Ever so welcoming, it offers all that you can ask for

Our student society has chosen to hold our annual business retreat at Breathe Easy Cottages for the 6th year in a row. There are many reasons behind our choice, however, what we really love about Breathe Easy Cottage is the privacy and comfort we experience every single year. The Breathe Easy home is ever so welcoming, offers all that you can ask for in terms of living, from their fully equipped kitchen to the many cozy bedrooms that can accommodate small or very large groups.

The facility is everything we hope it to be: a spacious living room that allows for team building activities, a large field where sports can be played, and a clean environment where everyone can feel at home.

Every year, our members get together to engage in team building activities, from cooking together in the kitchen, to gathering around a campfire at night to share our memorable stories.

Our group loves the Breathe Easy home, as we have made so many memories there over the years, making it a very special place to us. We recommend any group interested in a having a comfortable and memorable time to explore Breathe Easy Cottage.

Lots of activities without having to go anywhere

Breathe Easy Cottage was our destination for celebrating the 2017 New Year. Sixteen of us, 10 adults and 6 kids, flew and drove in from New York, Chicago and Waterloo hoping for some good snow and skiing conditions. Knowing that good snow is not assured at this time of year, we thought that renting a cottage might be a bit risky.

However, even though the snow we wanted wasn’t there when we first arrived we soon got a big snow storm that must have dumped a half a meter of snow on us. We soon realized that if we had to be stuck somewhere because of uncooperative weather, this cottage was a great choice because it offered lots of activities without having to go anywhere.

In the three days that followed, we all had lots of fun, although not by going out to the trails. Unwilling to dig our cars out of the snow, we went to explore the property around the house. Quickly, we made our own ski trails all around the forest and fields surrounding the house and found some sleds in the shed. And the bird watching was also a big hit, especially with the kids! Others got to work on an igloo. Those of us who dug their cars out of the snow visited some towns and a beautiful waterfall in the area. There are lots for beautiful landscapes to the east, north and west, all within 45 minutes to an hours travel.

Inside, the house was very spacious and comfortable. The kitchen is large and convenient and the common area is spacious, but cozy. The owner of the property was extremely helpful and responsive during our stay. He was always easy to reach by phone and went out of his way to make sure our stay was pleasant and enjoyable.

Let the stress of the world fade away at Breathe Easy

Breathe Easy Cottage is a real gem. Our group has been using it for an annual reunion for the last 3 years, and we plan to continue doing so for many years to come.

It's fully equipped to handle large groups, with a large beautiful kitchen, lots of comfy beds for everyone, and more property than you could ever need. It's a definite highlight that the place is remotely located. We had a concert on the back deck and there weren't any neighbors to bother. It's also loaded with stuff for our group to do, bocce ball, croquet, a volley ball net, seating for everyone, and an almost inexhaustible amount of free fire wood for late night campfires!

Words really can't describe this place, though. You have to see it to believe it. Our whole group spends the year looking forward to pulling into the driveway and letting the stress of the world fade away for a weekend.

Plenty of yard space for group activities

The University of Western Ontario Cross Country team spent 4 days at the Breathe Easy Cottage for our pre-season training camp. The cottage not only easily accommodated all 30 of us and satisfied all of our trip’s needs, but it also had fantastic back roads free from traffic to train on. The cottage was also close enough to the beach which made our trip that much more pleasant.

The cottage also had plenty of yard space that was perfect for the many group activities we did during our stay. On top of all these great things the cottage had to offer, the kitchen was large and had all the necessary appliances to make cooking meals for our team very easy. This was the first year we decided to hold our training camp at this location and I would be shocked if we did not return for future seasons.

Spacious, warm and comfortable

Almost every year for years I’ve been able join a group of old friends who get together for an annual mid-winter getaway, somewhere quiet, hopefully with good snow, and beds and space enough for the small crowd that usually shows up. It’s a chance to stoke friendship with excellent food and drink, skiing, card games, music, and lots of laughs. The menu is a collaborative effort, and the food is always good, with teams assigned to cook meals or clean-up. The costs of accommodation and food are shared. Our last two getaways have been at Breathe Easy Cottage. I’m certain we’ll be back again...

The kitchen’s where I spent most of my time, watching the food coming together - or helping it get put away as the case may be - or just checking out the many birds at the feeders outside the big kitchen windows. The layout and materials made it easy to cook for a lot of discriminating eaters, big tiled work surfaces, and premium (quiet) energy-efficient appliances making the work faster. The induction stovetop cooked quickly and cleaned up easily. Just about any dish, pan, or kitchen tool you’d hope for was easily found, helping to loosen a cook’s spontaneity, so putting out a spread for a crowd was manageable and fun.

For me, being in the kitchen meant I got to hear the music spilling out of the library, which when we’re there is where it’s played. Some of our group are musicians who’ve played together on such occasions for decades, so there’s always familiar standards and new tunes being shared. Their library jams made for a sweet treat!

The physical terrain of Breathe Easy in the West Grey highlands is worth experiencing if you haven’t before. The views in its near-empty rolling hills are soul-restoring, and the deep sand and gravel glacial till it lies on at elevation means the well water there is pure and sweet. I came initially for the skiing. Some of us like to get out onto the many trails in Grey County. Sometimes it’s enough just to put down some fresh tracks around the property, on skis or snowshoes. Breathe Easy afforded plenty of room to stretch your legs over its gentle hills. We saw signs of wildlife everywhere, deer, as well as the tracks of the coyotes that harried them in the night, and those of wild turkeys and other critters. Others in the group walked down to visit the historic Welbeck Sawmill and store.

Coming in from the cold, the house was spacious, warm and comfortable, radiant heat from the floor keeping feet warm and the rooms cozily draft free. Everything was clean - and the bathrooms are modern and tasteful without ostentation. The hot water heater kept up with the demands of our sizeable group, such as post-ski showers and the dishwasher trying to keep pace with the cooks. And the ample supply of wood meant the hearth in the great room’s fireplace could glow till everyone turned in for the night.

Have I made clear how much I like the space, and all its welcoming details - the engaging titles in the library, the art effect of a tree splintered by a tornado, all the comfortable seating, even the simple utility of the big screened-in porch? There’s more, of course, but you should see it for yourself. On reflection after, one of our group quipped, the whiskey’s always good at Breathe Easy. He’s right. Good things just are better, shared by good friends when they get together, the more so at Breathe Easy Cottage.

I highly recommend visiting Breathe Easy for your next adventure

When we began researching a location for our May long weekend reunion the task was daunting. Boasting a group that is thirty strong, including both singles and couples, finding the perfect place that would accommodate individual needs was first priority. After a few unsuccessful searches we finally found the Breathe Easy Cottage and the lovely, Ed! Connecting with Ed was easy, he answered all of our questions with patience and grace, and after our first conversation it become clear the Breathe Easy was the perfect place for our group.

Situated on the top of a hill in beautiful Grey/Bruce, Breathe Easy had everything we needed and more. With comfortable sleeping for 30, tons of private rooms for couples, a huge field, picnic benches for an outdoor picnic, a screened in porch and a large living room with a toasty fire place to keep us warm on rainy evenings, we honestly couldn’t have asked for more.

The icing on the cake was the privacy the house offers. While a lake can be lovely, Breathe Easy allowed us to play and frolic without the worry of disturbing the neighbours. Throughout the weekend we played pick up softball, ran through sprinklers, held backgammon tournaments and had an all-out costume party. Every evening we tucked into the kitchen and cooked up a feast.

With so much space, we never felt on top of each other and we all left the weekend genuinely relaxed, having had a chance to catch up with friends old and new (and catch a few catnaps in between). Breathe Easy is the perfect place to kick back, relax and take in some nature while spending quality time with friends and loved ones.

It was a blast, everyone enjoyed it and wanted to stay longer

It was our first time planning an overnight get-together at a cottage and we couldn’t have asked for a better place! It was difficult for us to find a cottage which could house such a large group and Breathe Easy was able to deliver! Our family of 18 was easily accommodated by the roomy interior and spacious exterior accurately depicted in the virtual tour. The main floor was naturally-lit which fostered a cozy atmosphere. Breathe Easy cottage provided us with a large area for everyone to be in the same room while also entertaining small contingents around the property. One of the highlights in the cottage was the fully-equipped kitchen with every tool imaginable.

Breathe Easy had everything that we needed to sleep comfortably, keep ourselves occupied, and have a great time! We would definitely recommend this place to other large groups which are looking for a child and pet-friendly getaway.

A home away from home

My wife and I decided to host our blessing ceremony at the Breathe Easy Cottage because of its proximity to Toronto, its beautiful and expansive land and its large, inviting and comfortable amenities.

Ed and his wife were more than accommodating and easy to work with. The booking process was quick, easy, and we felt comfortable working with them. Every time my wife and I wanted to visit before our special day to plan they were more than welcoming. The cottage has absolutely everything you could imagine, and our group of 20+ stayed comfortably for three days. The only thing we needed to bring was our own food, drink and toilet paper. This helped take the stress out of tending to our guests.

Not only are there ample amenities indoors, but they have a variety of lawn and outdoor games which kept the children (and adults!) entertained throughout the day. There are also two fire pits (and free fire wood) to see you into the night, staring at the stars and spending quality time with family. There is also a town close by with a grocery store so you can pick up any last minute items that you might need.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this cottage to any couple, family, or any event in between for its beautiful, secluded location and ease of booking. It felt like a home away from home and my wife, our guests, and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Lots of privacy and plenty if room

We loved our stay at the Breathe Easy Resort for our annual Thanksgiving family getaway. Our group of 18, consisting of three generations, all enjoyed the cottage in different ways (going for hikes, visiting nearby waterfalls, playing volleyball, sitting on the deck).

After attending a wedding at the resort a couple of years ago, I was excited to share this getaway with my family. The house accommodated our group perfectly and we all had plenty of room to enjoy each other's company. The amount of private space surrounding the cottage made this an especially unique experience. Although we would have loved to stay here during the summer, the fall colours made this trip unforgettable!