Solace Spa

Written by Jessica McKeil
For Story Factory

Tucked away on the south end of Salt Spring Island, beneath the comforting boughs of the majestic Douglas fir trees, Solace Organic Spa is a sanctuary where people come to connect with self, with nature, and with one another. Founded by Holistic Wellness Practitioner Julie James in 2004, Solace has evolved as a reflection of her deep connection with her inner self, her community, and the land.

Intuitively, Julie has tapped into all facets of her lived experience to grow Solace Organic Spa into the living, breathing, transformative experience it is today. Her background in design, passion for gardening, training in acupressure and reflexology, and, importantly, her experiences as a mother are all woven into every element of the Solace experience. 

Over the last 20 years, Julie has built Solace mindfully and intentionally by listening—to her own intuition, the needs of her community, and nature. She has courageously followed her inner calling to care for those around her, and this calling has shaped every offering, every design detail, and every moment.

Solace is a place for nourishment, both inside and out. As Salt Spring Island’s only holistic forest spa, guests are invited into a restorative journey that flows from the cedar-scented outdoor hydrotherapy circuit to organic skincare rituals to therapeutic bodywork treatments. From the quiet pathways lined with medicinal plants to the warm, light-filled space of the treatment room, every element at Solace exists to support this profound connection to nature and one's authentic self.

This sense of heartfelt authenticity is the thread that weaves through every aspect of Solace and not by accident. The gardens were not installed—they were tended with Julie’s careful hand. The spa’s organic skincare line wasn’t outsourced—it was formulated in-house drawing on Julie’s years of herbal practice. Likewise, the treatments weren’t pulled from industry templates; they were developed through deep listening, shaped by Julie’s intuitive ability to hear what her community needed.

Now, Julie’s daughter, Ajra Rose Doobenen, has joined her at Solace, bringing a designer’s eye and a shared belief in letting nature guide the way. Together, they are now co-creating a renewed vision for Solace that amplifies this guiding voice, and in collaboration with the rest of the spa’s compassionate team, stewarding Solace into its next iteration: still small, still fiercely sustainable, but now branching out into private group experiences, from anniversaries to special milestones to wellness retreats. This shared vision is still strongly rooted in the rituals that heal and a relationship with nature.

Since its humble beginnings over twenty years ago, Solace has always had a quiet, transformative power, often manifesting before a single treatment begins.

As many guests have experienced firsthand, simply arriving here, under the canopy of firs, surrounded by birdsong and soft light, begins the process of slowing down. Julie’s original vision, to create a space where people can reconnect with themselves and with each other, to experience nature as a luxury, lives on in every detail.