03/27/2026
We can’t stay silent anymore…
What was supposed to be our dream, the land where we would build our wellness retreat, our future, and our retirement, has turned into years of uncertainty, stress, and heartbreak.
For over 12 years, we searched for this place. When we finally found it, it felt like everything had aligned… like we were exactly where we were meant to be.
But today, nearly three years later, we are still waiting.
Waiting for answers.
Waiting for direction.
Waiting for permission to move forward with our own lives.
This experience has taken a toll in ways that are hard to put into words — financially, emotionally, and mentally. Sleepless nights, constant stress, and the overwhelming feeling of being stuck, with no control over our future.
We have always approached this journey with respect, for the land, for its history, and for the ancestors who deserve to rest undisturbed. That has never been questioned.
But what we are struggling to understand is…
how a process meant to protect can leave families in limbo for years, with no clarity and no path forward.
We are not asking to ignore the past.
We are simply asking for fairness, for communication, and for the ability to move forward with our lives.
So today, we are finally sharing our story.
Because no one should have to feel this powerless for this long.
💛 If you feel called to support us, even just by sharing, it truly means more than you know.
👉 Our full story is below:
Subject: Our Dream Property Turned Into Years of Uncertainty
A Story That Needs to Be Heard….
My name is Delima Kettle,and with my husband Jay, I am reaching out because my family’s story is one that I believe needs to be heard.
For over 12 years, we searched for the perfect piece of land. A place where we could build our wellness retreat, our future and our retirement, all rooted in nature. When we finally found this property in the Carrying Place / Old Portage Road area, of Prince Edward County, Ontario ,it felt like everything had aligned. It didn’t just feel like a purchase, it felt like something we were meant to find.
We bought the property in June 2023, full of hope and excitement, and all that was needed was to rezone for the wellness retreat.
Today, we are going into our third year of waiting, and that dream feels like it is slipping further and further away every day.
Before any of this began, we made a conscious effort to act respectfully and responsibly. We entered into an agreement with AlderVille First Nation at a significant personal cost, acknowledging that if any digging were to take place on the property, we would notify them and proceed appropriately.
We agreed to this because we wanted to do things the right way.
However, despite that agreement and despite the fact that we had no intention of digging in the areas in question, archaeological testing was initiated, and digging was carried out as part of that process.
Since then, our lives have been placed on hold.
We have endured:
· Years of delays with no clear answers
· Significant financial strain
· Sleepless nights and constant stress
· The feeling of being completely stuck, with no control over our own property or future.
We understand and respect the discovery of human remains. These are ancestors, and they deserve dignity and peace. From the beginning, our position has been clear: we do not want them disturbed. We want them to remain where they are, respected and protected.
That connection extends beyond the land itself to the wildlife that lives here. Over time, we have come to know and deeply care for the animals that share this space with us. The eagles, swans, owls, geese, deer, turtles, and SO many more that have been coming back every year, to create beautiful families, once again. To us, they are not just part of the environment, but part of what feels like our extended family.
Preserving their habitat and protecting the natural balance of this land has always been one of our highest priorities. Our vision has never been to disrupt, but to coexist, to create a space where both people and wildlife can live in peace and harmony.
I also want to share that I am of Metis descent. This is not something I bring forward to challenge the process, but to express the depth of respect I carry for the land, its history, and the ancestors who came before us. This connection further reinforces my intention to ensure that any remains are treated with dignity, left undisturbed, and honored appropriately. It is deeply important to me that this land is respected in a way that reflects both its history and its spirit.
But we are struggling to understand why a process meant to protect has instead left us in prolonged uncertainty, with little communication, no clear timeline, and growing financial pressure.
It raises a deeper question about fairness and human rights. How a process designed to protect can result in individuals losing control over their own property, livelihood, and future for years at a time.
We have watched similar stories unfold in Ontario, where families are left in limbo after discoveries just like this. What we are experiencing is not isolated. It is part of a larger issue.
At the same time, we recognize that this land is part of the historic Carrying Place, a place of movement, connection, and history for Indigenous peoples. We respect that history, and in many ways, it is what drew us here.
We are in the process of transforming our business name from DeeVa Spa into Free Spirits Wellness Retreat. A space built on living in harmony with nature. To us, a “free spirit” is someone who respects, listens, and coexists with the land.
We feel a deep connection to this place, as though we were meant to be here, not to change it, but to care for it.
But instead, we feel stuck in a system that has taken that dream and turned it into years of uncertainty.
We are not asking to ignore history.
We are not asking to disturb what should be protected.
We are asking:
Why are we still here, waiting, with no clear path forward?
We are committed to respecting the land, honoring any ancestors present, and working collaboratively with Indigenous communities to ensure this space is treated with dignity.
We are simply asking for the opportunity to move forward with clarity, fairness, and mutual respect.
This was supposed to be our working life and our retirement.
Instead, it has become our greatest source of stress.
We would welcome the opportunity to share more of our story.
Sincerely,
Delima Kettle
(Future home of), Free Spirits Wellness Retreat
(formerly Deeva Spa)
“Where We Were Meant to Be”
There are places in life you choose…
and then there are places that choose you.
From the very first moment we stepped onto this land, something felt different. It wasn’t just beauty. It was a feeling. A pull. A knowing. The kind of connection you don’t question, because it settles deep within you before words can even explain it.
I’ve always believed I am a free spirit.
To me, being a free spirit means living in alignment with something deeper—guided by intuition, by energy, by a quiet but undeniable sense of belonging. It’s not something you force… it’s something you feel. And on this land, that feeling became impossible to ignore.
It felt like we were meant to be here.
And that connection reaches far beyond the land itself. It lives and breathes through the wildlife that calls it home. Over time, we have come to know them, to recognize their rhythms, and to care for them deeply. The eagles soaring above us, the swans and geese returning season after season, the quiet presence of deer, the gentle nesting of turtles, and so many more. Year after year, they come back to this place to build their families, just as they always have. And in witnessing that, something profound has taken root within us. They are no longer simply part of the landscape… they have become part of our story, part of our home, part of our family.
We don’t just see this land as something to own.
We see it as something to protect.
Our Dream Property Turned Into Years of Uncertainty
A Story That Needs to Be Heard….
Sincerely,
Delima Kettle
This is "The DeeVa Spa Story" by Brian Lavender on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
