Canadian backyards trade hot tubs for saunas and cold plunges

Canadian homeowners are swapping hot tubs for backyard saunas, cold plunges and even dedicated wellness rooms, a shift designers and retailers say has accelerated into a lasting lifestyle change rather than a pandemic fad. Calgary outfitter Backyard Canada reports sauna sales have risen by an average of 28 per cent year over year for three years, according to a Sept. 30 National Post feature. Luxury designer Lauren Kyle McDavid, who is married to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, said virtually all of her high-end clients now request saunas, and the couple keep wood-burning or spa setups at each of their three Canadian homes. DIY builders are in on it too: a Facebook group for homemade Canadian saunas — often quoted in the $10,000-to-$20,000 range has more than 18,000 members. Unlike seasonal patio furniture, the appeal is year-round. Homeowners from Montreal to Yellowknife describe heat-and-cold routines that double as phone-free gathering spaces in winter, when many outdoor amenities sit idle. Ontario broker Claudine Montano told the Post she has never seen wellness amenities requested so often in two decades of real estate, with some budgets stretching to private massage or IV-therapy rooms. The boom is still uneven — one buyer turned a sauna into a cedar closet but for a growing cohort of longevity-minded households, the backyard is becoming a year-round recovery zone rather than a summer lounge. Sources: National Post.