The Bessie North House is a 130-year-old farmhouse with an attached barn and five acres of land at the foot of the North Mountain in Canning, Nova Scotia. Just one hour from Halifax, we’re situated in a unique corner of the valley in rich agricultural lands surrounded by local farms, producers and vineyards.

The house has its own unique history of hospitality strongly embedded in this community. Bessie North, for whom the house is named, was born, raised and ultimately spent her end of days in this special place. A well-loved and respected teacher in the community, she would often be spotted in her signature red raincoat ‘walking the loop’ and you could always knock on her door for warm, fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk. In the last year of living here, we have found that everyone knew her, everyone loved her and almost everyone has a story about her.

With just 12 seats in the dining room, it’s an intimate setting. In terms of the design and décor, we’ve ensured that the updates maintain the integrity of the house and its time period, with the exception of a new, more modern, commercial kitchen. We are essentially going back to the land with the intention of growing and sourcing most of our food on the farm or very close by. Our menus will be hyper-local, seasonal, changing monthly and will showcase our region’s best products from both the land and the sea. We’ll be living with the seasons and then extending them through the culture of canning, drying and preserving. Down the road, we’ll add chickens, orchards, and a much more expansive production garden.