space on the ground floor served as their purpose-built honey processing facility, while the upstairs loft was their living quarters.

Dan and Veronika were as adventurous in their lives, being avid hikers and trail makers, canoers, and picnickers, as they were in their design ideas and intellectual pursuits. The Honey House was designed to worship the sun, letting in light throughout the day, from the eastern bedrooms greeting the light of dawn, to the main space flooding with sunlight during the day (especially in winter), to the kitchen, which basks in the warm glow of sunset night after night.After Dan's passing in the mid 1990s, Veronika continued raising their son, Timothy, in the house.In 2021, the house was sold to a family friend, who is continuing to revive its warm spirit.To this day, Veronika produces honey, explores the off-trail wildness of the Island on the daily, and tends a beautiful garden of flowers just down the road from her old house.

Your Host

Hi, I'm Mariana, a long-time island resident and descendant of French and Irish peoples..It's an honour to be a steward to both the Honey House and the gorgeous forest in which it sits. The Honey House as it is today is the first phase of a vision born of daydreams of a home for collaborative making, learning and celebrating.It's my pleasure to welcome you here!

Honey House Collaborators

Manitoulin Island Pure Honey is made by twelve honeybee colonies under the masterful care of Veronika Bingaman, the builder and original owner of the Honey House together with her late husband Dan. Many guests to the Honey House have the opportunity to sample her delicious unpasteurized honey, which used to be processed and sold from the ground floor of the house.

Danielle Bourgault is a queer white settler Herbalist who lights up the gardens at the Honey House by keeping and tending to her medicinal plant collection there. Danielle helps folks with their healing goals through a whole-person approach and a harm reduction framework. Her goal is to empower folks to gain more autonomy over their health and their bodies. Danielle can offer workshops, consultations or presentations to individual visitors or groups upon request.

CHEMISTRY + CRAFT is a designer and manufacturer of all-natural, plastic-free backpacks, functional garments, and other soft goods based outside of Sudbury, ON. They got their start on the ground floor of the Honey House.

New Grain Kitchen is an innovative, terroir-focused food producer on the Island, using local ingredients as much as possible. Need catered food during your time at the Honey House? We highly recommend their delicious fare.

Manitoulin Nordic Ski Club is next door to the Honey House at 2619 Hwy 540 Little Current. The Club, together with the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, maintains snowshoeing and hiking trails adjacent and connected to the Honey House land and trails. The trails climb up the escarpment, passing through cracks in the limestone and offering glimpses of the North Channel from above. The club offers $5 day passes for guests.

Still want to know more?

Contact Us

We look forward to connecting with you and collaborating!Please email us and we will respond soon.

Contact Info

Little Current ON P0P 1K0705-348-1901mariana.lafrance(a)gmail.com

We acknowledge our presence on Anishinaabe territory and we recognize the importance and wisdom of Anishinaabe people and culture in our world today. We are so grateful to live, work and play here.

Thank You

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