Wandering Women North of 50: How Northern Ontario Became My Roadmap to Healing

It started as a bold idea—a simple, practical act of protest and patriotism. My friend Susan Truppe and I launched Wandering Women North of 50 as a movement to inspire Canadian women over fifty to travel here at home, to reclaim the billions we spend south of the border and invest in the places, people, and spirit that make this country extraordinary. We imagined we’d meet women like us—restless, resilient, and ready for something new—and that we’d support the businesses and communities that make Canada unique. What I didn’t expect was just how much this journey would heal me. 

A Northern Ontario Road Trip That Turned Into a Healing Pilgrimage

Northern Ontario was supposed to be a case study: could we move the needle, even a little, on repatriating tourism dollars? But what happened as we zigzagged from Rainy River to Manitoulin, from the edge of Lake Superior to the bottom of James Bay, was so much more profound. This was not just an economic tour or a statement of patriotism. No, it became more than that—it was a roadmap to healing. A passionate journey of self-discovery emerged, an unfolding love letter to the North, and a gentle, daily lesson in how a wounded heart can be restored, one welcome at a time.

Every Northern Town Is a Teacher

No two Northern Ontario communities are the same. That’s what makes the journey endlessly fascinating. In Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, it was The Northern Lights Ltd. that set the tone—inviting us in not just as customers, but as fellow Canadians, eager to swap stories, share laughter, and connect over the treasures of the region. In Atikokan, Branches Lodge Seine River Lodge became my refuge. Laurie’s story—leaving behind a corporate life for lodge purpose—embodied the leap so many of us dream of but seldom dare. Sitting with coffee and Baileys, eating food made with love, I found something rare: peace.

The People Who Held the Map

Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie are gems hiding in plain sight—two of the most underrated tourism destinations in Canada. Thunder Bay, with its sweep of Lake Superior and skyline of Sleeping Giant and Canada’s giant Terry Fox, showed me the power of reconciliation—the Indigenous galleries, a difficult and honest reckoning with the past, and hope for the future. Louise’s Anishinabe Art Gallery could make anyone feel understood and welcome, the art a balm for a restless mind. It’s why I visit her every time I am in Thunder Bay. Sault Ste. Marie dazzled us with the warmth of Italian kitchens, the pulse of their waterfront, and the kindness of friends—new and old—who met us with open arms and open tables.

It’s true, I have loved the North for a very long time. Like Louise, I have made other friends as well, each holding a special place in my heart that’s as serene as the places they call home.

Sandy at Silver Islet turned her general store into a homecoming. Pierre in Killarney, whose wisdom—“there’s no wrong way to make art”—became a kind of mantra for this wandering, healing heart. Luke on Manitoulin Island, who opened not just doors, but the soul of his land, leading us through history, heartbreak, and hope. Each an old friend whose conversations became a mirror, reflecting back not only the beauty of the North but the possibility of my own transformation. 

The North as Muse, Mirror, and Medicine

Sudbury, home to Science North and its other attractions Dynamic Earth and of course the Big Nickle, are always a nice reminder that anything is possible in this life. Visiting Crosscut Distillery offered a martini in a Victorian-style tearoom. Life is full of contradictions, and Sudbury is a beautiful example of that.

Sailing at sunset in North Bay, I remembered how powerful it feels to let go, to be guided by wind and water, to trust the current. North Bay surprised us, not only with the sailing but the restorative yoga on Trout Lake the next morning. It was good for mind, body and soul (I joked to Susan after all those days in the RV, if I did a downward dog, there would be no upward Lisa). And in the far North—in places like Cochrane, Moosonee and Moose Factory—I learned that true hospitality means seeing a person not as a guest or a tourist, but as someone who belongs.

Finding Belonging on the Road in Northern Ontario

That feeling of belonging was a mainstay in the North and it was epitomized by the kind, strong and resilient women like Heather in Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls, Renee in Cochrane and Kim in Moose Factory. These are the people and places where you are valued as a person, not merely a paying customer. When you are lost, these are the people you meet who help you find your way.

By the time we got to Timmins, we stayed at Cedar Meadows and took advantage of their Nordic spa. We didn’t hesitate to enjoy a healing and restorative circuit through the saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges and hot tubs. It seemed like a perfect end to a fairytale trip that included everything from canoeists to carvers, fishers to artisans, moose to polar bears, distilleries to craft breweries and Norval Morriseau to the Group of Seven paintings. Each place is a destination in its own right, with heritage, culture and identity guiding its tourism offerings.

Purposeful Travel: Proof That Women Over 50 Are a Tourism Superpower

Susan and I started this as a way to prove that Canadian women over fifty are an economic force—decisive, adventurous, loyal, and powerful. We wanted to show that repatriating even a small fraction of our travel spending could change communities and lives, and we did.

But along the way, I discovered something much more precious: the North didn’t just need our dollars. I needed its people, its healing pace, its wild beauty, and the profound reminder that no matter your diagnosis, your past, or your fears, there is always room to become yourself again.

In an era that is as confusing as it is impersonal, the authenticity of Northern Ontario is a true testament to its genuine hospitality and its attraction as a tourism destination. Its potential remains largely untapped.

And women over 50 are the key to purposeful and intentional tourism, which is exactly what Northern Ontario offers.

Northern Ontario Gave Me Back to Myself

Wandering Women North of 50 is about so much more than travel. It’s about choosing Canada—again and again. It’s about the women who move mountains in quiet ways, who build communities, and who welcome strangers as future friends. It’s about discovering that you can lose yourself and find yourself in the same journey.

Northern Ontario became my muse and my medicine. No two Northern communities are alike, to be sure, and yet all have given me the same gift: belonging. Isn’t that something we are all looking for?

Thank you for your wisdom, your welcome, and your unwavering belief in the power of the wandering woman.

With gratitude, 

Lisa 
The Bipolar Wandering Woman

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