VICTORIA, BC — A Tacoma-built 1943 naval vessel has found a new life in Victoria B.C.’s Inner Harbor. A life that's much more relaxing.
"We went through an extensive reno of it, and a gutting. It was all rusty and half sinking. We had it at dry dock for several months, and then we spent the better part of a year building it out into what it is now,” said Nick Van Buren, founder of Havn – the innovative outdoor spa and hydrotherapy space that now sits aboard the barge. It’s fitting that it’s floating, because Havn is all about the water.
“The experience is a self-guided hydrotherapy adventure through the space, which is basically the transition between something that makes your body feel warm and something that makes your body feel cold. It’s therapeutic and there's also a social aspect to it,” Van Buren said.
This floating spa initially had a tough time getting afloat.
“The community at first had a lot of push back towards it because they weren't sure of it and they didn't like how it looked,” said VanBuren. “And that's completely flipped. We don't really have naysayers anymore now that we've opened it.”
Havn has two hot tubs, three saunas and two cold plunge pools that can get down to a chilly 37 degrees. There are also outdoor showers, an indoor shower with a sea salt scrub, and a relaxation lounge that serves tea and healthy drinks and has a view of the float planes plying the harbor’s waters.
It’s all meant to be a replenishing ‘third place’ – a gathering space in the city that’s not work or home.
There are only two rules. No technology - that means leave the phone in your locker. And no talking in two of the three saunas.
Not all of Havn is silent - this new type of 'third place' is social, and friend groups often book the three hour sessions that cost $89 Canadian (book an evening visit for a discount, and reserve a visit at least 2 weeks in advance, drop ins aren’t accepted and the schedule fills fast).
But it's also a perfect place recharge, and a place to find some warmth as summer fades away.
“I think that the shift to the colder months is really the time that you can get the best value out of an experience like this, and so it's perfect for cozy season,” Van Buren said.
Sponsored by Destination Greater Victoria.
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