Sauna culture wins converts as mobile businesses bring the heat to them

The article explores the rise of lakeside sauna culture in Toronto, focusing on Sedar Sauna-a mobile, wood-fired sauna parked on the city’s waterfront each weekend. Groups of people, including a regular women’s group called the EndorFINS, gather early in the morning to plunge into the icy waters of Lake Ontario before warming up in the sauna. Participants describe the ritual of alternating between cold lake dips and intense sauna heat as both physically invigorating and emotionally uplifting, citing benefits such as improved circulation, relief from aches and pains, mood boosts, and a sense of community.

The Sedar Sauna, created from a repurposed tool shed after a tornado, was launched by Matt van Steenburgh and Jason Wong, who now host pay-what-you-can sessions that quickly fill up. The practice draws inspiration from longstanding Finnish and Nordic traditions, but also connects to other global bathing cultures, such as Russian banyas and Korean jjimjilbangs. The article highlights how this communal ritual helps people manage stress, grief, and the challenges of urban life, fostering resilience, camaraderie, and joy even in the depths of winter.

Across Canada, sauna and cold plunge culture is growing, with public and private saunas appearing from Thunder Bay to Nova Scotia. For many, the practice is not just about health, but about embracing the seasons, connecting with others, and finding moments of awe and renewal in everyday life.