The luxury log cabin retreat sits on about 50.5ha of land – roughly the size of 71 football pitches – and lies deep within the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, the largest protected natural space in Nova Scotia. It can host up to 26 guests.
Getting there is part of the experience. The lodge, opened in 2000, is a four-hour drive from Nova Scotia’s Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Upon arrival, guests are rewarded with fresh air and vistas of forests thick with coniferous red spruce, hemlock and balsam fir trees. Just a short walk from the resort, the blue waters of the Tusket and Napier rivers ripple and foam.
The Tobeatic Wilderness Area spans over 120,000ha of land and is the largest protected area in the Canadian Maritimes, in south-western Nova Scotia. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
The couple first visited Trout Point Lodge at the recommendation of their friends, who lauded the place for its connection to the great outdoors and its power to transport guests to another world.
“It’s in the geographical centre of south-west Nova Scotia, so in about 60 or 70km in every direction, there’s nothing but unspoilt wilderness. And in the middle of it all is this lodge that’s kind of like an oasis in the desert,” says Mr Wallace, 53.
The couple – who have been married for 20 years and do not have children – moved to Canada in 2012, following a work posting for Mr Wallace. Previously, they lived in Singapore and met while working at the same semiconductor company in 1999.
Ms Ho took a career break for a year, and in 2013, started a consultancy working with clients in the artificial intelligence and travel software space.
While they knew from online listings that the lodge was for sale, they initially had no intention of purchasing the property, which they understood would amount to a multi-million-dollar project. But an opportunity to speak with its owners during their stay made them reconsider.
“The previous owners were reaching the age of wanting to take a step back, and running a lodge is not a hands-off affair,” says Ms Ho, 50. “We felt the place had very good bones and that we could bring something new to the table.”
Ms Pamela Ho and Mr Patrick Wallace stayed at Trout Point Lodge in 2017 and had the opportunity to speak with its owners, who were looking to sell the property. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
What followed were months of discussions with friends, family and industry professionals, weighing the pros and cons.
Mr Wallace says: “At some point, we had asked every question that we could think of, consulted some people who we thought were much smarter than us, and said, ‘Please tell us that we’re crazy.’ But nobody did.”
By January 2018, they were the new owners of Trout Point Lodge.
Keeping the soul, elevating the stay
Mr Wallace says one of the main draws of the lodge is its architectural character – a subtle nod to its wild surroundings.
Trout Point Lodge can accommodate up to 26 guests. Fireplace Junior Suites (pictured) come with a wood-burning fireplace and French doors that lead to an outdoor riverside porch. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
Its Main Lodge – a building crafted from chiselled granite, sandstone and colossal Eastern spruce logs stacked horizontally to form walls – rises three storeys along the riverbank and houses nine guest suites, dining rooms and recreational facilities like a mezzanine library.
Meanwhile, its other building, Beaver Hall, comes with four pet-friendly suites nestled by a bend in the Tusket river and boasts a 9m-high ceiling and a towering stone fireplace in its lobby.
While the buildings retained a rustic charm, the couple saw the need for key structural upgrades – and fresh additions to enhance the experiences offered. They declined to reveal how much they paid for the property.
In their first few months as owners, they worked on minor decorative changes as they wanted to get a good grasp of the operations before committing to major renovations. They officially opened for their first season in May 2018.
Subsequently, they introduced fibre optic cables for better internet connectivity, and improved plumbing, roofing and other electrical wiring around the property. They also expanded outdoor amenities, adding a barrel sauna, a floating dock and equipment for canoeing, stand-up paddling and kayaking.
Among the lodge’s outdoor amenities is a wood-fired hot tub, which faces the river and surrounding greenery. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
Running a lodge is a departure from Mr Wallace’s career, as he had been working in the semiconductor industry for around 20 years. But Ms Ho has a wealth of hospitality expertise.
In Singapore, she served as Hilton Hotels and Resorts’ Asia-Pacific director of third-party online distribution from 2010 to 2012, following eight years at the now-defunct online travel agent Zuji, where she had roles in areas like business analytics and project management.
“I’ve almost always been in the travel and hospitality space,” says Ms Ho, who now runs the property full time with her husband. “It gave me some confidence that I should be able to market Trout Point Lodge well.”
From mid-May to mid-November, when the lodge is open to guests, they live on-site to manage day-to-day operations alongside a team of 25 staff. The rest of the year is dedicated to overseeing upgrades, visiting family abroad and scouting fresh business opportunities.
Nightly stays at the lodge cost from C$688 (S$639) for an entry-level junior suite of around 500 sq ft with a king- or queen-sized bed or two double beds, an en-suite bathroom and breakfast.
Package stays are also available and come with activities like a picnic lunch or wine appreciation class and both breakfast and dinner. One-night packages for solo travellers start at C$858, while a package for two starts at C$1,033.
Home, hidden in the details
Ms Ho has various items from Singapore around the lodge, including former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s memoir. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
For all its wild Nova Scotian beauty, traces of Singapore are woven quietly into the lodge – hints of home for Ms Ho and of fond familiarity for Mr Wallace.
In the library, she keeps a well-thumbed copy of Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s memoir From Third World To First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000. On a shelf in the same space, a yard-of-ale glass from Raffles Singapore hotel is perched on a wooden stand.
A yard-of-ale glass from Raffles Singapore hotel sits on a shelf in the library. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
And in the main lobby, a cherished Peranakan-style wooden cabinet with green patterned glass – sourced from a furniture shop in Siglap and once used as Ms Ho’s shoe cupboard – serves as a display stand for curated items available for purchase. These include hand-poured candles and housemade treats like jams, jellies and granolas.
A Peranakan-style wooden cabinet, once used to keep Ms Ho’s shoes, now doubles as a display stand for items for purchase. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
Most guests arrive from Canada or the United States, but Asian travellers do pass through.
One of the most direct routes to Nova Scotia from Singapore is via a 15-hour direct flight to Vancouver on Air Canada, then a roughly six-hour flight to Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The round-trip airfare can come up to around $2,000 a passenger.
Occasionally, a Singaporean guest will spot these items around the lodge, pause and bring it up in conversation with Mr Wallace or Ms Ho.
“We’ve had a few Singaporean guests over the past few years, and when they go up to the library, they’ll go, ‘Oh, there’s another Singaporean in the lodge, for sure’,” says Ms Ho with a laugh.
“Who else would have a Lee Kuan Yew book and a slice of Singapore history in the library? It’s a good conversation starter for us.”
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Rooted in nature
In guest rooms, there are no televisions or air-conditioners. It was a deliberate move, Mr Wallace says, to honour the majestic wilderness they are surrounded by.
He says: “In Nova Scotia, we always say Mother Nature doesn’t need any of our help. So, there are many things that we decide not to do, especially if they mess with the pristine environment. Here, you won’t find a swimming pool, tennis court or floodlit parking lots. We try to have the same philosophy in our suites too.”
Instead, the couple have doubled down on complimentary activities. These include discovery walks, forest bathing sessions and, by far one of the most popular activities, stargazing.
Lodge guests can join complimentary guided stargazing experiences from a platform under one of North America’s darkest skies. PHOTO: TROUT POINT LODGE
In late 2014, under the Starlight Initiative – an international effort supported by Unesco in defence of the quality and value of dark skies – the lodge was certified as the world’s first starlight hotel. The distinction recognises the commitment to preserving dark skies and developing astrotourism offerings.
In the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, where there is little light pollution and obstruction from buildings, the starry night sky is a sight to behold – inky black studded with thousands of twinkling dots.
Just a two-minute walk from the resort, guests can participate in a guided stargazing experience from a platform with advanced telescopic equipment to spot major constellations and the Milky Way.
“We see many meteor showers here throughout the year. Most of us can’t see these in the cities because of light pollution. So, when it’s crystal clear, it’s incredible,” says Ms Ho.
Even the food served at the lodge takes its cue from the land. Seasonal menus are shaped by fresh produce available – from heirloom carrots, raspberries and wild mushrooms in summer to apples and squashes in autumn.
Due to the lodge’s remote location, planning ahead is necessary and guests must inform the team of dietary restrictions and allergies at least 48 hours in advance. A four-course chef’s menu costs C$175 a person.
For the couple, the essence of Trout Point Lodge can be summed up in three words: authentic, luxurious and peaceful.
“Our goal is for guests to be comfortable. Enjoy nature, eat and sleep well – that’s our aim,” says Ms Ho.
As newcomers to the lodge business, the journey to create an ideal guest experience was far from smooth sailing.
Hiring the right people proved one of the lodge’s biggest challenges. Beyond competence, Ms Ho says staff need to share a love for nature and an appreciation of the lodge’s remoteness – qualities that make conscientiousness and teamwork more critical than ever.
That remoteness came with other responsibilities. Strict rules were put in place to manage rubbish and compost, ensuring curious wildlife did not make unwanted appearances.
Their adaptability was tested even more during Covid-19.
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With Nova Scotia’s borders tightened for over eight months, the lodge relied on steady demand from local travellers during the months they were allowed to operate. But a provincewide staffing shortage meant those periods were anything but easy.
“When we were open, we were so busy and so short-handed,” says Ms Ho. “My team worked incredibly long hours that year.”
Being lodge owners is a far cry from their former careers, which begs the question: Was running a luxury wilderness lodge always part of the plan?
Mr Wallace says: “Saying it’s the dream for us makes for a good story, but the honest answer is no. We were both happily pursuing our careers and doing our own things. Then we took a holiday that changed our lives – and that worked for us. It really worked.”
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