Patrick and Dorothée Mercier and their four children found a secluded piece of paradise to call home in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. With a vision to share their love of nature with others, they created a business that promotes serenity and disconnecting from society. It’s all hands on deck as the Mercier family continues to provide a peaceful place for visitors to stay, as well as activities for people of all ages to enjoy on their property.
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Patrick and Dorothée Mercier and their four children are a multinational, military family. Patrick was born and raised in Quebec, Canada, and his wife Dorothée was born and raised in France. “I’ve been in the military for 22 years,” says Mercier. “I’ve moved across the country and worked just about everywhere. My wife has been nice enough to follow me through all these years.”
Patrick and his family recently moved to Nova Scotia to establish a quiet place to ultimately retire. They purchased the property in 2020 but rented it out until he was released from the Forces in January 2022. With a very active family who appreciates nature, Patrick and Dorothée opted for a house along the South Shore of Nova Scotia to settle. Before arriving, they discussed starting a business at their future home in hopes of sharing their piece of paradise. “The area offers limited options for employment, so we decided to create our own,” Patrick and Dorothée said. “We enjoy the South Shore and our access to the ocean, so we chose to build a business that would allow us to share that. We enjoy meeting new people and helping them discover a new area.”
With the business plans in motion, Patrick and his family arrived in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, and began the construction of their new property. Weighing the pros and cons of various accommodations, they narrowed the options down to cottages, domes, or yurts. Patrick and Dorothée explain their decision was heavily influenced by what would be more environmentally friendly and unique to the area. Cottages was the first to go, as there are many cottages to stay at in Shelburne. Patrick weighed the potential risks in domes due to rusting from the coastal saltwater, and other environmental factors. “So that left us with yurts,” he said. “They are sturdy and capable of withstanding time.”
Patrick and Dorothée chose a modernized style for their yurts, with material that would adapt to the humid climate in Nova Scotia. During the construction, they wanted to preserve as much of the natural environment as possible. “We didn’t want to destroy the trees and the natural setup,” Patrick said. Patrick, Dorothée, and their children built the bases and floors, and all took part in assembling the yurt kits from Biome Canada. “We faced challenges regarding the availability of extra manpower. So, we ended up building everything from scratch ourselves,” he explained. The yurts were thoughtfully built a distance away from each other and far from the Mercier family home, so future guests would be able to enjoy the serenity without interruption. One yurt is located on the top of a hill with only a very narrow pedestrian path leading to it. Patrick said moving the supplies to the yurts without a motorized vehicle was difficult, but they wanted to keep the environment as intact as possible. For the very limited number of trees or stumps that were taken down, they relied on the strength of their draft horse to pull the roots. In light of the challenges, Patrick said his family’s interest and involvement in the business was considered from the start. “I’ve had my kids and my wife with me putting things together. We had the whole family participate in this venture.”
On thirty-four acres of forested land, Pines Bay Acres was officially opened for business by the summer of 2022. The business name was inspired by the very large pine trees on the property, especially the one right in front of their house. “We needed to find something that was not limiting the name to one activity. We wanted it to sound natural, and able to serve more than one purpose,” Patrick and Dorothée explained. The family has plans to expand their business to more than just offering accommodations, where they will continue to use the same business name where they can. So far, along with the two yurts, activities include a farm on the property where guests are welcome to interact with the small animals during their stay. The small farm has been popular predominately with families with children, where they can pet and feed the animals. Pines Bay Acres also offers kayak rentals to explore Shelburne Harbour from the water. The kayak rentals include life vests, and they offer various options for hourly pricing. Mercier looks forward to the activities Pines Bay Acres will be offering in the future, including sailboat tours. “We’ve acquired a sailboat, and I am in the process of getting the proper training and licenses for myself and the boat,” he revealed. In the future, the Mercier family wants to have activities that tourists passing through can easily access as well as their guests. “If we increase the number of activities available, it’s going to not only help us but help the whole town. The other accommodations, restaurants, and so on, are all going to benefit from more visitors.”
Guests are encouraged to explore the nearby town of Shelburne during their visit to Pines Bay Acres. Patrick, Dorothée, and their kids will occasionally put pamphlets in the yurts to promote local businesses and give guests other activity ideas. While the yurts are well off the beaten path in the forest, there is a decommissioned railroad referred to as the Shelburne Rail Trail, that goes right across the property. Guests can use the railroad to get to downtown Shelburne. Patrick said the rail trail is a pleasant walk, that allows people to stay off the road with the vehicles. It also includes a railway bridge that crosses the river. But if walking the town isn’t on the itinerary, Pines Bay Acres is a short car ride away from three different beaches as well as the popular Sandy Point Lighthouse. There are also hiking and biking trails for those who are seeking an outdoor adventure. Pines Bay Acres location is ideal for both exploring the surrounding area or relaxing and staying on the property.
While describing the experience guests can expect to have on the property at Pines Bay Acres, Patrick and Dorothée say, “We’re offering a disconnect into nature, so you can connect with yourself instead of your routine.” They noted that guests are often surprised by how large the yurts are. While looking at photos online, the yurts may appear small. “It is very difficult to give justice to size in a picture of a round building because you don’t have any edges that give contrast,” They explained. Each yurt is able to accommodate six people. The yurts have minimal solar panel electricity and no running water or internet. While Patrick says they do offer charging cables for phones if needed, the purpose of staying on the site is to reconnect with nature. Apart from the yurts, if guests want another secluded place to relax, part of the property is five acres of land along the Shelburne Harbour shoreline. “We have a little spot right next to the water with a picnic table and firepit so people can enjoy the harbour view as well,” he said.
Patrick and Dorothée say their children continue to stay active in the business after they helped build it last year. Each of the four kids have tasks that contribute to maintaining Pines Bay Acres. Their tasks include cleaning and repairs in the yurts between guests, gathering firewood for the firepit, and feeding the farm animals. “My oldest is responsible for taking care of the horse and the others are taking care of the sheep and the poultry. Everyone has their own little tasks,” he said. The involvement of the kids is very important to Patrick and Dorothée as they continue to expand their business. “It’s potentially part of their future. They’re happy about participating actively.”
While their business continues to grow, we recommend taking a trip down to Shelburne to meet Patrick and Dorothée and their family and experience the peaceful getaway Pines Bay Acres has in store for you.
by Gabrielle Gamblin