Visitors Testimonials Donor Testimonials

Thank you to everyone who sends us thier testimonials, we have a variety of them for you to read or download the full PDFs where available to read at your leisure!

2008

Download the 2008 Visitor Testimonials PDF

• To Cottage Dreams:
We had such a fabulous time at the cottage. We are so thankful for all the kindness all of you have shown to us by organizing all of this. Seana it meant so much to us and it was more than we ever would have expected. God’s nicest blessings to you all.

P.S: The beach bag was such an incredible surprise-we have to tell you that we happily enjoyed every item in it – Thanks so much!”

• Words cannot express how thankful we are to have had this wonderful experience. We spent a week playing and relaxing as a family, with all medical concerns a million miles away. Well, at least for a week! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

• After a year of hard time going through surgeries, chemo & radiation treatments for my breast cancer, this week of cottage stay was truly an enjoyable and relaxing week for me both me and my husband, together with our two young boys. We really had a great time together! We are truly grateful.

• I wish to say thank you for your gift. It was a wonderful, memorable six days that I will always treasure. I had never been up to the Muskokas before. Now I know why they say it is such a lovely place. Memories like this are what help to sustain you when times are not so good. So, I am deeply grateful

• Thank you so much for your generosity and helping us create new family memories that don’t include hospitals and doctors. This is a wonderful program.

• This was an amazing way for our family to rediscover the joy of simply being together and feeling good. Thank you.

• Our family was able to come together in a peaceful setting after our unsettling year. Thank you.

• Thank you so much for giving me this chance to spend time with family and to ‘get away from it all’ and reflect on how far I have come. I truly appreciate being to participate in this program.

• After my cancer ordeal, which impacted my son and me, it was wonderfully healing to have quiet time together in the beautiful, natural environment of the cottage. We could not have afforded a holiday on our own. Thank you so much.

For More - Download the full PDF

2007

To be offered a quiet family "getaway" after such an incredibly difficult year was such a gift! It allowed me and my family to get re-connected. No words can truly express our gratitude to everyone who helped make this getaway possible! It was wonderful! Thank You Cottage Dreams!

I would recommend the experience to anyone. There is no better way to feel good than to be enjoying time with loved ones without the demands of day to day living. "Taking time to smell the roses"

I had a fabulous time at the cottage with my family. It was so peaceful by the water, we even went on day into town where we biked the rail trails. I feel like this cottage experince has helped usher me into the final phaase of my recovery – getting more amd more energy and building up sesources. Thank you so much for this wonderful once in a lifetime experience.

Our week away was one that our family members will remember forever. It was a relaxing time to enjoy each other’s company, without interruption. The fact that this was a special gift made it that much more precious – thank you so much to all that made this time possible.

My family really needed to get away and Cottage Dreams provided us with that opportunity. We have had a challenging year and this was a great way to celebrate my recovery and to enjoy some well deserved “R&R” together. We will not soon forget the fun we had together, thank you very much for all that you have done for me and my family.

The staff at Cottage Dreams are the nicest, warm hearted people around. They ensured that proper directions were given. They were able to send us to a beautiful cottage that was more like a “home” than a “cottage”, they checked to make sure you arrived safely. I felt I was in very excellent hands. Thank you so much Cottage Dreams.

Our Cottage Dream vacation was truly a dream! How fortunate we are to be the recipients of such generosity. What a treat to be in touch with nature again! It took our minds off a dreadful disease and allowed us to focus on relaxation and healing. Our Cottage Dream experience was flawless from beginning to end. It was a very relaxing get-a-way filled with fun and joy. If you get a chance to participate in this program, I highly recommend it! Go for it!

Thank you – workers, volunteers, cottage owners, visit sponsors. Your kindness and generosity have made our cottage time possible. Our family had a most enjoyable and relaxing time at Haliburton. With the snow melting and giving way to Spring, we are instilled with new hope about the future too! It makes such a difference to suffering people when they know that others (even though they have never met) CARE so much!
We are a very close family of five and never imagined the evil that lay in wait. The centre of our universe had cancer and our whole world went into a tailspin. We were given a Cottage Dreams bookmark by a friend early in our nightmare. When my husband was well into treatment, I took a moment to look into the program and made the initial call. I will, for the rest of my life, be thankful that I did. We were given a week of rest, relaxation and family time, away from tests, appointments and the rest of the world. Time our family, especially my husband, so desperately needed. The wonderful people at Cottage Dreams, the Sponsors and the Cottage Owners made our week away possible and for that we will always be grateful.

It was a wonderful expereience. It provided me and my family with lot of support and care when it was most needed.

2005

A thoughtful act or a kind word may pass in a moment, but the warmth and care behind it stay in the heart forever.  Words are not enough to express our thanks to you for making this happen.  We truly enjoyed ourselves and were able to relax without any worries for a change.  Bless you for this memorable experience.  We shall cherish it in our hearts forever.  Thank you for making this happen.

It was relaxing, peaceful and very private.  It was a great escape from the normal everyday hectic worrisome time.  No doctors or tests to take care of.  You can forget you are sick and enjoy life and nature with your family and loved ones. Thank you for everything.  It was a great experience.  I really enjoyed my time at the cottage.  I will definitely spread the word about this great program.

The Cottage Dreams program gave my wife a complete break from daily routines. She had a week of absolute relaxation in a beautiful setting with no commitments or responsibilities

The Cottage Dreams program provided us with a much needed get-away after going through cancer surgery and treatment. I think the cottage is a great idea, as you get away from everyday life we found it so relaxing and refreshing. We enjoyed the solitude, the great view and all the modern conveniences. It was great.

Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to relax in such a wonderful environment. Thanks to everybody who is also involved in this project. We really enjoyed it.

We wish Cottage Dreams all the best. Thank you for making this wonderful experience possible. Congratulations. Thanks once again from the bottom of our heart.

The location of the cottage was magnificent, very comfortable and relaxing, it was beyond our expectations (5 stars)! It truly was a Cottage Dream! We had nothing to worry about, even the neighbours were charming. We believe that, after such a stressful experience, like the one we had to go through with everything related to cancer treatment, the proximity of a lake is a blessing. The communion with the nature helped us to rediscover ourselves and the "real" priorities. This getaway was desperately needed and the timing was perfect, it was a soulful experience. Thank you so much to the owners and the organizers.

Thank you for the relaxing experience! The cottage being close to the water was so peaceful and quiet. It gave me and my family the chance to spend quality time together, especially with my 18-month old granddaughter. It also gave me the chance to reflect on my blessings after being through some difficult time dealing with my illness. I felt so lucky and privileged for having the chance to enjoy this program.

Cottage Dreams is such an amazing, wonderful program, a nice opportunity to escape and wind down from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. It was a better way of spending quality time with family away from the city and stressful environment. We were thrilled and couldnât thank Cottage Dreams enough for this wonderful experience. It was very nice of the cottage owners to allow us to spend time at their cottage, opening their homes to strangers whom they havenât met at all. Their trust and their willingness to share touched my heart which words cannot express. Thank you for making this wonderful experience possible and congratulations to all the sponsors and donors and everybody whoâs involved in this program for a worthy cause and a once in a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten.

Cottage Dreams provides an escape following an extremely difficult time. It is a unique program that should be enjoyed by all qualified people.

Thank you very much to everyone at Cottage Dreams. It was a once in a lifetime healing experience. We will treasure the memory.

The cottage was well kept and clean. It was warm and inviting. It was relaxing, peaceful and very private. It was a great escape from the normal everyday hectic worrisome time. No doctors or tests to take care of. You can forget you are sick and enjoy life and nature with your family and loved ones.

Thank you for everything. It was a great experience. I really enjoyed my time at the cottage. I will definitely spread the word about this great program.

My friends and I had an absolutely wonderful time in the Muskokas. It was great to get away, and forget about my stupid cancer. We played in the water; we took mini-tours of the region, and just laughed a lot (just what the doctor ordered).

The donating family members were absolutely delightful, and they really extended themselves. We had some really interesting conversations with them. Their heart is really in the right place. They even took us out for a boat ride of the beautiful Lake Rosseau!! It was so kind of them. We cannot say enough nice things about the donating family.

I cannot think of one thing that would have improved your program. Your organization was superb.

These are some of the best family memories; and memories that I will cherish for myself, my husband and my children. The chance to get away, relax and enjoy such beautiful surroundings was much needed and it was certainly more than we expected! We feel so grateful for the opportunity and memories Cottage Dreams provided for us. Thank you!

Our experience at the cottage was absolutely amazing; a dream come true. Spending quality time with family in a most peaceful environment is certainly a gift and one that we will remember for a long time to come. To be able to reflect on a year of struggles and to feel like you have finally closed the door is an amazing feeling. To meet such caring and giving people who have touched our lives in such a meaningful way is without words.

The Cottage Dreams Recovery Initiative program is most definitely an amazing and wonderful program to have been apart of, even though the circumstances leading to it are not so great.

Cottage Dreams is not what it seems, for behind every cottage door there is so much more. Families come to repair the damage done, by a thief in the night, leaving behind pain and destruction and families all a fright! Mom's and Dad's long for a life shared with their children, filled with hopes, dreams and enough laughter to sew up the seams of what was once there happy ever after. Sitting on porches, dancing in the sunlight, catching big fishies, cancer doesn't haunt us!!! For just one week we come to take back what weeks of chemo and radiation took, and to close the book on what once took·our hopes are dreams and our happy ever after.

Thank you Cottage Dreams for helping families to heal, rebuild and not only survive, but thrive.

Poem written by a 2005 Cottage Visitor

On arrival at our cottage in Huntsville, I knew my family and I were going to have a great week. The care package on the kitchen table was a pleasant surprise along with "sweet notes" to use the hosts own "tea bags". Very nice. The cottage was beautiful as were the grounds and area. My wife (god bless her soul) was able to relax after two full years of my cancer recovery. This program is a wonderful concept and hopefully will spread "worldwide" for the need is surely there.

The program was well organized and the whole process stress-free; one day I hope to volunteer my time for your organization.

The opportunity to spend 5 wonderful days at a cottage on Salmon Lake. The scenery - the green bush, the water, the blue skies - all made for a peaceful and serene holiday. We swam; we fished; all used the paddleboat and the canoe. We sat and watched the hummingbirds. A couple of times we even had a thunderstorm, but it didn't matter. Even a thunderstorm at the cottage is a great experience and best thing of all - we spent 5 days together and never once watched television. We were able to connect with each other and with nature, and enjoyed every minute of it!

I just wanted to thank you for this compassionate, amazing opportunity. This past year has been extremely scary and difficult, and the thought of being able to spend this time with my family means more than you could know! Last summer was particularly unhappy for my kids, so I'm hoping this summer will be much more happy and carefree!

Prior to Visit - 2005 Applicant

We called the cottage "a castle". Elegant, decorated to a tee, tasteful, clean and extremely well kept. "Better Homes and Gardens" quality. I found the week very relaxing for me - no worries, felt comfortable just lying around. I enjoyed the warm sun during the day and the fireflies at night. We had a fire every night. So quiet, so peaceful, what's not to love? I thank the Cottage Dreams people for making it possible

Cottage Dreams is doing a wonderful thing for cancer patients. My family and I had a great time and my little granddaughter loved it. The donating family left lots of toys, booster seat, etc. for us to enjoy. We certainly enjoyed their cottage. It was great and very safe for the children also. It was a beautiful spot and very private. I feel lucky I was selected for a lovely vacation and thank you all so much.

This program is exceptional for those recovering from cancer. Most of us do not have opportunities to experience "cottage life", even without this program. It was great to spend time enjoying life and forgetting about the past year of turmoil. The kids loved the cottage! We adults loved the relaxation.

After three years of dealing with this illness, it was wonderful to be able to get away for a week and sit back, without worrying about the everyday routines that we have to deal with. We would highly recommend the program and would like to thank the organizers who make this possible and of course the wonderful couple who opened their hearts and home to us so generously. Although the meeting with them was brief, we felt an instant connection to them and will always hold them dear to our hearts for their generosity.

Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer. During chemo and radiation treatment, I began attending the support program at Wellspring, where, I found out about "Cottage Dreams". When my cancer recurred shortly after I completed conventional treatment, I was shocked and devastated. "Cottage Dreams" gave me an opportunity to break from everyday routine, fear and stress associated with the illness. I enjoyed spending a week in a beautiful location, where I was able to gather back my strength to fight the disease.

We would highly recommend this program to everyone. It was by far one of the most memorable vacations we have ever experienced. Extremely organized. Very Highly recommended! It was a true pleasure.

A cottage evokes thoughts of fun, enjoying nature, relaxation and getting away from it all. What better setting to heal from the trauma of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. We thank all those involved with Cottage Dreams for making a cottage getaway a reality. Our lives have felt like a roller coaster ride since my diagnosis of breast cancer; racing forward, frightening at every turn and out of control. A week at the cottage allowed us to slow down, recharge our bodies and spirits and leave reality behind at least for a while. We don't know what the future holds but we will always have the wonderful memories we created thanks to the generosity of selfless strangers. Thank you Cottage Dreams and all the cottage owners.

Cottage Dreams is certainly a very caring organization. They think of all the small things as well as the bigger ones to make a person feel loved and cared for. We have been through a trying time in our lives - physically and emotionally - and the kindness and thoughtfulness of Cottage Dreams is really beyond expectations. Some time to rest and relax is so uplifting. It is incredible to think that people - complete strangers to us - are so kind and thoughtful to loan us their cottage.

Would I recommend this program? ABSOLUTELY - it was time away from home to just be - no phone calls, work, bills, so relaxing, and something that I would have been hard pressed to afford this year, so I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity for myself and my children.

My family has never really experienced cottage life aside from day visits. The quiet serene individual time was appreciated and also the coming together for meals, cards and scrap booking.

Cottage Dreams has been a sense of new beginning for my family and me. After treatment was the perfect time to spend some quality time together and reconnect as a family.

This was the first time my children and I have experienced a cottage together and it was wonderful to share this time and space with each other. My family and I are so grateful for the generosity of the cottage owners and the staff at Cottage Dreams. You all gave us such a wonderful and memorable experience that we would not have had the opportunity to receive. Thank you and God bless you all.

Cottage Dreams was an awesome experience! It enabled our family to be a family again - just us - no phone, no appointments etc. After spending 1 ¸ years apart it was great to be able to come together again and enjoy each other! Thank you Cottage Dreams for helping to give us our family back!!

Cottage Dreams is providing me with an opportunity to suspend my juggling act of mother, cancer survivor, job-seeker and artist. The week away was a chance for me to relax into the joy of being alive, to sorrow of all that cancer has brought, and the place of balance that comes upon deep reflection in a wilderness setting.

Cottage Dreams has given me the satisfaction of allowing the people who have seen me through some of my worst times see me in a healthy setting. This boosters both so we may go on for the rest of my recovery.

"Words cannot express well enough our deepest thanks and gratitude to the owners and to all at Cottage Dreams for giving us the opportunity for some rest and relaxation in such beautiful surroundings. THANK YOU for everything that you have done for us and for all the others in our situation. YOU have touched our hearts."

This past year has been extremely stressful for me having been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. I went from being healthy and carefree to anxious and pain ridden. 

Our cottage retreat was truly special. I am amazed that people have been so kind as to donate their cottages to complete strangers. It gives you a feeling of reassurance in the world.

The cottage assigned to our family of five was located in the Kawartha's. It was a very picturesque area; the cottage was ample, clean and well furnished. There were a paddleboat and kayak which we put to good use. The weather was perfect. We swam, ate, played games, paddled and relaxed. What good be more perfect after a stressful year?  Thanks so much. 

2008

• We are very pleased to be involved in this program. My kids even spend extra time and effort cleaning their rooms for visitors!

• I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I could bring someone such joy. I have an eight year old and an 18 year old and cannot imagine what Lesley has been going through. I hope she knows that it is a very simple place. But we think it is a very special place – filled with warm memories from three generations that we hope will nurture Lesley and her family as much as it does us.

• It is our pleasure and privilege – we are lucky to be able to share. You folk are doing the wonderful leg work and logistics. Well done. Thanks go to all you folk at Cottage Dreams.

• We are really excited to be part of this program and hope the families get as much enjoyment as we have had for many years. It is truly a wonderful place to reconnect.

• After spending last Friday night at the Renfrew ‘Relay for Life’ – watching all of those survivors walk their lap to begin the relay – it makes sharing your cottage so minor compared to all that those survivors have gone through.

• We are looking forward to having the families staying this summer.

2007

It has truly been a blessing to provide our cottage to families who have lived through Cancer. It is a wonderful organization and a privilege to be associated with such a worthy cause.

As a family we are delighted to have the ability to share our cottage through Cottage Dreams. It gives us a chance to help others.

It was very rewarding to share a piece of our sanctuary with someone who has had to endure such a rough journey.

It was wonderful to meet with the family who were going to be staying at my cottage. To be able to provide some well-deserved respite from all their daily trials was very rewarding to me.

We consider ourselves lucky to have been able to share our cottage. So many cottages sit unused for periods of time; this was an ingenious idea.

This is a wonderful organization!! From the moment I read about it in The Toronto Star I was hooked. It makes us feel so good to know that a family who has faced cancer can enjoy a worry free week away at our cottage and feel so much better for it.

One of the most heart-warming things we’ve ever done. At the end of the day, we received more than we gave.

As we were leaving the recipients, after meeting them and showing them around, we looked back at the dock and they were sitting in the Muskoka chairs, watching the sunset, holding hands and I realized that we were truly the lucky ones to be involved with Cottage Dreams.

I enjoyed the experience. It was a pleasure to greet our visitors and show them around. Cottage Dreams did their homework well, as our cottage was just what our visitors were looking for to relax and they were just the right type of people for me to feel comfortable leaving the cottage to. I’m happy to recommend this charity to our friends that have cottages.

This has been a wonderful experience. I wholeheartedly back this program. Seana O’Neill has been stellar in her approach and organization of Cottage Dreams!

Great feeling of doing something good.

If you own a cottage and want to give back to the community, but have little or no time to do so, this is the perfect venue for you! You aren’t using your cottage so why not let someone recovering from cancer enjoy it in your absence? It’s a win-win situation, and I will definitely offer my cottage for years to come!

Our cottage has been used twice in the past year in the program. It has been inspirational to meet with the families, to see how well they are coping with events, and to feel that we can help out in such a small way by letting them use our cottage while it normally would be lying empty during the week. We believe that the program needs more publicity with cancer survivors and their families, so that they can participate and take advantage of a special time away to heal together.

We have had the pleasure to open our cottage to two (2) survivors over the last two years and both experiences have been very positive. We have spoken to others about the program and been asked “how can you let someone you do not know use your cottage? I would never do that.” Well we did and have never regretted it for a minute. What do we get in return? A warm feeling.

I received some thank you cards from the cottagers which were very touching. We take many things for granted and I was very glad to have been able to help and make a difference to some very nice people.

Not only does the process of allowing another family into our special retreat, help heal a cancer survivor’s family but it gives the donor family an opportunity to feel they have contributed as well through the preparations necessary to get their “rooms” ready, etc. My family takes pride in the beautiful heartfelt letters that are always written. They understand how their cottage can make a person feel and they take joy in sharing it!

I can sincerely recommend this program. It is a great idea with a wonderful team running it. Loaning your cottage is a decision you will not regret.

For very little effort on the part of the cottage owner, the rewards are huge.

We are not in need of this timeshare and it was a godsend to be able to put it to good use and have someone who needed the time away make use of it.

I was thankful to have the opportunity to share the peace and beauty of the cottage with others. It is my hope that visiting families will find the experience as rejuvenating as I do.

We are new cottage owners, only 4 years now, but after reading and learning of Cottage Dreams, I was hooked on making a difference when and where I could. We wanted to share our cottage as we have great memories and thought a Cottage Dream family could do the same. Did it meet all my expectations; without a doubt. Our son, who was 7 at the time, saw there are challenges in life and that we can all make a difference no matter how small. Our first experience changed our lives in numerous ways which a testimonial can not express.

We had 2 families visit our cottage. The first family was most appreciative of having the opportunity to spend time at the lake. The second family said it was the first opportunity the children had of visiting a cottage or a lake. I understood they had not been away from the city before. We found it very rewarding.

The Cottage Dream experience has been fantastic. It is nice to know that other families can enjoy the cottage as much as we do.

We feel privileged to be in a position to own cottages, and are grateful to Cottage Dreams for providing us with the opportunity to share our good fortune with others.

Our family is grateful for the opportunity you have created for us to share our magic place with our visitors. Our family is very privileged in many ways, and one thing my husband and I try to impress on our children is the obligation that places on them to share with others. That can be a hard concept for kids – sharing is hard enough sometimes, but understanding what others may have gone through – putting yourself in the strange shoes of another – so you can begin to understand their needs, is harder. Both kids have a least a glimmer of a greater appreciation of what they have and what they can give and why. For that, we thank you for the work you do.

We have dealt with my mom being a cancer survivor and therefore feel very fortunate and by donating our cottage to another survivor makes us feel like we are contributing to such a worthwhile cause/organization. I am happy there are generous people in this world (that can be cruel) in such a time of need.

In every case, the heartfelt thanks of cottage guests left us with an appreciation of how valuable the program is, and pleased that we were able to share an experience that means a great deal to us as well.

2004-2005

My experience with Cottage Dreams was superb throughout the entire process.  My experience with the family which stayed at my cottage was so positive and rewarding.  We have remained in contact by e-mail this past year and only 11 months later have we met face to face.  My cottage caretaker and his family also had a very rewarding experience with the family.  A totally positive, rewarding and meaningful experience for everyone involved.

2004 and 2005 Cottage Donor

We were delighted to participate in the Cottage Dreams program.  Almost everyone has been touched in some way by someone who has cancer and we feel so helpless.  How fortunate we felt to be able in some small way give back to a family that has survived a difficult journey.  We sometimes forget how fortunate we are to have a cottage to rest at and enjoy.  The beautiful pictures from the kids and lovely note from the family made it all worthwhile.  Overall, this was a very positive experience.  We appreciated the opportunity to be able to have a family who has had to deal with so much, get a chance to go away and enjoy the beautiful area we cottage in.

To sum up my experience with Cottage Dreams - It made me feel good.

My family and I feel that this program is a commendable humanitarian effort by the Cottage Dreams team.  We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a worthwhile cause.  It is a most fulfilling experience to read the feedback comments of the recovering cancer patients.