Family life advantage draws new residents to Hastings County — where will your kids grow up?
Joyce Ioannou and her family were attracted by nature, calm energy
Joyce Ioannou believes that people need to listen to their internal voices to lead them to the right decisions for their lives. Listening to her own voice led her from a busy career in Toronto to a better life in the unspoiled surroundings of Hastings County.
Ioannou was a marketing specialist working with such companies as Mercedes-benz Canada. Then, two events changed her life.
She was T-boned in a vehicle collision in 2013 that led her to start a new business operating the mobile Kreative Kidz Art Bus for children. Then, she was diagnosed with breast cancer prior to expecting her son, Rio.
“Choosing to carry on with the pregnancy, I combined medical treatment with complementary holistic treatments such as essential oils aromatherapy,” she says. “My son was born healthy and I’m a proud breast cancer survivor. That experience led me on a holistic journey.”
Ioannou embarked on a new career, earning credentials as a certified clinical aromatherapist, reflexology and wellness coach. Her inner voice told her that another change was necessary. She’d become entranced with the Crowe Lake area of Hastings County, near Marmora.
“You can feel the energy building as you head east from Toronto on the twohour drive here,” she says. “Last year, we looked at this property that was full of cedars. It had an almost Sedona-like feel about it. We bought it immediately.”
The house is divided into two sections. One is devoted to the family, the other to the newly established Cedars Wellness Clinic. Set to re-open soon, the clinic’s business is still booming with virtual consultations. Ioannou believes that clients visiting from as far as Toronto and Ottawa will feel the same calm energy.
“That energy has had a profound effect on the family dynamic as well,” she says. “We’re calmer and happier. We have more
fun, and have a new appreciation for the tranquility of the outdoors.”
Her oldest daughter Faith, 10, is in the fifth grade and has adjusted
happily to her new surroundings. Rio, now 5, is excited to start senior kindergarten in the fall.
“I don’t regret our time in the city,” she says. “Each stage of our lives can teach us something if we listen to our inner voice. Listening led us here.”
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