Wilderness Medicine Course Location

Most of our open enrolment wilderness medicine courses are held in Cantley, QC – just 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa.

Address: 80 rue Dupéré, Cantley, QC J8V 2V4 – Google Maps link

Ciel et Bois

The course site, Ciel et Bois, sits on 6 acres of wooded land.

It’s bordered by beautiful backcountry where you can take to the trails to hike, bike, run, and cross country ski.

The main building is a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom cottage that we transformed into a retreat centre in 2023.

You can rent Ciel et Bois for your own events and retreats when we’re not hosting wilderness medical courses.

Learning facilities

We base out of the main classroom and we use a variety of comfy indoor areas for breakout spaces.

Outside, we use the lawns, trails, and woods for training. We have a ton of great sites for wilderness rescue simulations.

Amenities

Whether you’re staying on site or commuting each day, we want you to be comfortable, so you can immerse yourself fully in learning and connecting with other group members and the surrounding environment.

Course students have access to the:

– Fully equipped kitchen where you can cook your own meals
– 4 full bathrooms, 2 have walk-in showers and 2 have shower/tub combos
– Cozy common areas including the dining room, living room / solarium, classroom, and basement lounge
– Wood-burning stoves
– Library and board games
– High-speed WIFI connectivity
– Outdoor amenities: trails, fire pit, hammocks, and so many Muskoka chairs scattered in idyllic locations that you’ll need a map to find your way back to reality.

Bedrooms are reserved for students who opt to stay on site (see below).

Lodging 

During your medical course, you can stay in shared bedrooms at Ciel et Bois for:

• $29/night for 4+ nights
• $39/ night for 1 to 3 nights

The shared accommodations are comfortable and clean.

The kitchen, dining room, living room, basement lounge, and classroom provide comfortable areas to study, hang out, and relax during your downtime.

We’ll provide you with bedding, a pillow, and a towel.

There are two fridges and multiple cupboards to store groceries.

Area highlights – things to do

Ciel et Bois is in the heart of the Outaouais region, and there’s a ton to do in the area.

Within 10 minutes:

• Nordic skiing and snowshoeing at Nakkertok
• Mountain biking and fat biking at Domain Kanawe
• Wind down (spa, soak, treatments, etc.) at Amerispa

Within 20 minutes:

• Ski, bike, hike, swim, paddle and more in Gatineau Park – Check out rentals, lessons, and outings at Nomades de Parc (Chelsea)
• Nordik Spa Nature (Chelsea)
• Climbing at Altitude Gym
• Alpine skiing at Mont Cascades (Cantley)
• Parliament of Canada, Rideau Canal
• Dining: Restaurant Les Fougeres (Chelsea), Byward Market (Ottawa), Old Hull (Gatineau)
• Canadian Museum of History (Gatineau), Canadian War Museum (Ottawa)

Within 27 minutes 🙂

• Centre Vorlage (Wakefield): mountain biking, alpine skiing, touring, fat biking
• Alpine skiing and snow parks: Camp fortune, Sommet Edelweiss
• Canadian Museum of Nature, National Gallery of Canada, Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Science and Technology Museum
• Dining, shopping, nightlife, etc. in various neighbourhoods in Ottawa: Centertown, The Glebe, Chinatown, Little Italy, Hintonburg
• The charming Village of Wakefield, QC: The Black Sheep Inn (live music), Le Hibou (café, restaurant, bar), stroll beside, swim or paddle in the Gatineau River
• Juniper Farm:   Farm store, Tea Room and Picnic Window (meals on site and to go)

See the Ciel et Bois blog for recommendations and information about nearby activities in the area.