Group Deposit & Cancellation Policy

To protect the Edge in the event that a group retreat is canceled, we have a non-refundable and non-transferable group deposit policy for all custom group retreats, whether planned by retreat planners, guest facilitators, families, or group leaders.

Retreats at the Edge are planned well-in-advance. When you place a non-refundable deposit to book a group retreat with us, you are committing to bringing a group to our retreat centre on the selected date. This allows us to close that date to other groups (we do not book concurrent events or host non-retreat guests for overnight stays) and prepare for your visit. We invest time and resources in planning your retreat, including engaging co-facilitators, suppliers, and on-site support staff, providing administrative support, holding meetings and planning sessions, preparing materials and spaces, and purchasing fresh food and flowers. These preparations often begin months in advance, starting with the creation of your registration forms and retreat listing.  When a retreat doesn’t happen as planned, we are often unable to fill the spot in our calendar with a last-minute event.

If you need to cancel your retreat, your group deposit (and any other charges that are due up to that point) will go towards covering the costs we have incurred in preparation for your visit. One of the biggest costs comes from refunding registered guests – Even when we refund credit card payments, we are still charged applicable processing fees by our credit card processor. We understand that sometimes retreat plans don’t work out, and our deposit protection policy is necessary to protect the stability and the future of the Edge.

Deposit and Payment Timelines for Pre-formed Groups and Retreat Planners managing their own registrations:

Upon placing your deposit: You may cancel and receive a full refund (minus a 6% processing fee) within 5 business days. With at least 4 months of notice, you may move your retreat to another available date with no penalty (once per event).

About 3 weeks before your visit: We will finalize numbers and prepare your invoice. Your deposit will be applied to the invoice, and the remaining balance will be due 15 days prior to arrival:

  • If the group cancels before this date: Only the deposit will be kept by Northern Edge..
  • If the group cancels within 15 days of arrival: The entire balance due for the retreat will be kept by Northern Edge. Up to 50% of this amount may be made available as a credit towards a future visit.
  • If the group cancels within 48 hours of arrival: No refunds or credits will be provided.

Group size may change based on individuals canceling or joining the retreat:

Shifts in group size will be accommodated on the invoice up to the 15-day point where the balance is due (provided that minimum numbers are still met). Retreats that drop below minimum numbers before this point may choose to cancel in alignment with our policy or pay in advance for the minimum number of attendees.

Group member cancellations after this point are non-refundable, but you may bring someone else in their place. Additional registrations after this point are welcome and will be invoiced on a per-person basis.

Planners selling their retreat are advised to develop a cancellation policy that aligns with these timelines.

Deposit and Payment Timelines for Retreats Sold Through NEA’s Registration System:

Retreat planners and groups using NEA’s in-house registration system for their retreat understand that our Deposit & Cancellation Policy will apply for all guests.  See this policy for details on guest payment timelines.  If the retreat is canceled, Northern Edge will provide all registered guests with a choice of a full refund, or a transfer to another retreat (including any that the planner may have scheduled).  The planner’s deposit will remain non-refundable.

Low Numbers Cancellations:

Upon placing your deposit: You may cancel and receive a full refund (minus a 6% processing fee) within 5 business days. With at least 4 months of notice, you may move your retreat to another available date with no penalty (once per event).

Retreats at the Edge require a minimum of 10 participants. In the case that minimum numbers are not reached 15 business days (3 weeks) prior to arrival, two options will be presented to the group planner, who must communicate their decision by 4:00pm of that day:

  • The planner may choose to pay upfront for meal & accommodation spaces as needed to reach the minimum number. These spaces can then be gifted, sold at a reduced rate to new attendees, or used in retreat promotion. Group planners agree to cover these costs in advance and to run the retreat with low numbers even if the spaces are not used.
  • The planner may choose to cancel the program, and guests will be refunded in accordance with our Deposit & Cancellation Policy. The only amount not refunded will be the planners’ group deposit.

Use or Return of Deposit:

In the week before the retreat, the planner will be entitled to invoice NEA for their accumulated program fee minus our processing costs and any commissions, and for the return of their deposit (minus a 6% processing fee if the planner chose to place their deposit via credit card). The Edge will be entitled to invoice the planner for meal & accommodation rates that may be charged for additional facilitators or additional services rendered. Invoices from each party will identify these amounts and (in most cases, since the planner should have a net-positive invoice) NEA will write a check balancing the difference and effectively returning the deposit.

Event Cancellation by NEA:

If Northern Edge Algonquin chooses to cancel your visit prior to your arrival for any reason other than low numbers (for which the group planner is the decision-making party), including our inability to host a retreat due to provincial mandates, you are entitled to either:

  • A transfer to alternative dates.
  • A full refund for all deposits and balances paid for that retreat.

Please note, NEA is not responsible for incidental expenses or consequential losses (such as non-refundable travel costs, loss of earnings, loss of promotional dollars spent) incurred in the event of cancellation.