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La Solitude — a place of peace

La Solitude's sign
Situated along the Petitcodiac River, La Solitude is a place for quiet contemplation. 

La Solitude in Pre-d’en Haut near Memramcook, N.B., is a silent retreat centre offering simplicity, solitude and beautiful natural surroundings. It’s where the Petitcodiac River widens and you can smell the sea.

lawn chair by river
Everywhere around the property are places to sit quietly and contemplate the beauty of nature.

I love this place, with its quirky buildings, meandering trails that surprise and might lead you to an open field with hammocks swinging in the breeze, or a view of the river cut through the sumac trees. Here you can feel the rhythm of the tidal river and the still point where ebb reverses to flow. But most of all I like the quiet. With silence my senses come alive, I relax, contemplate and feel creative.

Affordable Stay

The dedicated volunteers that run the centre make the experience affordable. It costs $40 per night for stays without a facilitator; and varied prices for full weekends with a facilitated activity from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. All stays include a simple cabin and simple meals.

woman and Virgin Mary statue
La Solitude was founded by a Roman Catholic priest and on your walks you will encounter religious statues of, for example, the Virgin Mary. But all are welcome and everyone feels at home here.
cabin
Accommodations are these simple cabins. In winter, they are heated with wood cut and split on the property.

Facilitated activities might include art, meditation, or personal growth workshops that complement and deepen the experience there. Hilary Cantin and I have put on two art retreats here this year and found this environment allows the freedom to explore artistically and spiritually.

leaves
The vegetation is varied and wonderful to draw or just look at.

La Solitude was founded by Father Raymond Bujold, priest of the Holy Cross, in 1976, and directed by him until 2007. He was Roman Catholic, but all faiths and creeds are welcome. There is an atmosphere of acceptance, delight and reverence.

Editor’s Note: The Peace Beat is our third Beat. After a trip to take some photos and do some background on La Solitude, we felt that devoting time to exploring where and how people in the Greater Moncton Area find peace would fit with our mission statement.